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Some Surprising New Findings on GIs, PTSD, and Crime
A while back, I waxed all sympathetic about GIs getting what I assumed was all too needed special consideration for post-discharge, surely PTSD-based offenses. Now comes a Sacramento Bee year-long study of GI's, 'shell shock', and crime. As usual, it's far from a simple situation.
Read their findings here, here, here, and here.
Turns out that some of these supposedly-traumatized-by-war defendants had a 'war or jail' option, with serious charges hanging over their heads, and appear to have taken their criminal dispositions to war with them. Some of these folks had colorful rap sheets long before they ever donned combat boots. Of course, as Kathy Griffin would say: allegedly.
Surely, the programs I praised earlier are taking such factors into consideration in deciding how to deal with these vet offenders, but damn this makes things murky.
Kudos to prison shrink and columnist John Schwade for the hat tip.
When I was in basic back in 71, we had a lot of guys claiming to have been given the army or jail choice. Most of us just assumed they either wanted to be looked on as badasses or were trying to pretend they had no other choice but to be there. I also met men who joined just to find out what it's like to kill somebody. You get all kinds, and it doesn't look to me like the percentage of prior bad eggs is really any greater than in the population at large, and maybe even less. In a lot of cases, it's kids who grow up straight A students with no history of troubles who end up with PTSD from participating in horrendous actions their first time away from home under a command structure that seems to be an excuse for amoral idiots to run amuck. And that goes all the way to the top. It didn't take me long to find out why my dad, a lifer with tours in Korea and Nam, told me that the army I was getting into disgusted him, and was nothing like the army he had been proud to serve. So sure, some of these guys aren't the cream of the crop, but if the government's going to keep on torturing people and invading countries for no good reason, it's going to need some thugs.
If they serve they earned treatment for what ails them.
Period.
Pre-existing conditions, mental, physical, legal problems or arrest history are all considered BEFORE they serve.
If the military accepts their service and they serve with honor - there is no other meaningful measure.
To try to discount their service is despicable.
Shame on you.
Capt is absolutely right...I think we should knock out the walls between two cells and give them more room. Perhals privacy curtains across thier cell doors. A criminal, is a criminal, is a criminal; notwithstanding, prior or current military service. I do believe they deserve the same final judgement as anyone person who kills another, albeit, in the name of god, country or apple pie )or what ever your vice).
So you liberate a country from a criminal dictator utilising - some - criminals who are now soldiers...
Capt portrays a romantic picture of men who've paid their dues to society and return with a clear conscience - the reports suggest this isn't quite the case; these thugs come home to commit more crime.
The DoD policy, abetted by Congress, of actively recruiting convicted felons & other criminals, psychiatric patients, and social malcontents is absurd when viewed in comparison with our policy of excluding and discharging gay & lesbian military servicemembers. Gays have served in armies since ancient Greece, and have been noted as fierce warriors. They serve in uniform in most of our allies, including NATO forces and the superior British & Israeli forces. We're reaping what we have sewn.
I remember when I was fresh out of high school, the Viet Nam war was still going strong. Quite a few of my classmates who were busted for minor pot charges and the like, were also given the choice to go to war or jail. I don't believe any of them where chrged with a serious or violent crime.
Then again, they had a draft then. So war was inevitable.
Sorry to say, but if McShame gets in the W.H., he probably will bring back the draft.
Serving in 67 68 in the Nam' I was not given a choice and was drafted. It did not influence how I conducted myself and carried out my duty. Call it murder, call whatever the F**** you want. We did what we had to in a split second decision. Killed some that didn't need to be killed and still suffer with the demons of PTSD and have been since the 70's. Now as outpatient at the VA Northport. If you haven't walked in my shoes shut the Fu*** up. I may troubled and have my problems however, I'm still alive and so are my fellow combat veterans. Don't like war than stop invading countries that are nothing but a f***** lie. War Sucks, ask anyone who's been in one.