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A few years ago…OK, a few DECADES ago, I was a young E-3. I was stationed at U-Tapao AB, Thailand. The title of this article was uttered by my E-8 shop chief. Don’t let the title fool you. I hope to impart some good advice and hope you find it useful if not interesting. Now being a former G.I. I will admit to having a mouth and am known to cuss like the proverbial one-armed sailor – with no disrespect intended to one-armed sailors. I’ll do my best to keep it clean.
It’s no secret that today’s military is nothing like it was in my day 45 years ago. Oh, there are still a lot of things that will never change, however, getting up at Oh-dark hundred will always be one of them. In all seriousness, things are very different now.
Some of the things that need to be contended with then were often overlooked and left to “work themselves out” as opposed to today where much has been refined. In my day, if you were married and got orders the first thing you did was see if it was accompanied or not (if you were married). Was it a remote or isolated tour, how long, etc? When I was on active duty during the Vietnam War I had 7 PCS assignments in 7 years. Today’s military is faced with what seems to be endless deployments.
Today’s MILFORCE is tired. Pure and simple, it is worn to the bone. We have been engaged in Iraq / Afghanistan nearly as long as we were in Vietnam. One of the biggest things I see is the need for fresh blood (metaphorically, that is). We cannot continue to continually send our war fighters into harm’s way over and over and over again without repercussions. As a PTSD patient I know from where I speak.
During Vietnam a tour was a year to 13 months with a break around halfway for R&R. If you were lucky, you got home and did not get orders back. Some of us volunteered to go back and some like me got back to back tours in SEA. I went from working on B-52s in Thailand to working C-141 and C-5s in Vietnam the next year. I know how much of a toll it took on me and can only imagine the toll it is taking on today’s force. With many of our best having deployed three, four and even five times, it is unfathomable how long these brave warriors can continue before they become permanently broken.
As each day passes, I know we all hope the conflicts facing our nation will come to an end. When that time comes we need to be sure we are ready to readjust…readjust to CONUS duty, OCONUS duty, transfer to the Reserves or National Guard, Discharge, promotion to PFC (Permanent F*****g Civilian) or to retirement.
Readjustment is not easy. Forty-five years after Vietnam and I still haven’t totally readjusted. The time to get yourself ready is before you head out the gate. In a word, NOW is the time. The DoD has done a good job of helping refine the programs to help you make the change and I urge you to take advantage of those programs. If you take nothing else from this, I want you to know that many of you will suffer from PTSD. That is a fact of war. Even before you separate, retire or move on to another base, do something about your PTSD. To ask for help is not a sign of weakness. It IS a sign of strength…strength to stand up and do what others would not do. At this point we know there is no cure for PTSD but with treatment, counseling if you will, you can live a good life after the military. If you need help, get it. If you can’t find it, let me know and I will help you find it!
It’s no secret that today’s military is nothing like it was in my day 45 years ago. Oh, there are still a lot of things that will never change, however, getting up at Oh-dark hundred will always be one of them. In all seriousness, things are very different now.
Some of the things that need to be contended with then were often overlooked and left to “work themselves out” as opposed to today where much has been refined. In my day, if you were married and got orders the first thing you did was see if it was accompanied or not (if you were married). Was it a remote or isolated tour, how long, etc? When I was on active duty during the Vietnam War I had 7 PCS assignments in 7 years. Today’s military is faced with what seems to be endless deployments.
Today’s MILFORCE is tired. Pure and simple, it is worn to the bone. We have been engaged in Iraq / Afghanistan nearly as long as we were in Vietnam. One of the biggest things I see is the need for fresh blood (metaphorically, that is). We cannot continue to continually send our war fighters into harm’s way over and over and over again without repercussions. As a PTSD patient I know from where I speak.
During Vietnam a tour was a year to 13 months with a break around halfway for R&R. If you were lucky, you got home and did not get orders back. Some of us volunteered to go back and some like me got back to back tours in SEA. I went from working on B-52s in Thailand to working C-141 and C-5s in Vietnam the next year. I know how much of a toll it took on me and can only imagine the toll it is taking on today’s force. With many of our best having deployed three, four and even five times, it is unfathomable how long these brave warriors can continue before they become permanently broken.
As each day passes, I know we all hope the conflicts facing our nation will come to an end. When that time comes we need to be sure we are ready to readjust…readjust to CONUS duty, OCONUS duty, transfer to the Reserves or National Guard, Discharge, promotion to PFC (Permanent F*****g Civilian) or to retirement.
Readjustment is not easy. Forty-five years after Vietnam and I still haven’t totally readjusted. The time to get yourself ready is before you head out the gate. In a word, NOW is the time. The DoD has done a good job of helping refine the programs to help you make the change and I urge you to take advantage of those programs. If you take nothing else from this, I want you to know that many of you will suffer from PTSD. That is a fact of war. Even before you separate, retire or move on to another base, do something about your PTSD. To ask for help is not a sign of weakness. It IS a sign of strength…strength to stand up and do what others would not do. At this point we know there is no cure for PTSD but with treatment, counseling if you will, you can live a good life after the military. If you need help, get it. If you can’t find it, let me know and I will help you find it!
