The enchantment of a warrior

The enchantment of a warrior

by
Chaplain Kathie

When we think about adulthood, we tend to think our kids reach it when they turn 21. At that age they are supposed to be responsible for all they do. By the age of 18, they are considered responsible enough to vote and decide the direction this country will take, yet they are not old enough in most parts of the country to legally drink alcohol. There is a reason for this and that is their minds are still too able to be under the influence of it. Imagine being a Marine or member of another branch of service, sent into combat, and then be told you are just too young to drink, but this happens all the time. Read about some of the deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan, just as we've read stories about other wars and you see many under the age of 21.

These are just from the first page of CNN Special Reports page and only those who died in Iraq.

Pfc. Steven Acosta 19 Company C, 3rd Battalion, 67th Armored Regiment, 4th Infantry Division Calexico, California Died from a non-hostile gunshot wound in Baquba, Iraq, on October 26, 2003

Pfc. Michael S. Adams 20 Company C, 1st Battalion, 35th Armor Regiment, 1st Armored Division Spartanburg, South Carolina Died of injuries sustained in a fire during a small-arms fire exercise. The fire began when a bullet ricocheted and ignited a fire in the building in Baghdad, Iraq on August 21, 2003

Pfc. Christopher S. Adlesperger 20 Company K, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force Albuquerque, New Mexico Died due to enemy action in Anbar province, Iraq, on December 9, 2004. Adlesperger was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross, the nation's second highest military honor for valor, for actions in a firefight on November 10, 2004.

Lance Cpl. Anthony Aguirre 20 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force Mineral City, Ohio Killed while conducting combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq, on February 26, 2007

Pfc. Daniel J. Allman II 20 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Canon, Georgia One of two soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, on November 13, 2006

Pfc. Adriana Alvarez 20 571st Military Police Company, 504th Military Police Battalion, 42nd Military Police Brigade San Benito, Texas Died of injuries sustained while supporting combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, on February 10, 2010

Spc. Brushaun X. Anderson 20 Company C, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Columbus, Georgia Died of wounds suffered from a non-combat related incident in Baghdad, Iraq, on January 1, 2010

Lance Cpl. Nicholas H. Anderson 19 Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force Las Vegas, Nevada Died in a vehicle incident during combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq, on November 12, 2004

Spc. Yoe M. Aneiros 20 Company C, 2nd Battalion, 70th Armor, 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division Newark, New Jersey Killed when his patrol vehicle came under attack by enemy forces using rocket-propelled grenades in Sadr City, Iraq, on September 7, 2004

Lance Cpl. Levi T. Angell 20 11th Combat Service Support Group, 1st Force Service Support Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force St. Louis, Minnesota Died due to injuries received from hostile fire in Anbar province, Iraq, on April 8, 2004


Pfc. Joseph J. Anzack Jr. 20 Company D, 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Torrance, California One of five soldiers killed when their patrol was attacked by enemy forces using automatic fire and explosives in Taqa, Iraq, on May 12, 2007.

Pfc. Michael A. Arciola 20 Company D, 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division Elmsford, New York Died of injuries sustained from enemy small-arms fire in Ramadi, Iraq, on February 15, 2005

Pfc. James J. Arellano 19 1st Battalion, 67th Armored Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division Cheyenne, Wyoming Died of injuries suffered when his patrol encountered enemy forces using roadside bombs and small arms fire in Baghdad, Iraq, on August 17, 2006

Cpl. Bradley T. Arms 20 Company C, 4th Combat Engineer Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve Charlottesville, Virginia Died as result of enemy action in Falluja, Anbar province, Iraq, on November 19, 2004

Lance Cpl. Alexander S. Arredondo 20 Company A, Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit Randolph, Massachusetts Killed as result of hostile action in Najaf, Iraq, on August 25, 2004

Spc. Richard Arriaga 20 Headquarters Battery, 4th Battalion, 42nd Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Infantry Division Ganado, Texas Killed when his unit was ambushed with small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades in Tikrit, Iraq, on September 18, 2003


