Posted on 05/27/2019 7:05:30 PM PDT by be-baw
The U.S. Army issued a tweet ahead of Memorial Day weekend with a question for service members and veterans: "How has serving impacted you?"
Among the thousands of responses: harrowing tales of trauma, depression and sexual assault.
In a thread, an Army tweet that preceded the question featured a video by Pfc. Nathan Spencer, a scout with the Army's First Infantry Division.
In the video, Spencer says, "To serve something greater than myself. The Army's afforded me the opportunity to do just that, to give to others, to protect the ones I love, and to better myself as a man and a warrior."
Embedded video [go to article if you want to see the video]
Soon after the U.S. Army tweeted its question, thousands of responses began flooding in. Many people tweeted about the positive impact military service had on their lives, but others posted stories of post-traumatic stress disorder, illness and suicide brought on by experiences ranging from seeing loss of life to sexual assaults in the military.
One man responded, "How did serving impact me? Ask my family." He wrote of a "Combat Cocktail" which included "PTSD, severe depression, anxiety. Isolation. Suicide attempts. Never ending rage."
Another person wrote, "After 15 years in I was kicked out after showing obviously signs of PTSD and depression. Now I can't function in society because of my major depressive disorder. So now what?"
Responses to the U.S. Army's Twitter post now number more than 11,000. The frequent references to PTSD don't come as a surprise to Marsha Four, national vice president of Vietnam Veterans of America.
Article continues after sponsor message
"When you're in war, that's what happens," she said Monday in Washington, sitting near the Vietnam War Memorial. "I was a nurse. I dealt with death and dying every day. I dealt with people's fear and their rage and their loneliness."
Different wars may be fought for different reasons, and with different weapons, but some things remain the same, she said. "And that is: death, fear, and — and one thing I never forget is the smell of blood. It's a very, very old and dark smell, and it's something you never forget."
In addition to PTSD, another common theme on Twitter was the scourge of sexual assault while serving in the military. One woman wrote of suffering from depression and anxiety, and said she "still can't deal well with loud noises. I was assaulted by one of my superiors. When I reported him, with witnesses to corroborate my story, nothing happened to him. Nothing. A year later, he stole a laptop and was then demoted. I'm worth less than a laptop."
Another response: "My wife and I served in the @USArmy. We spent over 5 years geographically separated from each other. She was sexually assaulted on deployment and kicked out of the army for seeking treatment bc she was then deemed unfit for service. I got out bc her assaulters went unpunished."
Others wrote of loved ones, friends and relatives who had taken their own lives during or after their service in the military.
One Twitter user wrote, "Some say this thread back-fired but this is just the thread that is needed each memorial day so we remember the sacrifices military members and their families make and how we as a country need to understand the true cost of service and improve our support."
Four, the former Army nurse who now works with the Vietnam Veterans of America, said serving in the Army changed her life completely, because after the war she found a home in the community of veterans. Without her time in the Army, "I would never have been able to be in the position I'm in, knowing that this is where I could find my purpose — to be part of something bigger than I am, to know that I've contributed, that my life has been worthy."
The U.S. Army responded to the outpouring on May 25, tweeting: "To everyone who responded to this thread, thank you for sharing your story. Your stories are real, they matter, and they may help others in similar situations. The Army is committed to the health, safety, and well-being of our Soldiers."
In a separate tweet, it said: "As we honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice this weekend by remembering their service, we are also mindful of the fact that we have to take care of those who came back home with scars we can't see."
On the same day, the Army also posted a tweet with a link and phone number for the Veterans Crisis Line.
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, there are approximately 20 million veterans in the U.S., and fewer than half receive VA benefits or services. The department says suicide rates among veterans are rising, and in 2016, the suicide rate was 1.5 times greater than for non-veteran adults. A VA report last year found more 6,000 veterans have died by suicide each year from 2008 to 2016.
If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (En Español: 1-888-628-9454; Deaf and Hard of Hearing: 1-800-799-4889) or the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.
Veterans in need of help can access the Veterans Crisis Line by calling 800-273-8255 or through this website: https://www.veteranscrisisline.net
Look Mom, it’s another media outfit treating Twitter as a primary news source and writing a load of filler around reprinted tweets.
It’s also treating those tweets as gospel...no corroboration, no verification.
Among the thousands of responses.... what do you want to bet a FEW were exclaiming the negative aspects of being in or having served in the military?
They try to make it out like it was 99% this type of response. This theme was all over the MSM national news today.
President Trump does have work to do. The DOD, and especially the Army as an institution is not known for taking care of it’s people. That’s an understatement of course.
Not Patriotic Radio should have no public funding.
Yep. I saw it on the national news tonight. Can’t remember which network. ABC and/or NBC. They made a big deal out of it.
I was watching a video today about a guys long road to recovery from combat head injury, and his wife cheated then left him. Felt pretty sick and sad from watching it but gave me appreciation for his sacrifice.
I seem to recall that there were lots of scandals concerning the VA Hospitals. Lots of fake paper work and lies from the higher-ups. But Yes, we should all worship the Military as though it is God and is not a massive governmental political complex.
Since this is an all volunteer military I would think that you would know what you’re getting into. I’m sure there is lot of unfair ttreatment but it’s no Boy Scout Jamboree.
Another reason to defund this rabid leftist NPR. This is “objective journalism?” What a joke, a taxpayer funded joke on us all.
I read this on Zero Hedge. I have no doubt that a lot of the tweets are real. However, I also can’t help but think some of them are fake (to illustrate how awful the military is). But I guess we’ll never know.
We really should be fighting the ONE way that really IS ours:
The border.
I mean, since we’re getting INVADED every single night, and all.
NPR fishing for agitprop on Memorial Day.
Who precisely is ‘worshiping the Military’? From my vantage point, all I see are people grateful for the troops who’ve volunteered to serve our country and put their lives on the line.
My brother died after having surgery in a VA hospital in Atlanta about a year and a half ago. He got an infection. I spent a lot of time with him while he was there.
The care he got was poor. He got an infection while he was there, sent home anyway, and he died two days later.
He wanted a surgeon who specialized in what he needed. Instead, he got a general surgeon. The whole time I was there the surgeon only visited him after surgery once...just before he was discharged. Every other day medical students checked in on him, told him on good he looked and how well he was doing. Not once did they check the surgery wound.
He was on a floor where he was the only only patient who had undergone surgery. The floor he should have been on, where they were better staffed to give closer to attention was booked. No room for him there.
I really hope the VA is getting better. But I doubt it.
Mel Tillis wrote in 1967: Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town.
“What exactly was NPR expecting to find? “
I believe it was the US Army that posted the tweet of inquiry, not NPR.
Were there other, more positive responses to the tweet? Maybe. I don’t know. I haven’t checked.
Nearly every (six of seven) member of my direct family has served.
More than a few of us have seen combat (I have not).
Not a one of us would say that we weren’t better for having served, and have a deep sense of fulfillment for having done so.
So surprising that an America, Freedom, and Military hating outfit like NPR would publish an article on Memorial Day, belittling those who’ve answered a call they’re too cowardly to stand for.
The survey/tweet/whatever, doesn’t even have anything to do with Memorial Day, just a chance to stick a finger in the eye of those who stand, defending the wall that protects all of us.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.