Is serving 20+ years in today's Army more difficult now than in the 80s? What are some key differences?

Sgt Gus Laskaris - you seriously need to read up on concussions. brain damage from concussions in many cases can be permanent. MTI's. You may not feel it or know it now. you won't know until someone checks you out. Mine didn't bother me that much for a while I thought I was fine. But now I suffer from chronic headaches and migraines because of mine. some days are good, others I just want to pound my head in the wall to make it stop.

PTSD they can actual see it in a particular scan. and they can figure out if your back pain is real or not. they don't give you a % just because you say you hurt. you have to have documentation of actually having an injury and have proof of still being injured and can not be healed through therapy or surgery. A fracture spinal column, a slipped disc, compressed spin, curved spine. you named things that all has to have verification. It because of NCO's like you are the reason I almost died from a heat stroke because I was forced to run 6 mile with pneumonia and bronchitis. I remember waking up covered in ice in the hospital several hours later. It was later found I had kidney damage and brain damage. all because someone like you thought I was a faker. But I made the full 6 miles run at least. that's the important part in your eyes I suppose. One of the many reasons I no longer am able to serve any more. Not everyone is a shit bag that gets disability. they wanted to make me 100% but I said no. In stead I went through years of speech therapy and physical therapy and cognitive therapy in order to get back to a functional life. I still aint right but I get by. I lose chunks time, I repeat things, and other stuff. I'm told I'm as good as I'll get. If I'm lucky I'll die before the shit gets real bad

Sgt Gus Laskaris - well your patients must love you and your bedside manner. I can't speak for every tom dick and hairy. I don't doubt there are some that are trying to get over on the system. But for thous of us vets that actually have problems we would rather not be treated like a POS from someone that is supposedly took an oath to heal the sick and injured and to do no harm. It's sad that you seem to be a doctor that thinks everyone that comes through the door(or at least that's how you come off as) is a POS trying shame and get over on you. I'm sure you have seen your fair share. But there is no need to be like a Dr. House. Why even be in the medical field?

Sgt Gus Laskaris - You're correct, Sgt. However, I'm in a similar situation. I was injured conducting routine training. I would have been fine, if I had received a simple surgery and about a month of therapy, I would have been back to 100%. Yet, it was close to deployment. So, I sucked it up. When I returned to Garrison, I got reevaluated by my aid station Dr. and by a civilian at Walter Reed. the Army doc told me that athletes "always play with some pain", which is true. However, athletes get fixed IMMEDIATELY. That bitch "lost" both of my X-Rays and was suddenly nice to me. How convenient? Furthermore, my civilian described my injury as an "abnormality" and advised me to other treatment. I shrugged it off and gracefully discharged. Now, I'm still having those pains but my VA clinic stated that my injuries are "not service-related". How convenient? I was not a dirt bag, I good at PT, and was well respected by peers and leaders. Why do so many malingerers get 100% disability but I got screwed?

I kinda like "prehistoric" at times....

So do I SFC Springman.

War makes a lot of difference when it comes to the 80s (and before). Now, the new soldier has to be well educated being more important than field experience. AND very tolerant of the mixed sexes and being politically correct, in general. We have some outstanding people in the field today, as proven by our success in battle. That being said, I wonder how today's fighter would manage a charge up Hamburger Hill or defend against the enemy, vastly out numbered at Pork Chop Hill. Poorly educated, but fought to the death.

Very well spoken.

I retired in '92 and at the time I thought the army was going to hell. also because of the increased effort to education, I noticed at the end that nco's were back stabbing each other to get promoted.

SFC Timothy Murray - There is a lot of that, it spreads out like wild fire. I remember tat in 1995 a lot of good NCOs were pushed out of the service because of a lack education.

I served in both the OD and ACU Armies and I can tell you that way to much is now focused on the me factor and not the we. As long as that trend is allowed to flourish the weaker the army will become. Also all of the "computerized" training instead of actual hands on training is hurting the concept of "teamwork". Those of you who are still serving MUST instill upon your soldiers the concept of we and not I by basing everything (rewards included) upon how each soldier operates as a team member weather in the field or in an office, hands on or classroom.