Pfc. Shawn M. Atkins 20 Headquarters Company, 4th Aviation Brigade, 1st Armored Division Parker, Colorado Died as a result of a non-combat injury in Baghdad, Iraq, on June 14, 2004

Pfc. Shane R. Austin 19 1st Battalion, 35th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division Edgerton, Kansas Died of injuries suffered from enemy grenade fire in Ramadi, Iraq, on October 8, 2006

Pfc. Jeffrey A. Avery 19 571st Military Police Company, 504th Military Police Battalion, 42nd Military Police Brigade Colorado Springs, Colorado Died from wounds suffered when a homemade bomb exploded during checkpoint operations in Muquadadiya, Iraq, on April 23, 2007

Spc. Adrian L. Avila 19 1343rd Chemical Company, 151st Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Battalion, 115th Fires Brigade, Alabama Army National Guard Opelika, Alabama Died of injuries sustained in a non-combat related accident at Khabari Crossing, Kuwait, on October 29, 2009



Lance Cpl. Andrew Julian Aviles 18 Headquarters & Service Company, 4th Assault Amphibian Battalion, 4th Marine Division Tampa, Florida Killed when an Iraqi artillery round struck his amphibious assault vehicle near Baghdad, Iraq, on April 7, 2003

Cpl. Salem Bachar 20 Headquarters Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force Chula Vista, California One of two Marines killed due to enemy action in Anbar province, Iraq, on April 13, 2006

Pfc. Roberto C. Baez 19 Company D, 3rd Battalion, 504th Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division Tampa, Florida One of three soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their Humvee during combat operations in Haqlaniya, Iraq, on October 3, 2005

Pfc. Joe L. Baines 19 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division Newark, New Jersey Died of wounds suffered when a roadside bomb detonated near his Humvee in Taji, Iraq, on December 16, 2006

Pfc. Dane R. Balcon 19 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Colorado Springs, Colorado One of two soldiers killed when a homemade bomb exploded in Balad, Iraq, on September 5, 2007

Pfc. Stephen P. Baldwyn 19 Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force Saltillo, Mississippi Died of wounds received from an explosion during combat operations against enemy forces in Nasser Wa Salaam, Iraq, on May 9, 2005

Pfc. Chad E. Bales 20 1st Transportation Support Battalion, 1st Force Service Support Group Coahoma, Texas Killed in a non-hostile vehicle accident during convoy operations east of Ash Shahin, Iraq, on April 3, 2003


Pvt. Craig Barber 20 Company C, 2nd Battalion, The Royal Welsh Ogmore Vale, Wales Killed by small-arms fire while driving a Warrior Armored Vehicle during a night operation to counter indirect fire attacks on Basra Palace in Basra, Iraq, on August 6, 2007

Airman 1st Class Eric M. Barnes 20 90th Logistics Readiness Squadron Lorain, Ohio Died as a result of a roadside bomb attack on an Air Force convoy about 100 miles south of Baghdad, Iraq, on June 10, 2007

Lance Cpl. Matthew R. Barnes 20 Headquarters & Service Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force West Monroe, Louisiana One of two Marines killed when a suicide car bomber attacked their vehicle near Qaim, Iraq, on February 14, 2006

Pvt. Charles Yi Barnett 19 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Bel Air, Maryland Died of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident in Tallil, Iraq, on November 20, 2008

Spc. Jacob D. Barton 20 277th Engineer Company, 420th Engineer Brigade Lenox, Missouri One of five U.S. troops who died of wounds suffered in a non-combat related incident at Camp Liberty, Baghdad, Iraq, on May 11, 2009. Maj. Gen. David Perkins, a military spokesman, said Army Sgt. John M. Russell allegedly shot the five U.S. troops. Russell has been charged with five counts of murder and one count of aggravated assault.

Cpl. David A. Bass 20 Combat Logistics Battalion 7, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force Nashville, Tennessee One of six Marines killed when the seven-ton truck they were riding rolled over in a flash flood near Asad, Iraq, on April 2, 2006

Spc. Todd M. Bates 20 135th Military Police Company, Ohio Army National Guard Bellaire, Ohio Bates was on a patrol on the Tigris River south of Baghdad, Iraq, on December 10, 2003, when his squad leader fell overboard. Bates dived into the water and did not surface. He was listed as missing until his body was recovered on December 23, 2003.


