Married soldier found guilty of beating his date with tire iron

[OldSolduer]

formermilitaryspouse - the trips to slaughterhouses etc is the first time that some of these kids have seen blood, other than from a skinned knee. Would it be better than doing nothing? It may appear weak, but to the kid from an urban middle class background that has never seen blood it can be quited traumatic. That is why the films and trips were stopped....too many complaints that little Johnnie felt a bit sick and couldn't eat his lunch. Little Johnnie should have been told to suck it up and carry on, because it gets worse.
I will agree.....there is probably not much we can do to prepare people to see decapitations.....but its our duty to try.
Last October, three of us assisted at the scene of a car accident in which two people were burned to death right in front of my two guys. They saw two people die horribly. I assisted the paramedics loading a guy on a backboard, and his femur was sticking out of his thigh.  Because of our training, and our RSM bringing in a counsellor, we  are OK. This is what the chain of command has to do. Identify and offer assistance.

 

[formermilitaryspouse]

OS... I could not agree with you more that some cannot handle the act of seeing the really minimal (as caomapred to human life... it is minimal) amount of blood that can be seen in such an act, and I agree... it is very much a first step, and can definitely seperate the 'men from the boys' in some, and probably most cases.  All I was trying to get out is that it really was absolutely not enough to have them deal with such tragdies as you just explained that your men had to witness.  Thankfully something was done, as the chain of command responded appropriately... as they should, that is their job.  Unfortunately, it is not always the case though, as many well know.  The ball gets dropped at times... with a weaker... or less compassionate chain of command... or simply one that does not give a rats butt... and it affects the life of many.

What about the case where the soldier is removed from the accident... but not from the scene, and proper mental health proceedures are not followed... or followed weakly, or without follow up... and rather... he is sent off for some R&R... after all... going and getting plastered for a few days is a great cure, is it not? LOL 

I totally get what you are saying though... and totally agree. 

 

[geo]

FMS,
As OS mentioned, some of these young men and women have only "just" left home and haven't had much experience dealing with anything that resembles a human body ... or anything else that bleads.... let alone having to put it to death.  If they can't handle this, woe be the day they are on the plains of a foreign country, fighting for themselves and the lives of their comrades.

 

[formermilitaryspouse]

Haha... thanks Geo, I get that.  Guess it is not coming across that way.  Sorry.

 

[jollyjacktar]

OS, I remember that flick Army Medicine in VN.  Saw it as a young guy too.  Good flick should be revisited or a more suitable updated version.  One of my guys is former British Para/RM, they used to make the kids crawl through shell scrapes containing offal from local slaughter houses while at the same time firing over their heads with live ammo and lots of t-flashes and the like.  He said that it helped somewhat to prepare one for the shock of war.

I did come across many young kids (many Reserves) last year rotating through KAF who had seen and done some horrible things for one so young.  I do expect that there will be plenty of headspace and timing issues for long to come after this.  But then again many of the kids will come out shining too.  Each and everyone of us have a different breaking point or saturation level.

FMS, thank you for your candor and coming forward to shed more light on this case.  It must have not been easy to step out into the public eye so to speak and give of yourself like this.  My best wishes and warmest regards for your future endeavours.

 

[formermilitaryspouse]

Thanks JJT... no... it definitely was not easy... and took some thought to do so... but... at the same time... as I stated... it did help with finally closing that chapter on my life completely.  Thank you all for indulging me on that... and hearing me out.  I did this not to defend him... as it is his path, his journey in life.  But rather to put some of the facts to the issue, and mostly for personal closure to it all. 

Thanks again everyone... for all your comments, openess and honesty on this issue... from even before I posted... as it really helped me to see it from others perspectives... but also to put it completely behind me.