I came across this article today about an Operation: Iraqi Freedom Army veteran who has been incarcerated for physically abusing his 4 year old daughter.
Now, unless you know me personally, it's probably the last thought in your mind that I would be an Iraq war veteran. Well, I am. I did my time and put foot-to-ass for stars-and-stripes and to bring it to conclusion: If anyone is aloud to have an voiced opinion about the OIF/OEF war and it's branches of topics, we, as veterans, certainly do before anyone else.
All pride and militaristic views a side, I have just three words of shear, and utterly blunt truism to say about this article: absolutely-fucking-ridiculous.
Everyone I know (including myself) experienced a tough time during deployment and with adjustment coming home. To have some enlisted Army puke to water-board his kid for not getting the ABC's right is outright lunacy. Seriously, drop the big, tough Army guy pose and use your VA benefits to go see mental health and hug it out, bitch.
I don't have any respect for this guy and I think he should get the stiffest penalty. Let's just hope the military doesn't try and protect him by hiding him on base and let this pass as some PTSD issue. To me, this is NOT a PTSD issue, but some guy being a dipshit and now blaming it on PTSD.
Drinking/Drug problems? Flashback of a horrendous experience or situation? Bad dreams? Loss of sleep? Avoidance? Blackouts? Ok, no issues with that. Beating up your family for some poor ass excuse? Not acceptable.
I bet this poor excuse didn't punch his 4 year old when he got off the plane. I guarantee you they hugged, kissed, smiled, laughed, ect. So, to me, that's a clear determination you can separate your two environments (war and the 'real' world) in your head, since you didn't barrel role off the plane in fisticuffs and ventriloquist-like machine gun sounds.
Even if I were to give this guy the benefit of a doubt and let's say he does really have PTSD and wasn't some joker E-5 or E-6 sitting in the air-conditioned command operations tent watching satellite TV and looking at porn on NIPR network.
PTSD or not, everyone knows right from wrong. We all know the difference between reality and war. It may have been a culture shock from HELL for him to see his first car bomb/IED/dead body/casualties/bad situations/deprived Iraqis, but guess what, we all did. And guess what? We all drove on, and did what we need to do. You suck it up, stuff in the back of you head and move on. When you get back, it's time to go see someone and get it out of your system. You failed in every aspect of that category. And you can't say, "No one told me where I could get help", either.
And let's not forget the out-process portion of deployments either. You *ARE* asked and *YOU DO* have the opportunities to talk to whomever you need to talk to about whatever subject you want. You're not asked once, or twice or three times. You're asked on a daily basis and reminded of it, because isn't that the military way to en-still their ways into you by repetition, brute force and tough love? Sure it is. That's what basic training is all about.
I hope you go make big rocks into little rocks next to Michael Vick's old cell at Ft Leavenworth, you lose custody of your child and you get dishonorably discharged from the military. I think you waived all your rights to be called a veteran when you start giving the rest of us who did the same time you did a bad name.