Pfc. Matthew E. Baylis 20 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division Oakdale, New York Died May 31, 2007 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his dismounted patrol encountered enemy small-arms fire on May 30

Spc. Beau R. Beaulieu 20 Company B, 27th Main Support Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division Lisbon, Maine Killed during a mortar attack on Camp Cooke in Taji, Iraq, on May 24, 2004

Pfc. Gunnar D. Becker 19 Company B, 2nd Battalion, 63rd Armor Regiment, 1st Infantry Division Forestburg, South Dakoka Died of non-combat related injuries in Mosul, Iraq, on January 13, 2005

Pfc. Andrew D. Bedard 19 Company L, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force Missoula, Montana Killed by a homemade bomb that detonated during combat operations against enemy forces in Ramadi, Iraq, on October 4, 2005

Spc. David W. Behrle 20 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Tipton, Iowa One of six soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq, on May 19, 2007

Pfc. Wilfred D. Bellard 20 Battery C, 1st Battalion, 41st Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division Lake Charles, Louisiana Killed when his vehicle fell into a ravine in Iraq on April 4, 2003

Pfc. Stephen C. Benish 20 Company B, 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division Clark, New Jersey Killed after receiving enemy fire during a dismounted patrol in Ramadi, Iraq, on November 28, 2004

Spc. Robert T. Benson 20 Company A, 1st Battalion, 35th Armored Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division Spokane, Washington Died from a non-hostile gunshot wound in Baghdad, Iraq, on November 4, 2003

Pfc. David J. Bentz III 20 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Newfield, New Jersey One of four soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq, on June 20, 2007

Pfc. Ryan R. Berg 19 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division Sabine Pass, Texas Died of wounds suffered when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using small arms fire in Baquba, Iraq, on January 9, 2007

Spc. Joel L. Bertoldie 20 Headquarters Company, 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division Independence, Missouri Killed when an explosive device was detonated underneath the military vehicle he was driving in Falluja, Iraq on July 18, 2003

Pfc. Stephen D. Bicknell 19 2nd Battalion, 505th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Prattville, Alabama One of two soldiers killed when two land mines detonated near their Humvee in Samarra, Iraq, on October 15, 2006
Cpl. Albert Bitton 20 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division Chicago, Illinois One of three soldiers killed when their vehicle encountered a roadside bomb in Baghdad, Iraq, on February 20, 2008

Cpl. Stephen R. Bixler 20 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force Suffield, Connecticut Killed during combat operations against enemy forces in Anbar province, Iraq, on May 4, 2006

Pfc. Christopher T. Blaney 19 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division Winter Park, Florida Died from a non-combat related incident in Taji, Iraq, on September 29, 2006

Spc. Kamisha J. Block 20 401st Military Police Company, 720th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade Vidor, Texas Died of injuries suffered from a non-combat related incident in Baghdad, Iraq, on August 16, 2007

Spc. Clinton C. Blodgett 19 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Pekin, Indiana Died when the vehicle he was in struck a roadside bomb in Baghdad, Iraq, on May 26, 2007

Lance Cpl. Nicholas William B. Bloem 20 Company B, 4th Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve Belgrade, Montana One of 14 Marines killed when their Amphibious Assault Vehicle struck a roadside bomb during combat operations south of Haditha, Iraq, on August 3, 2005

Pfc. Brandon K. Bobb 20 401st Military Police Company, 92nd Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade Orlando, Florida One of two soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq, on July 17, 2007

Pvt. Jeremy S. Bohannon 18 59th Military Police Company, 759th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade Bon Aqua, Tennessee One of two soldiers killed by enemy indirect fire in Baghdad, Iraq, on August 5, 2007

Pfc. John G. Borbonus 19 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Boise, Idaho One of two soldiers killed when their patrol encountered a roadside bomb in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 12, 2007

