Posted by caraher on June 13, 2007, at 18:22:45
In reply to Re: Son-In-Law back to Iraq in December for year » fayeroe, posted by Dinah on June 13, 2007, at 10:20:08
"I think I'm more worried about what it's going to do to him or what he might be called upon to do even than I am about his physical safety."
That's a very genuine thing to worry about. One dirty secret the military makes a point of not telling recruits is just how high the rate of psychiatric casualties is. Two factoids suffice to capture this. First, it is the most common type of casualty. Second, studies show that it is essentially inevitable among soldiers kept in combat continuously for long periods of time (i.e. more than say a month).
At this point, the US is rapidly dissipating its "boots on the ground" combat strength. The US can still bomb anyone back to the stone age and beyond, but forget about sustaining even the current military occupations, let alone expanding their scope. This is one reason why analysts figure the ill-advised war the ultra-hawks seek with Iran would be basically a bombing campaign - there really are no other options.
And that previous paragraph, grim as it is, leaves aside the human cost of empire as felt by the families of the few who do serve, let alone those in the occupied countries.
poster:caraher
thread:762490
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/poli/20070312/msgs/763017.html