This guy was a volunteer and he obviously wasn’t up to the task. Sad. But better him than an entire platoon while he slept on duty.
For the people who demand a draft...this is the type of person you get when you have a draft...well, more like this.
Basic and AIT pretty much discover folks with a sleep problem. Ordinarily they aren't subjected to this sort of treatment ~ they are simply given a discharge.
The military has no reason to keep folks around who have some reason why they can't do the job or who have physical abnormalities like Peronie's Disease that could very well mislead field medics regarding an injured soldier's condition.
When the military discover someone with Borderline Personality Disorder they release him or her from the service. It's useless to punish them, or hope to correct them.
Guard duty is exceptionally difficult for some individuals ~ for others it's just a waking trance away from another day of good times eh.
Better him than the whole platoon...what a dumb and mean remark. Obviously, the thing to do is replace the soldier with one that can do the job! Not beat him up and humiliate him...which did not correct the problem..but just wound up with one over reacted and dead marine! What a waste. I hope he is in heaven now.
Yes, but there should have been standard discipline first and if that didn't work a medical evaluation. And then discharge if that failed. The way it was handled was totally wrong.
“Sad. But better him than an entire platoon while he slept on duty.”
I wonder if that is what he was thinking as well when he killed himself. I imagine that while the physical abuse was bad - the verbal abuse was even worse. “You should be happy that we’re all throwing sand all over you and kicking you. At least that means we’re not all DEAD because you took a nap. Why don’t you just kill yourself - then it will just be you, and not all of us as well.”
Especially in view of the one soldier’s statement of fearing of a suicide.
Obviously they should have handled this much differently.
Tell that to the almost 18,000 dead draftees who died fighting in Vietnam.