Pfc. Rachel K. Bosveld 19 527th Military Police Company, V Corps Waupun, Wisconsin Killed during a mortar attack on the Abu Ghraib Police Station in Baghdad, Iraq, on October 26, 2003

Spc. Samuel M. Boswell 20 243rd Engineer Company, Maryland Army National Guard Elkridge, Maryland One of three soldiers killed when an 18-wheel tractor trailer accidentally struck the rear of their Humvee, starting a fire and causing ammunition to detonate in Taji, Iraq, on October 14, 2005


Pfc. Brian A. Botello 19 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division Alta, Iowa One of three soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their unit during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 29, 2007

Pvt. Michael E. Bouthot 19 1st Battalion, 67th Armored Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division Fall River, Massachusetts One of four soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their Humvee, causing a fire, during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 22, 2006

Lance Cpl. Jeremy D. Bow 20 Company B, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force Lemoore, California Killed when a Marine convoy was attacked with a car bomb in western Iraq, near Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison, on October 30, 2004


Pfc. Matthew C. Bowe 19 1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Coraopolis, Pennsylvania One of three soldiers killed when the vehicle they were in was struck by a roadside bomb in Baghdad, Iraq, on February 19, 2007

Spc. Edward W. Brabazon 20 Company A, 2nd Battalion, 505th Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Died of a non-hostile gunshot wound in Baghdad, Iraq, on March 9, 2004

Pfc. David J. Brangman 20 Company A, 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division Lake Worth, Florida Killed when a mortar round struck his vehicle at Patrol Base Uvanni in Samarra, Iraq, on February 13, 2005

Pfc. Jeffrey F. Braun 19 Battery B, 2nd Battalion, 319th Field Artillery Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division Stafford, Connecticut Died of a non-hostile gunshot wound in Baghdad, Iraq, on December 12, 2003

Pvt. Lucas M. Bregg 19 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Wright City, Missouri Died of injuries suffered from a non-combat related incident in Baghdad, Iraq, on July 8, 2009

Lance Cpl. Adam R. Brooks 20 Company B, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force Manchester, New Hampshire Died due to enemy action in Babil province, Iraq, on November 28, 2004

Lance Cpl. Dominic C. Brown 19 Truck Company, Headquarters Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force Austin, Texas Died due to a non-combat related incident in Anbar province, Iraq, on September 13, 2004

Pfc. Donald S. Brown 19 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force Succasunna, New Jersey Died of wounds received while conducting combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq, on October 25, 2006


Lance Cpl. James E. Brown 20 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force Owensville, Indiana Killed during combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq, on November 2, 2006

Spc. Micheal D. Brown 20 1st Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment, 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division Williamsburg, Kansas Died on October 16, 2007, in Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, of a non-combat related illness after being transported from Tikrit, Iraq, on October 15

Pfc. Oliver J. Brown 19 Company C, 1st Battalion, 109th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division, Pennsylvania Army National Guard Carbondale, Pennsylvania One of five soldiers killed when their M2A2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle was attacked by enemy forces using indirect fire in Ramadi, Iraq, on September 28, 2005

Pfc. Brian A. Browning 20 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Astoria, Oregon Died of wounds suffered from enemy small arms fire while conducting security operations in Baghdad, Iraq, on February 6, 2007

Lance Cpl. Daniel Scott R. Bubb 19 Company A, 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force Grottoes, Virginia Killed by small-arms fire during combat operations against enemy forces in Ar Rutbah, Iraq, on October 17, 2005

Pfc. Paul J. Bueche 19 Company E, 131st Aviation Regiment, Alabama Army National Guard Daphne, Alabama Died when the tire he was changing on a UH-60 Black Hawk helicoper exploded in Balad, Iraq, on October 21, 2003

Lance Cpl. Richard A. Buerstetta 20 3rd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division Franklin, Tennessee One of two Marines killed during combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq, on October 23, 2006

Lance Cpl. Brian Rory Buesing 20 Headquarters & Service Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade Cedar Key, Florida Killed by enemy mortar fire during combat operations near Nasiriya, Iraq, on March 23, 2003

