mTBI, PTSD and Stress (Catch All)

[MikeF]

Sometimes I forget to say,

"Welcome home brothers....Thank YOU for your service."

Last week, one of my boys was killed by his wife in an accident. Keep that in mind as you conduct safety briefs....

RIP SGT Eric Autio. See you on the final dropzone brother.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=7326252&page=1

Eric was one of my paratroopers. His death is a shock and tragic, but his life was beautiful. He positively impacted everyone arround him with his strength, humor, and character.

Second platoon never rolled mounted without listening to OAR. So tonight, in memorandum, I ask you to join me in remembrance of a good man. Grab your drink of choice, kick back, and remember.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WX32_...rom=PL&index=5

here's part two..to my deployed brothers, know we're thinking of you....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUND9AsL_6M

I apologize for my emotional outburts, but better on-line that can be erased...that's the way I found to resolve and return to the "real" world.

v/r

Mike

[Majormarginal]

I do not believe you have anything to apologize for.

[MikeF]

Keep this in mind as you consider your thoughts...I wrote about it in SWJ in "Love and Hate."

1st Lt. Kevin J. Gaspers 26 23 April 2007 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry, 3rd BCT, 82nd Airborne Division, TF Lightning Died as a result of injuries sustained from an explosion when a suicide VBIED attacked a patrol base in Diyala Province / Died in As Sadah, Iraq

Staff Sgt. Kenneth E. Locker Jr. 28 23 April 2007 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry, 3rd BCT, 82nd Airborne Division, TF Lightning Died as a result of injuries sustained from an explosion when a suicide VBIED attacked a patrol base in Diyala Province / Died in As Sadah, Iraq

Staff Sgt. William C. Moore 27 23 April 2007 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry, 3rd BCT, 82nd Airborne Division, TF Lightning Died as a result of injuries sustained from an explosion when a suicide VBIED attacked a patrol base in Diyala Province / Died in As Sadah, Iraq

Sgt. Randell T. Marshall 22 23 April 2007 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry, 3rd BCT, 82nd Airborne Division, TF Lightning Died as a result of injuries sustained from an explosion when a suicide VBIED attacked a patrol base in Diyala Province / Died in As Sadah, Iraq

Sgt. Brice A. Pearson 32 23 April 2007 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry, 3rd BCT, 82nd Airborne Division, TF Lightning Died as a result of injuries sustained from an explosion when a suicide VBIED attacked a patrol base in Diyala Province / Died in As Sadah, Iraq

Sgt. Michael L. Vaughan 20 23 April 2007 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry, 3rd BCT, 82nd Airborne Division, TF Lightning Died as a result of injuries sustained from an explosion when a suicide VBIED attacked a patrol base in Diyala Province / Died in As Sadah, Iraq

Spc. Jerry R. King 19 23 April 2007 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry, 3rd BCT, 82nd Airborne Division, TF Lightning Died as a result of injuries sustained from an explosion when a suicide VBIED attacked a patrol base in Diyala Province / Died in As Sadah, Iraq

Spc. Michael J. Rodriguez 20 23 April 2007 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry, 3rd BCT, 82nd Airborne Division, TF Lightning Died as a result of injuries sustained from an explosion when a suicide VBIED attacked a patrol base in Diyala Province / Died in As Sadah, Iraq

Pfc. Garrett C. Knoll 23 23 April 2007 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry, 3rd BCT, 82nd Airborne Division, TF Lightning Died as a result of injuries sustained from an explosion when a suicide VBIED attacked a patrol base in Diyala Province / Died in As Sadah, Iraq

Persistent Presence

Not in my town claims the mayor as the hamlet burns in anarchy
Self-denial self-inflicted in meaningless promises turned towards lethargy
Obscuring transgressions against the village
Established men descend to pillage
The circle of control diminishes as grievances expand
Sparking great controversy across the land
Armageddon is here; the sky falls down
Nothing has changed; No evolution of man
Neither rich nor poor shortchanged from suffering
Some days I grieve it all for nothing
I cannot fix what always has been,
Therefore, I must transcend.
No longer am I angry.
I return refocused.

23 April 2007

No sleep after dinner with al Qaeda
All warning for naught
In love and hate
Sometimes we have to bring the hate
in hope of better days
Men bleed, heartache sores
Paratroopers persist
In ever knowing presence
In evervesance
Volunteer twice, no hope of virtue
Sadness persist
As we bury the dead
Hope forlorn, but not lost
Ever more we persist.
Strive brothers strive
for better days
And our children LIVE
Some things best left unsaid
Strive paratrooper strive
Pack up your things
and patrol once again

It is what it is....

let drops of mourning fall
for loved one's lost
and be not ashamed
tears were meant to be wept

v/r

Mike

[goesh]

When units come and go together, it helps with the PTSD. I think cohesion and moral support stays intact and greatly facilitates integration back into civilization. In Nam, we rotated in individually though in the early years, divisions/brigades etc entered as whole units. We left individually and psychologically alone. when I got on the freedom bird home, I didn't know a man on the plane. We were all about 14 hours from civilization thinking life would be so great and wonderful once out Viet Nam. We had visions of hamburgers, cold beer and round-eyed women - we had lost all contact with civilization and were going home. The guy I sat beside told me he was being dishcharged and would be a civilian the next day. when the plane took off, he got a blanket, covered his head and sat and talked to himself all the way to Okinawa. Nobody had a clue what was really coming back to the States from Nam. The fact that a fallen comrade who wasn't KIA in Iraq or Afghanistan can be eulogized, honored and remembered and the word spread, says a great deal about not only his unit but the whole approach the military takes towards PTSD these days.

