Army ordering medically unfit troops to Iraq

[ribonucleic]

http://www.salon.com/news/2007/03/11/fort_benning/

[240 is Back]

walk it off, soldier.

[Dos Equis]

We shouldn't be deploying service members who are physically unable to serve, but anyone who has served knows soldiers routinely abuse physical "profiles."  From trying to avoid PT to avoiding combat, soldiers often exaggerate their "injuries" to avoid certain activities.  I don't know if that's the case with the soldiers who are the subject of this story, but my question for their situation would be why are they still in the service?  If their injuries are so severe that they cannot perform their duties, they should be medically discharged. 

[Straw Man]

We shouldn't be deploying service members who are physically unable to serve, but anyone who has served knows soldiers routinely abuse physical "profiles."  From trying to avoid PT to avoiding combat, soldiers often exaggerate their "injuries" to avoid certain activities.  I don't know if that's the case with the soldiers who are the subject of this story, but my question for their situation would be why are they still in the service?  If their injuries are so severe that they cannot perform their duties, they should be medically discharged. 

It would be a lot easier to claim to be gay

[ieffinhatecardio]

This sounds like another excellent plan. I can't think of one downside to sending soldiers that are too injured to put on protective gear over to Iraq.

It seems like everyday there's some new story about Iraq or injured soldiers. It's never ending.

[Tre]

We shouldn't be deploying service members who are physically unable to serve, but anyone who has served knows soldiers routinely abuse physical "profiles."  From trying to avoid PT to avoiding combat, soldiers often exaggerate their "injuries" to avoid certain activities.  I don't know if that's the case with the soldiers who are the subject of this story, but my question for their situation would be why are they still in the service?  If their injuries are so severe that they cannot perform their duties, they should be medically discharged. 

True, but the military has never effectively dealt with psychological injuries and they never will...until people just flat out refuse to sign up.

[ribonucleic]

In related news...

<< The U.S. military is sending troops with serious psychological problems into Iraq and is keeping soldiers in combat even after superiors have been alerted to suicide warnings and other signs of mental illness...

Once at war, some unstable troops are kept on the front lines while on potent antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs, with little or no counseling or medical monitoring....

And some troops who developed post-traumatic stress disorder after serving in Iraq are being sent back to the war zone, increasing the risk to their mental health....

These practices, which have received little public scrutiny and in some cases violate the military's own policies, have helped to fuel an increase in the suicide rate among troops serving in Iraq, which reached an all-time high in 2005 when 22 soldiers killed themselves - accounting for nearly one in five of all Army non-combat deaths. >>

http://www.courant.com/news/specials/hc-mental1a.artmay14,0,6150281.story?coll=hc-specials-top

[Dos Equis]

True, but the military has never effectively dealt with psychological injuries and they never will...until people just flat out refuse to sign up.

I agree they have not effectively dealt with psychological injuries and/or problems in the past.

We don't treat PTSD very well either.  Although I'm not sure what the effective treatment would be for PTSD. 

[Al-Gebra]

I agree they have not effectively dealt with psychological injuries and/or problems in the past.

We don't treat PTSD very well either.  Although I'm not sure what the effective treatment would be for PTSD. 

PTSD is not a well-defined condition.  Seems like most of the people who suffer from it had major issues before they ever got anywhere near a combat zone.  Granted, being in a combat zone aggravates their conditions . . . but that's life.  It aggravates conditions.