Lance Cpl. Jeffrey C. Burgess 20 Wing Support Squadron 373, Wing Support Group 37, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force Plymouth, Massachusetts Killed in action during operations near Falluja, Iraq, on March 25, 2004

Lance Cpl. Jason K. Burnett 20 2nd Tank Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force St. Cloud, Florida One of four Marines killed as a result of a vehicle accident in Anbar province, Iraq, on May 11, 2006

Lance Cpl. Kyle W. Burns 20 Company A, 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force Laramie, Wyoming Died as the result of enemy action in Anbar province, Iraq, on November 11, 2004


Pfc. David P. Burridge 19 Company F, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force Lafayette, Louisiana Killed when a suicide car bomb exploded next to his military vehicle while on patrol on the outskirts of Falluja, Iraq, on September 6, 2004

Pvt. Joshua C. Burrows 20 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Bridade, 1st Cavalry Division Bossier City, Louisiana One of three soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq, on November 26, 2006

Pvt. Matthew D. Bush 20 F Troop, 1st Squadron, 10th Armored Cavalry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division East Alton, Illinois Died in his sleep on August 8, 2003, in Camp Caldwell in Kirkush, Iraq. A fellow soldier tried to wake Bush and noticed he was not breathing.

Lance Cpl. Kenneth J. Butler 19 Company E, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force Rowan, North Carolina Killed when a homemade bomb detonated during combat operations against enemy forces near Amariya, Iraq, on October 21, 2005

Lance Cpl. Anthony E. Butterfield 19 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force Clovis, California One of two Marines killed while conducting combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq, on July 29, 2006

Pfc. Henry G. Byrd III 20 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Veguita, New Mexico Died on June 24, 2007, in Landstuhl, Germany, from a non-combat related illness sustained while in Iraq on June 18.

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2003/iraq/forces/casualties/

Old enough for combat but the rest of the country says they are not old enough to drink. The view of them being unable to control themselves comes from the development of the human mind. The emotional part of the mind is not fully mature until the age of 25. The "person" we end up becoming is pretty much "carved in stone" by then.

It works the same way when the military trains Marines, Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors and National Guardsmen. They are trained to think a different way and be able to function in dangerous conditions, then adapt back to be able to deal with nothing to do. Adrenalins rushing every part of them, followed by alert boredom. They do remember they are in a war zone even when there is nothing going on. Considering what's been happening in Iraq and Afghanistan all these years with suicide bombers, IED filled roads and Taliban attacks, they never really rest.

This report shows that "monotony" plays a part in outcoming veteran and what comes next.

Study finds boredom puts troops at risk of anti-social behavior later
Navy researchers in San Diego say that a war zone deployment marked by monotony can be an even greater precursor of misconduct than the psychological trauma of combat.
By Tony Perry, Los Angeles Times

May 22, 2010
It's long been assumed — correctly — that a Marine who experiences the psychological trauma of combat in Iraq or Afghanistan has an increased chance of getting into trouble when he comes home.

But two researchers at the Naval Health Research Center in San Diego have found another deployment experience that can be an even greater precursor of bad behavior later: boredom.

A survey of 1,543 Marines at Camp Pendleton, Twentynine Palms, Calif., and the Marine base in Okinawa, Japan, found that the Marine most likely to disobey orders, get into physical confrontations, neglect his family or run afoul of the police is one who reports that his war zone deployment was marked by boredom.

Dr. Stephanie Booth-Kewley and Robyn Highfill-McRoy of the research center's behavioral sciences and epidemiology department reported on their study to the Navy and Marine Corps Combat & Operational Stress Conference this week in San Diego. Their findings may later be published in the journal Aggressive Behavior.

The study also concluded that divorced Marines, younger Marines and those with mild traumatic brain injury are also more likely to display such behavior when they return. The average age of the Marines in the survey was 26 years; 46% had been deployed multiple times.

read more here

Study finds boredom puts troops at risk

We understand how alcohol can influence the mind but fail to understand how adrenaline changes the way humans respond from that point on. Take a young Marine, convince them they are tougher than the average human, train them to endure and you enchant them into thinking they are supposed to stop being a teenager still growing up or a pre-adult with very real grownup problems facing them.

