September 22, 2011 - Are some service members on the front lines so concerned about the trauma of losing limbs from improvised explosives devices that they are asking “battle buddies” in their units to not give them proper emergency care if they are gravely wounded in combat?
That possibility is raised in a new report from a task force appointed by the Army surgeon general to study the complex injuries to ground forces from mines or I.E.D.’s.
With the number of serious wounds to troops on foot having risen significantly in the past two years, the task force said morale had been hurt in some units. The report defined those wounds as including double and triple amputations, as well as pelvic and genital injuries.
“To some, the resultant burden on their family and loved ones seemed too much to accept, and, anecdotally, some actually developed ‘do not resuscitate’ pacts with their battle buddies in the event of this type of injury,” the report, by the Army Dismounted Complex Blast Injury Task Force, said. read more>>>
1 comment:
The only true and absolute fact of life is that it will eventually end. Some die warm in their beds, some die in a hospital, and some choose to be allowed to die on a battlefield. No one could possibly fathom the fear and uncertainty of returning home from war having never gone to war. A veteran of a foreign war could never understand the fear and uncertainty of returning home without limbs if they were more fortunate. Those of us who observe this war through media binoculars could never imagine the moment an IED detonates and realizing you will never be whole again.
I will become a Marine Officer within the next year and often answer the question: "Aren't you afraid of dying?" My answer is always the same. Every single person on this earth will eventually pass away. I believe that what we do before we death is what really matters. I understand the soldier who would rather pass among fellow soldiers than spend a life of toil and burden loved ones. That being said, I also admire Marines that I have befriended in the past few years, Marines that are missing limbs, hands, and the ability to reproduce. Each one is braver and more upbeat and happy then the next. No shame should befall a soldier who decides that he would rather pass than live with a triple amputation; before his death, he was a soldier and can be proud of that. A soldier who decides to live as a triple amputee can die many years later with my respect, having lived a difficult, but no less honorable life than the man who decided to die on the battlefield.
Whether you are brave enough to face death or strong enough to endure a burdensome life, you deserve the respect of a grateful nation. Your battle buddy should respect your decision to pass away; your country should be prepared to support those who choose to continue fighting.
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You are walking along a road and feel the impact of an improvised explosive device lift you from the ground. When you land and collect yourself, you raise an arm to feel for your rifle, but the arm is no longer there. What would you do?
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