Politicians and the Pentagon love to tout the Surge as positive validation of our counter-insurgency and Middle East strategies. But this documentary describes the human costs on a particular platoon of soldiers from Fort Carson, CO, which had one of the highest kill and casualty rates in the Army. Due to the Army's desperate need for more boots on the ground, they relaxed their admission standards and granted waivers to young men with criminal records. While those men mostly served gallantly and performed similarly to non-criminal peers, they also had a higher incidence of misconduct. After their first tour (pre-Surge), the platoon returned to Fort Carson and some engaged in substance abuse, criminality, and poor performance. 15 of 42 soldiers in the platoon left the Army for various reasons, which reduced the unit's combat readiness and seniority. Their commanders asked if anyone wanted to talk about problems, and "offered" mental health services, but it was mostly lip-service and troops were scared to come forward, possibly risking harsh judgment or punishment (http://www.npr.org/templates/
Despite these problems at Fort Carson and elsewhere, Washington needed more troops for the Surge in 2007, so many unfit soldiers were called up again to deploy after just one year home (the military recommends two years). Despite pending criminal investigations and evidence of PTSD/substance abuse against some, the Army broke its own rules and allowed these troubled men to return to combat. These already mentally and physically wounded men were now asked to live in forward areas outside base protections, and street fight with more intensity and at a higher frequency. Their tours were extended from 12 to 15 months midway. Morale was down and casualties were up, as well as unconfirmed reports of indiscriminate killings of non-hostile Iraqis. Complaints of PTSD rose, as did demand for battlefield mental health services. But since many of the needy soldiers now lived beyond the wire, they were inaccessible to psychiatrists, and those who got treatment were often declared "fit for duty" despite obvious warning signs. Instead, the Army prescribed a huge amount of pharmaceuticals such as anti-depressants and sleep aids like Ambien, to 20,000 soldiers in total (prior to the Iraq War, combat soldiers did not take psychological drugs due to supply logistics and inability to monitor treatment). Yet the warning labels for those drugs state, "Do not perform hazardous activities while medicated. May cause side effects such as depression, aggression, insomnia, reduced inhibitions. Take only under the close supervision of a doctor." Withdrawal from those drugs can also be severe, and due to combat constraints, soldiers would exhaust their prescriptions on the field and wonder "now what?". Soldiers also got their hands on black market Valium, pot, and other drugs.
Since the Iraq War began, 17 soldiers from Fort Carson have been charged or convicted of murder/attempted murder/manslaughter, many of whom had prior criminal records, symptoms of PTSD and TBI (traumatic brain injury), and were taking prescription or illegal drugs. 36 others have committed suicide. Fort Carson had 14,000 soldiers, so their suicide rate is 40% higher than the overall US male population (according to WHO). When asked about these matters, retired Fort Carson officer Colonel David Clark, head of the 506th Infantry (that this platoon is a part of), said, "The Surge worked. War is a dangerous thing. [There will be] psychological problems for soldiers; is that reason not to do it? You gotta do what you have to do."
Easy for him to say from behind a desk.
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