43,000 Unfit Troops Sent to War
Sunday May 11, 2008
More than 43,000 U.S. troops listed as medically unfit for combat in the weeks before their scheduled deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan since 2003 were sent anyway, Pentagon records show.
According to an article in the Army Times, the number of troops that doctors found nondeployable but who were still sent to Iraq or Afghanistan fluctuated from 10,854 in 2003, down to 5,397 in 2005, and back up to 9,140 in 2007.
Comments
It just serves to show the military’s tendency to overdiagnose mental illnesses. Commanders are in a better position to decide if personnel are capable of carrying out their assigned duties than doctors who will never see combat.
Why doesn’t this surprise me!!! Quota’s and “boots on the ground” are more of a priority than our all volunteer Army? Is the Army along with decison makers even beginning to understand this has been too much for too long on the troops. They may be soldiers but they are human too. Somewhere along the line is/will ANYBODY begin to give back the same consideration and honor to these troops that they have been giving for so long? Honor, dedication and commitment appear to have become a one way street where the Military decison makers and policy makers are concerned. What about the commitment from the military to take care of all of those that has been serving? How is it that the Middle East and what they say they need takes precidence over what is in the best interests of OUR TROOPS? 5 years in more than enough time to re-establish a new government. Our troops, our equipment, our money with no end in sight. ALL of OUR resources continue to be strained. Do any of you really think that if this were the United States that the Middle East would come to our aid for so long with so much money and the lives of thier troops? WAKE UP !!!
Knew a mess sgt at Ft. Hood. He was on profile for major foot problems. Ended up needing surgery in the end. But they deployed him anyway. Actually, they ended up sending him home early too due to his feet.
Sadly, he was also in the area where KBR just happen to forget to deliver that 27 Million dollars in rations. They lived on powedered eggs for 6.5 weeks.
But I’ve seen this in my deployments. One guy was so bent over with spin problems that he couldn’t stand up straight. Another was a glad problem was even if you cut him in half, he’d be way above height and weight even if you taped him.
If they need a warm body, they’ll send a warm body.