Have you read Sebastian Junger's take on why Soldiers miss war?

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 09:27:14 -0400

http://www.wearethemighty.com/intel/sebastian-junger-war-reasons

This celebrated war correspondent nails the reason why soldiers miss combat

It may sound crazy but many troops who return home after a combat tour find themselves missing war. Also read: This journalist nails the reason why young men want to go to war And it’s not the heat, boredom, mortars, IEDs, lack of running water or anything else associated with roughing it that they miss …

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Oct 30 at 2015 9:38 AM

LTC Stephen F. — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 09:38:10 -0400

No I had not yet read Sebastian Junger's take on why Soldiers miss war SSG Private RallyPoint Member.
Thanks for sharing the post. The adrenaline rush from traumatic and dangerous experiences is very attractive to many not just thrill seekers who engage in extreme sports.

Response by SSG Carlos Madden made Oct 30 at 2015 9:45 AM

SSG Carlos Madden — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 09:45:09 -0400

Have you read "War"?

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 30 at 2015 9:49 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 09:49:45 -0400

TED has a recorded presentation on the link.

Response by Capt Seid Waddell made Oct 30 at 2015 1:37 PM

Capt Seid Waddell — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 13:37:07 -0400

Good point.

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Oct 30 at 2015 8:57 PM

CPT Jack Durish — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 20:57:13 -0400

The human mind is a magnificent thing. It has many wonderful defense mechanisms to help it cope. For example, it can completely expunge (forget) memories that it cannot handle, such as the sight of a friend being blown to hell. More importantly, it has no memory for painful feelings. However, good memories can release endorphins just as well as the incidents that created the memories. For example, just remembering a successful combat incident can recreate the "rush" that one felt when it actually occurred.

Interestingly, it is this human characteristic that makes me wonder if having served is such a good recommendation for a candidate to office. When faced with deciding whether or not to send the boys to war, would a veteran be influenced by those good memories while conveniently forgetting the bad?

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Nov 1 at 2015 3:06 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Sun, 01 Nov 2015 15:06:11 -0500

That was excellent: Adrenaline, brotherhood, chaos of returning home.

Response by CH (LTC) Robert Leroe made Nov 1 at 2015 8:20 PM

CH (LTC) Robert Leroe — Sun, 01 Nov 2015 20:20:11 -0500

I think a lot of people are defined by their military experience. As an Army Brat then a career Army Chaplain (25 years) with combat experience, it is no wonder. When the adrenaline is gone, we tend to go with selective memory and forget the bad parts (or that's all we remember). Keep in mind, not everyone's war experience was traumatic.

Response by SFC Dr. Joseph Finck, BS, MA, DSS made Nov 2 at 2015 7:23 AM

SFC Dr. Joseph Finck, BS, MA, DSS — Mon, 02 Nov 2015 07:23:30 -0500

SSG Private RallyPoint Member I had not read it. Not only was a great read, but it shines light on why we are the way we are.

Response by COL Sam Russell made Nov 2 at 2015 10:52 AM

COL Sam Russell — Mon, 02 Nov 2015 10:52:48 -0500

Had not seen that video before. Incredibly moving, and gets to a point that most all combat vets are familiar and have a difficult time putting into words.

Response by CW3 Eric W. S. made Nov 2 at 2015 11:00 AM

CW3 Eric W. S. — Mon, 02 Nov 2015 11:00:03 -0500

Absolutely makes sense. I never put it into that context, but that helps answer some of the "why" questions.

Response by SMSgt Thor Merich made Nov 3 at 2015 12:31 PM

SMSgt Thor Merich — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 12:31:51 -0500

I thought that he did a good job explaining it. But it doesn't only apply to the military. anyone in a close team, high stress environment probably feels the same way. It also applies to Law Enforcement, Fire Fighting, and other similar dangerous jobs.

Response by Sgt Ramon Nacanaynay made Jun 19 at 2016 9:47 AM

Sgt Ramon Nacanaynay — Sun, 19 Jun 2016 09:47:02 -0400

Watched him talk about his book, "Tribe".