The enchantment of the warrior begins. While it is necessary to teach them how to use weapons, focus on the mission, follow orders without stopping to really think about those orders, train their bodies to function under extreme conditions, what is not necessary is to attempt to train them to be machines without emotions.

The emotions they enter into the military with are strong. Their courage is built on the foundation of their chain of emotions. While they should be developing under "normal" circumstances, the abnormal has become "normal" to them. They need to be reminded of what "normal" really is.

They return home to family and friends, but they notice they are not thinking the same way they did before. They don't feel things the same way they did before.

Age matters but depends on the branch in special training.

To become a Navy SEAL the age is 18-28, yet to become a Army Green Beret it is 20-30.

The average age for Special Forces is 32.

Special Forces
The popularity of Special Forces among recent U.S. decision makers is due to their maturity, secretiveness, and ability to achieve substantial aims with small numbers. Special Forces recruits chiefly noncommissioned officers. The average age of troopers is 32—ten years older than the average army infantryman or Marine. Troopers therefore have already had considerable experience, extensive training, the ability to teach, and are likely to command more respect than would a younger, less experienced soldier. Additionally, Special Forces troopers are parachutists; they are also required to speak at least one foreign language.

It really depends on the maturity of the candidate for these special warrior classifications. They must be physically able as well as mentally able.

If we look back at veterans with PTSD, it is not so much the age they are when they seek help or are finally coming to terms with it, we need to look back at the age they were when they were exposed to the traumatic events haunting them now. The older they are when exposed, the less likely they may pay the price is the theory I am approaching this with. It comes from too many years of researching PTSD and contact with veterans. Compassion is a great indicator of if they walk away from combat traumas with more pain than they are able to carry on their own, or if they manage to leave it behind them. Compassion, the strong human emotion feeding the courage they have to be able to serve, is the doorway to PTSD but age may very well turn out to be the key.

If this is the case then it would also explain how younger veterans of combat seeking help soon after a PTSD diagnosis has a better chance of healing more fully. Before 25, the frontal lobe is still "growing up" and able to re-learn "normal" reactions to normal emotions. Being able to control their reactions is restored. It is perhaps one of the factors behind many older veterans feeling as if they "never grew up" even with the advanced years of combat Vietnam veterans. There are many "childlike" qualities still within them. The bonding they feel toward others is strong, in many cases, unbreakable as if they have spent all their lives with other veterans they call "brother."

This indicates that as their minds "grew up" with the wound of war trapped inside, it becomes less reversible. This could be because of the rest of their lives piling onto what was already suffering from a young age. While they have discovered it is not too late to heal no matter how many years have passed, it is also common knowledge there are aspects of PTSD that will not heal. When the rest of their lives are healed, when they understand why they think and react the way they do, they discover a whole new set of coping tools to help them overcome what could not be reversed.

The self-loathing, feeling as if they are unforgivable, evaporates and then the return of joys as the emotional wall is broken down so that emotions can live freely in their lives. Even with Vietnam seeking help over 30 years after the emotional assault, they are still healing. They feel forgiven and they forgive themselves. Regrettably too many never healed and took their own lives, walk the streets as homeless veterans or live isolated lives trapped in past pain.

Time and age should be placed in alert methods to respond to the crisis we see today in returning OEF and OIF veterans. There is a "golden hour" in this as well. The sooner they seek help to heal the sooner it takes over what PTSD is trying to do to them. If we understand how the human mind works, how we all change by events we live through, we are able to look at veterans through our own experiences and how they affected us. We then can take that understanding and imagine our own lives subjected to the same events, durations and exposures they go through all the time. Programs should be developed to bring awareness of PTSD to the level they can understand easily to overcome it better. The younger they are in this case, may predict how hard they fall and how fast.

If the military keeps trying to enchant them into thinking that being "resilient" means they can prevent being human, the warriors coming back will keep paying the price.