Military doctors wrote almost 3.8 million prescriptions for pain relief

If you just read this story and do not think deeper into it, it's troubling so many need, or feel they need pain medications. If you think deeper though, it is a testament to their devotion.

The human body is able to go just so far with being abused. They deal with heavy packs, rugged terrain, little sleep, inadequate food and under stress on a daily basis. This is not one tour for most of them but 4, 5, 6 tours into Iraq and Afghanistan. They also have to deal with the stress of being redeployed while they are finally back home with their families.

When you read about how many times some of these men and women have been sent into combat, we need to acknowledge that these are people making service to this country their careers. If we go on a job we consider too hard, we get to leave and find another job. Considering how many stay in no matter what price they have to pay physically and emotionally, reading a troubling report like this offers more evidence of just how remarkable all of them are.

Abuse of pain pills by soldiers concerns Pentagon

By Gregg Zoroya, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — The military is trying to curb the volume of narcotics given to troops as the number of prescriptions for painkillers and instances of drug abuse continue to soar, according to Pentagon data and recent congressional testimony.

Military doctors wrote almost 3.8 million prescriptions for pain relief for servicemembers last year — more than four times the 866,773 doses handed out in 2001, according to data from the Pentagon health office.


"These are stunning statistics," says Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., who intends to look into the issue next week during a Senate subcommittee hearing that he will chair. Surgeons general of the Army, Navy and Air Force will testify. "I would really like to dig down in the data here and get their thoughts about what is driving this."

Military officials and analysts say the increase in the use of narcotic pain medication reflects the continuing toll on ground troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, often through more than one combat deployment. In addition to those who are wounded, larger numbers of soldiers and Marines develop aches and strains carrying heavy packs, body armor and weapons over rugged and mountainous terrain.
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http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/2010-03-16-military-drugs_N.htm