Are you haunted by nightmares and memorys of the people you have had to kill in the line of duty ? Is it really as troumatizing as they make it out to be ? how do you rationalize your decision to pull the trigger ?
2006-09-26 06:58:53 · 17 answers · asked by chewbaccafuzzball 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Military
Are you haunted by nightmares and memorys of the people you have had to kill in the line of duty ? Is it really as troumatizing as they make it out to be ? how do you rationalize your decision to pull the trigger ? i just want to know if i join up and enter the special forces, will i have post traumatic stress syndrome. or will i just get freaked out by all the killing and violence. i want to hear only from those who have had to kill in the line of duty and no one else.
2006-09-26 07:10:23 · update #1
Don't you dare question what combat soldiers have had to do in the line of duty. You are a real *** and I would like to continue this conversation in person.
2006-09-26 07:02:09 · answer #1 · answered by medic 5 · 5⤊ 4⤋
I had a good laugh over your ridiculous question. I've read the other answers, and I give a nod to their well-placed anger. Please, ladies and gentlemen, especially veterans of combat arms branches; don't take people like this seriously. There aren't enough blood vessels in anyone's head to blow over questions like this.
Questioner, it seems you have some misconceptions to work out.
(1) You seem to think you are guaranteed a place in SF. You aren't. The attrition rate is high. The training is intense. If you're anywhere near as mentally weak and indecisive as your question indicates you are, you wouldn't even make it to SERE school. That's just fact.
(2) Some people are bothered by the taking of other human life; others are perfectly fine with it. I don't have nightmares of any sort. None of my friends from that first push in 2003 do either. You may want to read COL Dave Grossman's "On Killing" if you have questions on battle psychology.
(3) Those serving in Group are rock solid. They don't take people worried about if they're going to get PTSD or "freak out over all the killing" or not. You'd likely fail the psych testing, even assuming you meet the physical standards. I sure don't see you as ODA material.
I just don't see how you could be worried about becoming a psychiatric casualty when you're not even in the military, much less worthy or even qualified in any respect to be a potential Special Forces Soldier. You seem to think it's all Direct Action and killing, killing, and more killing. Maybe you should read more and be influenced by garbage less. And asking the right questions does help.
Thank you for the laugh.
2006-09-26 09:02:20 · answer #2 · answered by Nat 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have killed . In my case I killed Iranians defending an oil rig that was used as a motor boat base. Thankfully I killed them at long range with a 25mm and they were just specks in my sights. I know friends who are very effected by there kills. As a veteran I always lend an ear to these guys and try to help them get a handle on it. If you go into the special forces you will get up close and personal with your victim when special forces people get PTSS they usually have it bad. Thankfully the VA does a decent job of treating this. As for rationalizing this can be helpful in preventing PTSS if you can't then your conscience might start running amok. if this happens there are plenty of shrinks to help you with it . This will not effect your career in fact quite the opposite the brass will see it as someone who is self aware and can take care of themselves. As for pulling the trigger that a matter of them or me. The problem starts when after pulling that trigger you also mowed down a bunch of civilians especially kids that really screws people up. To be sure they didn't mean to kill the civilians but these accidents do happen and the consequences to the soldier have to be recognized and dealt with those memories will not just go away.
2006-09-26 07:33:50 · answer #3 · answered by brian L 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
In combat it is a matter of kill or be killed. You pull the trigger out of necessity not want. How the baggage is dealt with is up to the person. Some shoot up supermarkets, some are homeless drunks, some are in the desert "playing" in the sand and some are well adjusted members of civillian society. Its just not special forces that kill either. Army infantry and Marines on the front lines kill every day.
2006-09-26 07:10:42 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
I am kind of missing why the first couple of answerer's are so upset. He doesnt seem to be criticising our Vets, he's just asking how they felt after having killed an enemy in combat. Thats seems like a legitimate (although somewhat insensitive) question to me- it may help someone decide if the military is the right choice for them personally, for example.
2006-09-26 07:09:40 · answer #5 · answered by bmwdriver11 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Nope I just pass cordinates and let the jets flying above blow up what they have to. The only time I will call an airstrike is if the enemy is firing on me....
I guess I dont really have that connection with them to worry about what happens after the A-10s light em up...
2006-09-26 12:03:53 · answer #6 · answered by JB 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To all special forces and military personnel: Please don't listen to the effete bead-sucking hippy who posted this question. If you're in Iraq, you've been stuck with sh*tty duty and are an heroic job of getting through it. We love you.
The ideological zombie who wrote this question HAD HIS CHANCE to stop this madness back in August, 1998, when Bill Clinton and Maddie Albright THREW AWAY the Iraq One cease fire (front page news, Washington Post, August 6, 1998 --email me and I'll email the text of that story to you). Since he is so stupid he didn't even READ THE NEWS, and in doing so the USA threw away a ceasefire, a second war war guaranteed.
See, to people like the questioner, Monica's panties were more important than peace. This is the kind of joker you have needling you here.
By the way, if the hotshots in Washington order you to go back to torturing people -- be brave-- snap pictures -- leak them out -- because I am so proud of the boys who did that, who understand America better than they do at Langley or 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. You're the real warriors -- so don't let anyone turn you into barbarians.
2006-09-26 07:05:55 · answer #7 · answered by urbancoyote 7 · 4⤊ 3⤋
If someone were trying to kill you or your best friend, would you think twice about pulling the trigger?
Would you have nightmares about killing someone or would they be about having someone trying to kill you?
Grow up and grow a brain!
2006-09-26 07:14:01 · answer #8 · answered by GreenHornet 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Any good person would have nightmares about killing those who did no harm to them.
However, any US military personnel who say they don't have nightmares and guilt are obviously psychopathic.
2006-09-26 07:25:26 · answer #9 · answered by manabovetime 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Honestly I don't see what's wrong with the first half of that question. It's only the second half that I wouldn't answer.
If you're all too damned sensitive to talk about your experiences then you can only expect for this kind of ignorance to continue on.
2006-09-26 07:08:19 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