The Seriousness of Actions, Essay Example

Introduction

This paper examines the impact and criticality of actions by Soldiers and Commanders in the field of active service.  It particularly focuses upon the request for leave and sick time as a result of combat stress.  The difficulty in fulfilling missions and dealing with the welfare of the soldiers in demanding active service roles.  How do the NCO’s and Officers deal with legitimate sickness claims and how might this impact the success of missions being carried out.  This analysis deals with legitimate sickness claims and how the military respond to same.

The Problem being addressed

Soldiers who operate in combat or active service roles find themselves under a great deal of stress.  This in turn can result in a wide range of ailments resulting in the Soldiers being considered unfit for duty.  Most soldiers are committed professionals and recognize the importance of their duties and responsibilities to their comrades in arms.  Nevertheless, sickness is an important issue that has to be addressed if this is not going to put at risk the army unit and fellow soldiers. Most claims are legitimate and the Soldiers have a duty to point out when they are unfit or ill for active service duties.   Not all illness is physical i.e. as a result of combat injuries or wounds.  Illness may relate from psychological concerns such as combat fatigue, shell shock, mental trauma etc.  Equally working in unsanitary hot foreign climates can lead to illness such as stomach disorders, diarorrea, dysentery etc.  Although the soldiers take inoculations and every precaution possible they may still become victims to local diseases brought upon by hot climates or disease prevalent locations.

The problem for the NCO’s[1] is such that they have to approve sickness requests and consider the impact this has on carrying out operational missions.  Unless suitable replacements can be found this can leave a ‘weak link’ in the unit and as such place the combat mission in a more vulnerable position.  Equally the Officers cannot send men out on missions that are either unwell or unfit to function. This would equally jeopardise the unit.  The recognition of teamwork dependency places a further strain on the soldiers.  There have been instances where soldiers have continued to function without reporting serious illness, on the basis of not letting the team unit down.  This particularly in circumstances where there is a realization that there are no immediate replacements whilst the soldier receives medical treatment.

The NCO’s are in the most difficult position as they have to fulfil missions but the Senior Officers also need to recognize the impact of losing soldiers on sick leave and the implication to the army units who still have to carry out missions without adequate or no replacements and the potential danger this poses.

Dealing with the facts

Post traumatic stress disorder is common amongst soldiers serving on active missions abroad.  Often the symptoms do not fully manifest until they have returned home from duty.  Equally, they can occur during combat conditions and do need to be dealt with before more serious levels of illness occur. ” Research conducted on veterans from the current war in Iraq has already established the presence of a high prevalence of PTSD (12%–13%) during the first 3–4 months after their return home (17). One study conducted among seriously injured hospitalized veterans showed that PTSD was strongly correlated with the level of injury (18). However, to date the relationship between PTSD and physical health has not been explored among healthy non-injured veterans. This study evaluated the association of PTSD with physical health measures among Iraq war veterans 1 year after their return from deployment with control for combat injury. ” (Charles W. Hoge).

Soldiers deployed in Iraq have been particularly vulnerable to PTSD.  This is mainly due to the combat conditions of close quarter fighting, dealing with improvised explosive devices, suicide bombers and terrorist actions.  Symptoms have shown to typically manifest themselves about 1 year after active duty and returning home ” Recent publications have shown that PTSD is highly prevalent among soldiers returning from combat duty in Iraq and that the severity of wartime injuries is correlated with PTSD among seriously injured hospitalized veterans This study indicates that the medical burden of PTSD encompasses a variety of physical health problems among healthy soldiers evaluated in their units 1 year after return from deployment.” (Charles W. Hoge).

Dr. Chris Busby a radiation expert at the University of Liverpool has also condemned the use of depleted uranium in the Iraq war theatre.  He stated the use of such material by the US command was wholly irresponsible and has placed both troops and civilians alike at risk from a range of terminal illnesses and disease. ” the fact that, by illegally using hundreds of tons of depleted uranium (DU) against Iraq, Britain and America have gravely endangered not only the Iraqis but the whole world.” (Denver).  In particular the rate of cancers in the region has an alarming increase.  This is somewhat of a diversion but it illustrates a question of responsibility from the politicians and those in higher command in the responsibility using such weaponry.  Nobody in the theatre escapes the consequences in the use of such materials ..” Overall, cases of lymphoblastic leukemia more than quadrupled with other cancers also increasing ‘at an alarming rate’. In men, lung, bladder, bronchus, skin, and stomach cancers showed the highest increase. In women, the highest increases were in breast and bladder cancer, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (Denver).
In addition to the issues regarding ailments in the field, many soldiers do not fare better when they return home and await further medical treatment.  There have been instances reported where returning soldiers have languished for month in army barracks awaiting to see Doctors and obtain the medical treatment that they need.  ” FORT STEWART, Ga., Oct. 17 (UPI) — Hundreds of sick and wounded U.S. soldiers including many who served in the Iraq war are languishing in hot cement barracks here while they wait — sometimes for months — to see doctors.” (Benjamin).

Conclusions

The Army briefing provided to active service combatants covers both illness for more than 30 days and that of less than 30 days. The clip on the right shows the position for less than 30 days. As indicated by the Department of the Army pamphlet 135-381.

Although suitable guidelines are provided for both NCO’s and Commanding Officers it does not take into consideration the due diligence required in the field as applied to the fulfilment of missions, local operations and the impact that this may have to depleted platoons.  Equally much of this diagnosis is left to individual soldiers reporting sickness as opposed to regular medical check-ups assessing the combat readiness condition of the men.  It is difficult to adopt the philosophy of “mission first” when the very success of the mission is dependent upon the well being and health of the men carrying out such missions.  It is clear that much of the decision making needs to be carried out at source with the medical opinion of the Army Doctors and Surgeons having the final say.

Works Cited

Benjamin, Mark. Sick, wounded U.S. troops held in squalor . 2003. 17 7 2010 <http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article4997.htm>.

Charles W. Hoge, M.D., Artin Terhakopian, M.D., Carl A. Castro, Ph.D., Stephen C. Messer, Ph.D., and Charles C. Engel, M.D., M.P.H. “Association of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder With Somatic Symptoms, Health Care Visits, and Absenteeism Among Iraq War Veterans .” American Journal of Psychiatery (2007): 150-153.

Denver, James. Horror Of US Depleted . 28 2 1998. 17 7 2010 <http://www.rense.com/general64/du.htm>

[1] Non Commissioned Officers