Obama’s Announcement Of Gen. Eric Shinseki
By Justin Gardner | Related entries in Barack, Health Care, Military, VideoI missed this yesterday, so here’s his introduction and Shinseki’s acceptance.
Shinseki was absolutely correct that more troops were needed back in 2003 and he was punished for speaking truth to power. So there’s certainly some poetic justice that he’s now in charge of helping those who suffered in some small part from the naive strategy he rightly questioned.
Also, one thing I think that was so important about Shinseki’s acceptance speech is he talked about the “unseen” wounds that our soldiers are bringing back with them. Because taking PTSD as seriously as an other injury will be vital to ensuring that our men and women get the care they need if (or when) we call on them again.
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December 8th, 2008 at 7:15 am
Isn’t PTSD also partly a recruitment/training problem? I would advise addressing that side- too many peeps getting to the front line when they haven’t been put through their paces properly beforehand or don’t have the inner toughness to cope. War is tough and there ain’t two ways about that and commanding officers should be held to account if they’re putting the wrong guys/gals out on tours of duty.
December 8th, 2008 at 8:59 am
I do not understand the “punishment” that General Shinseki received for his congressional statement.
PTSD can not be a recruitment problem, because how can you test for it? As far as training is concern, you can make it as realistic as possible but in the end there is no substitute for War.
December 8th, 2008 at 10:23 pm
Howard K. Smith, a 1945 war correspondent reporting from the frontlines about emotional battle fatigue that many soldiers were experiencing, stated ” ALTHOUGH THERE IS NO OBVIOUS PHYSICAL WOUNDS COMBAT FATIGUE IS THE MOST AWFUL FEATURE OF WAR”.
In relation to combat stress; Combat trauma have more of a debilitating effect on combat soldiers than physical injuries and wounds. Injuries and wounds heals and veterans move on with their lives. Not so with PTSD.
Kindly visit our web site…”www.vetsbacktowarzone.org”.
During the Civil War combat stress was referred to as Soldier’s Heart, WWI as Shell Shocked, WWII Combat Fatigue, the Vietnam War designated the problem as Post Trauma Stress Disorder (PTSD). Presently and for the forseeable future PTSD will represent one of the most debilitating situation veterans from past wars and veterans returning from the Middle Eastern wars will have to contend with.
Returning veterans to the war zone has proven to be an invaluable therapeutic toole that benefits veterans who has had the opportunity of making such trips to their place of battle where the trauma was initiated and by linking the trip to the newly introduced WARRIORS MIND TRAINING program a most effective outcome is expected.
We request any and all support available to programs such as OURS…
Advise soonest
Thanks
Respectfuly
H. Hightower
661.299.1487
P.S. Thanks for General Eric Shinseki, we genuinely feel he have the concerns of our veterans at heart. I am Air force vet (SAC) Raised up on a share-croppers farm in Southwest Georgia, graduated from high school 1954. Became a highly qualified B-47 and B-52 Bomb Navigational Technician and instructor. Worked in Vietnam during the war and Iranian Grumman Areospace F- 14 program up to the Iranian 1978-79 Revolution.
December 9th, 2008 at 11:57 pm
Shinseki karmically vindicated.
Shinseki Token Asian American in Cabinet?