we are not taking care of our soldiers before, during and after tours. this is a disgrace!! My son is in the army and I will take care of his needs if the time arises!!! Our gov't. should be ashamed of themselves.
Don't knock the SGT or Buckethead will talk about how great all NCOs are all the time.
I think however, if he went awol, he needs to be dealt with just like any other because he puts more burden on his troops... His selfish attitude has no place among the finest.
That all aside, we do need to do more as a country to help coping.
Originally posted by Holynotsomuch: Don't knock the SGT or Buckethead will talk about how great all NCOs are all the time.
I think however, if he went awol, he needs to be dealt with just like any other because he puts more burden on his troops... His selfish attitude has no place among the finest.
That all aside, we do need to do more as a country to help coping.
You know I have PTSD. I have had it since 2003. You can't blame the SGT. if they didn't have the right treatment, because putting your self around other troops or other people could be very dangerous for them or your self. Especially with uncontrollable out burst of anger. Believe you me I have a gotton into a fight with someone because they moved a spoon in front of me, I mean a spoon come on. I couldn't control it I was so anger with myself and everyone that I just waited for an excuse. So I was lucky I didn't go to jail. But there are those who don't get so Lucky. So I say if he took him self out of the dangerous situation and it kept him and his troops safe I say so be it.
If looking for AWOL troops to arrest, we still have an issue on Pennsylvania Ave to address.
Perhaps our combat vet doesn't have a rich enough daddy to avoid arrest.
Since we let Scooter Libby off and haven't picked up Alberto Gonzoles yet, it looks like we are starting at the bottom of the arrest list, not the top.
I was a cop for about 2 and a half years after getting out of college. I think it was 1977, Christmas, I finally had a parter I liked. We were doing two to a car, which made evenings go alot better.
Seems, if I remember it right, crib death, wife left him.
Christmas day when he was supposed to pick me up, he never showed up.
It took the government 37 years to understand that I had PTSD. I didn't go UA.
Poor baby! Treat him in the BRIG!
He served two tours so he has earned something. It is not like he is avoiding combat and I know too many guys from VN that suffer and it is not something easy to shake or treat.
If looking for AWOL troops to arrest, we still have an issue on Pennsylvania Ave to address.
Perhaps our combat vet doesn't have a rich enough daddy to avoid arrest.
Since we let Scooter Libby off and haven't picked up Alberto Gonzoles yet, it looks like we are starting at the bottom of the arrest list, not the top.
Jesus Christ, what does this bs have to do with anything? What are idiots like you going to do after the next election? You need to find a life or put your efforts into something positive because your got PTSD just from President Bush.
IN WORLD WAR TWO THEY HAD WHAT THEY CALLED THAT FAR AWAY STARE. IN ANY CASE SOME CAN TAKE ALL THAT BLOOD AND CARNAGE MORE THEN OTHERS THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THEY ARE WEAK THEY JUST AREN'T MADE THAT WAY. NOT EVERBODY CAN BE THE HAULK LIKE SOME CLAIM TO BE.
I come down on the side of the SGT. He didn't run before either deployment, they don't say he ran from combat down-range, they say he tried to get help when he came home. This just highlights the problems in the military support systems. A dozen people to handle 17000 troops? Not even close to enough.
PTSD effects everyone differently. Some people can cope with it some can't. Going AWOL is wrong, hands down. But it seems to me this SGT, who had already served 2 tours in Iraq, felt that was his only option. Its not like he sat on a FOB pushing papers all day like some do during their "combat deployments." He was outside the wire clearing IEDs of all things. It's not that this Soldier dosn't want to serve his country; he just wants to get help. AWOL is wrong but the important thing here is to make sure this Soldier gets the help he needs to continue to be a contributing part of society.
Originally posted by gpduf: If looking for AWOL troops to arrest, we still have an issue on Pennsylvania Ave to address.
Perhaps our combat vet doesn't have a rich enough daddy to avoid arrest.
Since we let Scooter Libby off and haven't picked up Alberto Gonzoles yet, it looks like we are starting at the bottom of the arrest list, not the top.
GPDUF, You have a valid point. I always felt that our leaders should set the example and stand tall among the rest..Worst part, I see no shining light in the future. As for the trooper. Get him the help he needs and quite the Bull Crap.
Originally posted by gpduf: I was a cop for about 2 and a half years after getting out of college. I think it was 1977, Christmas, I finally had a parter I liked. We were doing two to a car, which made evenings go alot better.
Seems, if I remember it right, crib death, wife left him.
Christmas day when he was supposed to pick me up, he never showed up.
He was a Vietnam veteran.
Guess why.
Just had a friend take his life. Did two tours in 'nam and once with us in a third world country...then he goes off to fight elsewhere. His family divorced him long ago. I've got PTSD but he had it bad. He used to always tell me," War is easy for me, but I just don't know how to deal with love."
As for the AWOL guy,I don't know what he's been through. I only did one long tour, these young men and women are going back three and four times, gotta be hard..it turns into a life on the front and if you can't dissociate the war from peace when you return you have one seriously dangerous vet but I don't like people that go AWOL. But he's done two tours already...war gets in your head and doesn't easily let go.
PTSD sucks big time. But the brig( which I've never been in) sucks worse. This guy sounds desperate and probably should never go back...how could you trust the guy? There has to be a way to "rehab " him, transfer him to a desk far away from action but the AWOL?? ....he just p*ssed his record in the military away.
This guy needs help. Is he really a deserter, after having done two tours ? Not in my book,he is walking wounded.I have no doubt that if he had gotten the help he needed, when he needed it he would have his life back. The system is what should be charged not this soldier.
If this soldier was walking around with a gaping chest wound, would he have been deployed? That his wound (PTSD) is not as visible is irrelevant. That doctors failed to diagnose him and remove him from the deployable list is not the soldiers fault nor is it his problem. Regardless of the doctors inability to treat the soldier due to workload, the soldier should have been relieved of his duties pending appropriate and adequate medical treatment. Those of you claiming he is a deserter put all the other soldiers around Sgt. Gaskin at risk when you force him to report for deployment with serious untreated medical issues. (I hope you people are never my platoon sargeant.)
I look forward to seeing how the ex-cons we are currently recruiting respond to being ignored when they try to get help... I think "rude awakening" will be an understatement when that day comes if we aren't already seeing it now.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: sabow,
The Army’s Mental Health Service is totally over stretched which has led to incompetence and less than adequate service. Three month after returning for Iraq for the second time, I reported I had been having thoughts of killing my wife, and the NCO at the desk looked at me with disbelief and told me to call back in two days to schedule an appointment. Luckily I had some sense left and explained to my wife in detail that if she stayed any longer something might happen to her. Within 90 minutes her bags where packed and she headed back to Virginia. She left March 23,2006 and our divorce will be final hopefully in December of this year, but like many other things in the military, you can’t wait for the system when it might be better doing it yourself.