Advice
Leadership
PTSD
Support
Command Post
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 23
20
20
0
Excellent article.
The negative stigmas attached to seeking behavioral or psychological health counseling/help are slowly going away in the active force and even I took far too long to go seek some kind of therapy over the shit I saw/did in Iraq.
The Army has come a long way since the days of Vietnam, but it still has a ways to go and there are many people who fear some kind of judgement or negative bias for going and talking to the "shrinks" over their issues. Granted, looking inside oneself and seeing the darkest parts of who we are as individuals is tough even for the most powerful people. Admitting something might be wrong? That's an even bigger leap that many never take. I, for one, always ensure that I advise peers and subordinates that if they're having issues from what they saw over there which have translated into family problems, work problems, substance abuse... to go get help.
If I could give you more than one upvote, I would.
Also - thanks for your service. Vietnam was a shitshow and the way you guys got treated on the home front is appalling. I have to give my kudos to the military from that era simply for not beating the shit out of more psychotic leftists spitting on you and screaming in your faces when you came back to the US. Better men than me.
The negative stigmas attached to seeking behavioral or psychological health counseling/help are slowly going away in the active force and even I took far too long to go seek some kind of therapy over the shit I saw/did in Iraq.
The Army has come a long way since the days of Vietnam, but it still has a ways to go and there are many people who fear some kind of judgement or negative bias for going and talking to the "shrinks" over their issues. Granted, looking inside oneself and seeing the darkest parts of who we are as individuals is tough even for the most powerful people. Admitting something might be wrong? That's an even bigger leap that many never take. I, for one, always ensure that I advise peers and subordinates that if they're having issues from what they saw over there which have translated into family problems, work problems, substance abuse... to go get help.
If I could give you more than one upvote, I would.
Also - thanks for your service. Vietnam was a shitshow and the way you guys got treated on the home front is appalling. I have to give my kudos to the military from that era simply for not beating the shit out of more psychotic leftists spitting on you and screaming in your faces when you came back to the US. Better men than me.
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Cpl Bill Fleischauer
I'll argue that mental health stigmas remain. Indeed they're now enforced by legislation, tainting one forever.
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SSgt Harvey "Skip" Porter
Let's treat others with dignity and respect that's what Veterans want and deserve!
You can easily figure out the character of someone by how they treat those that can do nothing for them.
Knowing that many in this world is worse off than I am. For that I am humbled and very thankful for my time in the military set me up for a pretty good life.
Teamwork is dream work and we should continually strive in helping others improve their lives.
You can easily figure out the character of someone by how they treat those that can do nothing for them.
Knowing that many in this world is worse off than I am. For that I am humbled and very thankful for my time in the military set me up for a pretty good life.
Teamwork is dream work and we should continually strive in helping others improve their lives.
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SN Ron Jett
By all means get help.....It took me 35 years to seek help, I have been thankful everyday since that I did get the help I needed. In that 35 years, I ruined 2 marriages, became estranged from family and friends, got involved with drugs and alcohol(and I was a long haul truck driver), could not be around people, when I was I wanted to hurt/kill them. I spent the last year before I got help bunkered up and would not leave my house. Luckily I had a best friend, who was also a nam vet, that was always there for me. He practically dragged me to the VA to get me help. To this day I am thankful that he did.
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I did not have the opportunity to deploy with my unit, as they deployed after my EAS in '02. A few from my unit were injured before and during the invasion of Iraq. A very good Marine and leader in general died during the invasion on 20041110, Ssgt Gene Ramirez. To this day I often wonder if me not being there affected the outcome of my brothers being injured or KIA. Of course nothing would have changed. all events that happened would have happened if I was there or not. Me being there would not prevent the enemy attacking. But this is still something that gets to me. Maybe its guilt or just me feeling useless in the fact that I was not able to render aid when it could have been used the most. I have not deployed to a hostile environment, yet I keep being told I am suffering from PTSD. I just don't get it.
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SSgt Jim Gilmore
Have you ever heard the term, You pays your nickle, you takes your chances? You have no control over what happened to your buddies or you for that fact. some call it survivors guilt. You have nothing to feel guilty over. I know that won't make it go away but I would suggest you call the VA and see if you can go in for a chat. There are also Vet Centers around that do the same thing as the shrinks but in a less formal setting. If you need help finding a place, send me a back channel note and I will do what I can to find someone for you to talk to.
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LCpl Shane Couch
I've gone to the VA and have sought help outside of the VA. I deal with life day to day as most do. It's just always a thought in the back of my mind and I take a little time of my day and self reminisce. It helps. Thanks SSgt Jim Gilmore
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SSgt Harvey "Skip" Porter
Let's treat others with dignity and respect that's what Veterans want and deserve!
You can easily figure out the character of someone by how they treat those that can do nothing for them.
Knowing that many in this world is worse off than I am. For that I am humbled and very thankful for my time in the military set me up for a pretty good life.
Teamwork is dream work and we should continually strive in helping others improve their lives.
You can easily figure out the character of someone by how they treat those that can do nothing for them.
Knowing that many in this world is worse off than I am. For that I am humbled and very thankful for my time in the military set me up for a pretty good life.
Teamwork is dream work and we should continually strive in helping others improve their lives.
(1)
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3
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0
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