[Steve Blair]

When units come and go together, it helps with the PTSD. I think cohesion and moral support stays intact and greatly facilitates integration back into civilization. In Nam, we rotated in individually though in the early years, divisions/brigades etc entered as whole units. We left individually and psychologically alone. when I got on the freedom bird home, I didn't know a man on the plane. We were all about 14 hours from civilization thinking life would be so great and wonderful once out Viet Nam. We had visions of hamburgers, cold beer and round-eyed women - we had lost all contact with civilization and were going home. The guy I sat beside told me he was being dishcharged and would be a civilian the next day. when the plane took off, he got a blanket, covered his head and sat and talked to himself all the way to Okinawa. Nobody had a clue what was really coming back to the States from Nam. The fact that a fallen comrade who wasn't KIA in Iraq or Afghanistan can be eulogized, honored and remembered and the word spread, says a great deal about not only his unit but the whole approach the military takes towards PTSD these days.

This has been something that's been lurking in the back of many minds for some time, Goesh. There was a fair amount of discussion that the extended voyages home on troopships after WW2 actually allowed the vets on board to decompress and work some things out with others who'd been through the same things. Actually, I'd say that we've seen a PTSD-type situation that is similar to Iraq and Afghanistan before...but it's hard to document due to the elapsed time. It's always been one of my personal theories that many of the waves of western expansion in the US were fueled by folks who had a hard time adjusting after the Civil War and simply "moved on" in the literal sense. A large number of men were demobilized very quickly after that conflict (state volunteer units) and depending on location not all of them had time to "decompress" with others. Also I think the fact that units were so geographically-based would have made losses harder to bear for some of them. It's always been a matter of interest that so many of the "gunslinging lawmen and outlaws" of the post-Civil War period were former military men from the war.

[MikeF]

This has been something that's been lurking in the back of many minds for some time, Goesh. There was a fair amount of discussion that the extended voyages home on troopships after WW2 actually allowed the vets on board to decompress and work some things out with others who'd been through the same things. Actually, I'd say that we've seen a PTSD-type situation that is similar to Iraq and Afghanistan before...but it's hard to document due to the elapsed time. It's always been one of my personal theories that many of the waves of western expansion in the US were fueled by folks who had a hard time adjusting after the Civil War and simply "moved on" in the literal sense. A large number of men were demobilized very quickly after that conflict (state volunteer units) and depending on location not all of them had time to "decompress" with others. Also I think the fact that units were so geographically-based would have made losses harder to bear for some of them. It's always been a matter of interest that so many of the "gunslinging lawmen and outlaws" of the post-Civil War period were former military men from the war.

I've had some long discussions about this subject with veterans from different wars. In this case, I left Iraq early to attend school. It left me unnerved as I said goodbye to my brothers abrubtly.

Today, I remember a little. Tommorow, I live a little. Sometimes we have to remember even though we'd rather forget.

Another important topic to discuss is Vietnam today. They coped and eventually thrived. Why? And will Iraq do that in 30 years?

v/r

Mike

[goesh]

All the old WW2 Vets I have known remained plagued with nightmares over the years. This is anecdotal but they were all well adjusted from any number of perspectives - they had no trouble with the law, were economically solvent, steadily employed, family men, no psychiatric history, etc. They did decompress aboard ship, remembering and sharing and dreaming and planning as a unit but they returned to a society that regarded them as Veterans of a just war, one of dire necessity. Shell shock was an accepted condition for many of them and bore no heavy stigma. They had done nothing wrong in a time of urgency and national survival. I don't think we will ever have an answer for any of this when we compare wars and Vets of those wars.

For one thing, we have had but one 'good war' since WW2 - the Gulf War. Secondly, the pioneers who started honestly addressing PTSD unintentionally opened the door for all kinds of people to fall under the umbrella of PTSD. There are people running around who survived a tornado sporting a diagnosis of PTSD for heaven's sake. The sacrifice of our warriors has been culturally deluded. Get bit by a damn dog and in some circles, you have PTSD.

IMO, Afghanistan is going to be the forgotten war just like Korea was and is. I think the jury is still out on Iraq. The criticism of the war has had the caveat that the troops are good guys in a bad war. How this translates psychologically at the interpersonal level amongst Iraqi combat Vets remains to be seen I think. They may in the wee hours of the night in the privacy of their minds regard themselves as mere survivors but I hope not. Our Armed Forces are at least aware of PTSD and attempting to address it. We have that much anyway in our favor.

[MikeF]

There are people i think of and people I often see, but with most of them, my life would not be worse if they were not around....

I am blessed; however, with knowing some who affect my life in such a way a hole is left when they are gone.

Welcome to SWJ

v/r

Mike