Iraq war
Wounded Minds
article By: Sophia Lin
A soldier’s eyes stared at the dead body that lay on the ground next to his worn combat boots, glazed over and petrified. His feet seemed to be nailed into the dirt. Unable to move, he became hypnotized by this limp, breathless person. Soldiers in the Iraq war experienced cruel and horrible events, which they all dealt with differently.
The Iraq war, much like many other wars, caused an enormous amount of destruction and pain. The war started in 2003 and American troops withdrew eight years later in 2011. Before the war, the United States and the United Kingdoms' governments claimed that Iraq possessed too many weapons of mass destruction and posed a threat to their security as well as their allies'. This claim eventually led to the beginning of the war, which was due to armed conflict in Iraq.
Many soldiers were injured and killed in the Iraq war. Most of them, who have survived until today suffer from PTSD and endure other troubles after having participated in the war. The Iraq and Afghanistan wars had the longest combat operations since the Vietnam war. An early study from 2003 shows that soldiers who fought in the Iraq war faced higher stressors compared to soldiers in the Afghanistan war. Ninety-five percent of army soldiers in the Iraq war saw dead bodies, ninety-three percent were shot at, and eighty-six percent knew someone who was killed or seriously injured. All of the Afghanistan statistics for these stressors were lower, at around forty to eighty percent. Soldiers and marines who had more combat stressors tend to have more mental health issues.
These events usually lead to some level of PTSD. An Iraq war veteran named Sue Randolph, says she still has anxiety when driving and when she's near crowds. Michael Goss, a former soldier who fought in the Iraq during 2003 and 2005, had accidentally shot an eight year old girl. This still haunts him till this day. Many events similar to what happened to these two veterans, also negatively affect thousands of other soldiers as well. War has an everlasting effect on the soldiers in it. Iraq veterans have to live with all of the unthinkable, horrid experiences they had been through during the war.
Imagine this scene: a booming explosion ruptured in the air. Innocent citizens ran away, struck with panic, trying to find safety. Soldiers sprawled across the ground, some dragged their bodies to shelter, and a few managed to rush behind buildings, attempting to collect themselves. Dust rose up from the chaos-ridden gravel and stung their eyes. Ringing pierced their ears as they tried to get up and look for hazards surrounding them. Several men and women lay injured, cradling their bloody limbs. The reality of war is violent and daunting. Bald eagles do not soar above our proud soldiers as they rescue women and children from the war. Sometimes we are the ones killing them. Although we do not mean to, soldiers often shoot the wrong target. Some kill innocent citizens and even our own soldiers accidentally. During battle, a numerous amount of horrid incidents occur. Seeing dead bodies, being shot at, killing people, and seeing these killings happen can become almost normal for some who serve in the military. Soldiers have to keep going during war and have to focus in the moment in order to survive. They have no time to think or grieve or recollect what just happened to them or what they just did. Michael Goss, who was mentioned earlier explained, "They just want you to get up the next day and go, go, let's do it again, you're a soldier." War is very fast paced and the only things they can ponder in battle are usually about survival. Once they go home they can finally think again, but that may not always be a good thing.
Military Sexual Trauma (MST) is yet another large factor of stress that can lead to PTSD and other mental health problems. MST is sexual assault or repeated sexual harassment that happens in the military. It happens to both men and women.
Many female soldiers served in the Iraq war. Women are finally allowed to participate as fighting soldiers in the military. Female soldiers have fought for equality for years and still are. Although there are now many more women in the military, they still face dangers everyday. Many women in the army are raped and abused. Sexist comments are thrown at them and they are still not treated as equals to men soldiers. Miyoko Hijiki, a former female soldier who served in Iraq stated, "It’s hard for me to gauge the harassment since I lived that way for so long. My sense of “normal” is normal for the Army, but not normal for a woman in any other job." She clearly brings us to the fact that the army is still a harsh environment for women soldiers.
Returning home for soldiers is often portrayed as returning to your family and friends, surrounded by nothing but happiness. In reality however, the war is not over for them. Soldiers still have to face everyday struggles when they come back from war, whether it's something small or something that interferes with nearly everything they do. All soldiers are somehow affected by war. All of them cope differently and adjust to their normal lives at various paces. Some veterans are very open about their experiences in war, while others are not. An Iraqi veteran named Rocky said, "I don't want any attention. I just want to be away from people." After being in war, this is how he feels and wants to live his life. Once a man or woman endures the pains of war, they will never come back home as the same person they used to be before.
In conclusion, all soldiers of the Iraq war have been affected in some way or another. All types of soldiers deal with the realities of war. Few people understand the events soldiers go through. The experiences of combat could not be more clearly explained by anyone other than real-life soldiers because they have endured the intense, real, gruesome truth of war. Soldiers who return home have to bring with them the memories and scars from battle, which can cause serious trauma and mental health issues. Although the military claims that they will help soldiers with their PTSD and other mental issues after combat, many times they do not. Michael Goss has been waiting for treatment from the Veterans Administration for over a year. Other soldiers face this anguish after returning home also. It is up to us to help them recover from the wars in which they have fought and risked their lives, for us.
"Wounded Minds" Article Voiceover narrated by: Sophia Lin
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