Lindsey Bruce for Liberty Writers reports, Politics can get dirty, we all know that, but a line is crossed when politics put the lives of our military at stake. It was recently discovered that Obama’s appointees in the Pentagon are blocking General Mattis from giving our military men and women the help they desperately need to fight in combat and stay alive

 

Then those "appointees" should immediately be "pointeed" to the Exit PRONTO, security badges deactivated, computer logons suspended,

 

Hawaii May Get Missile Interceptor Site to Defend Against North Korea


Ground-based Interceptor being emplaced at the Missile Defense Complex in Fort Greely, Alaska, in July 2006. (U.S. Army National Guard Photo)


April 27, 2017

As North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un issues specific threats against the U.S. and other nations, the state of Hawaii may need to shore up its defenses, the commander of U.S. Pacific Command told lawmakers Wednesday.

While the West Coast of the United States sits nearly 6,000 miles away from North Korea, the Pacific islands that make up Hawaii are considerably closer — about 4,600 miles from the Korean peninsula. And as the rogue North Korean regime continues to execute missile tests, U.S. officials should study the feasibility of creating a Hawaii-based ballistic missile interceptor site for protection, Adm. Harry Harris said.

“Kim Jong Un is clearly in a position to threaten Hawaii today, in my opinion,” Harris told the House Armed Services Committee.

Currently, the United States has Ground-Based Midcourse Defense Sites at Fort Greely, Alaska, and Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.

“I believe that our ballistic missile architecture is sufficient to protect Hawaii today, but it can be overwhelmed,” Harris said. “And if Kim Jong Un or someone launched [intercontinental ballistic missiles] against the United States, then somewhere we’d have to make a decision on which ones to take out or not.”

Essentially, he explained, the existing interceptors are capable of targeting a finite number of incoming missiles. If an enemy fired enough missiles in a single attack to overwhelm that defensive capacity, some would be guaranteed to get through.

More defenses are coming for Hawaii, Harris said. He said he supports the pending deployment of a defensive Hawaii radar system being considered for development by the Missile Defense Agency. The Navy’s guided-missile destroyers now being equipped with Aegis Baseline 9, specifically geared toward ballistic missile defense, are also needed, he said.

“I think the defensive Hawaii radar is coming. I think the interceptors piece is yet to be determined,” Harris said. “But I believe we should certainly look at it. I believe we would not be doing our job if we didn’t.”

Harris noted that Kim Jong Un has recently made threats against locations including New York City; Washington, D.C.; Colorado; and Australia, as well as Hawaii. Many of these threats he appears to be unable to carry out. Nonetheless, Harris said the United States must treat the dictator’s threats as credible.

“Right now, there is probably a mismatch between KJU’s rhetoric and his capability,” he said. “… But I believe that we have to look at North Korea as if [he] will do what he says.”

 

US Army to Search for New 7.62mm Rifle


U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Adam Hoyle, 321st Special Tactics Squadron combat controller, prepares to fire a SCAR-H assault rifle Nov. 18, 2013, at a shooting range.. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Kyla Gifford/Released)

The U.S. Army soon will begin searching for a 7.62mm rifle to become its formal squad designated marksman rifle for combat platoons and squads.

A recent directed requirement from Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Daniel Allyn prompted Army weapons officials to write a new requirement, and most likely they will conduct a competition that will result in the service equipping each combat arms squad with a new 7.62mm squad designated marksman rifle, Matt Walker, deputy for the Lethality Branch at the Maneuver Center for Excellence at Fort Benning, Georgia, told Military.com.

Equipping units with SDM rifles so they can shoot farther than the standard 5.56mm M4 carbine is not new.

Weapons officials have "operational need statements from every unit that has deployed for the last 16 years saying that 'a squad designated marksman is a requirement in theater,' " Walker said.

"The presence of a 7.62mm rifle in the formation is nothing new, but when [units] leave theater, they have to turn their guns in," he said. "A lot of the division and the corps commanders are very adamant saying, 'Hey, we need to get those assets back in order to train with them to be competent.'

"The directed requirement for squad designated marksman has formalized, resourced and begun the process of getting those rifles on a full-time basis."

Since 2009, the Army's SBR has been the Enhanced Battle Rifle, or EBR, 14 -- a modernized M14 equipped with a Sage International adjustable aluminum stock with pistol grip, a Leupold 3.5x10 power scope and Harris bipod legs.

The Army adopted the EBR concept, first used in 2004 by Navy SEALs, in response to the growing need of infantry squads operating in Afghanistan to engage enemy fighters at longer ranges.

The EBR is heavy, just under 15 pounds unloaded, compared with the standard M14's unloaded weight of 9 pounds.

"Obviously, resources being what they are, there are people who say, 'Well, we got all these EBR14s,' and there are people that say, 'That is too heavy a load; we have learned that lesson so let's do something right by the soldier,' " Walker said, adding "I'm pretty sure it is going to be a new gun."

There are other 7.62mm rifles in the inventory that could work as an SDM.

Last year, the Army selected the G28, a 7.62mm rifle made by Heckler & Koch, as its new Compact Semi-Automatic Sniper System.

Part of the goal of the effort was to arm snipers with a rifle that doesn't stick out to the enemy as a sniper weapon. The M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System, or SASS, made by Knight's Armament Company -- the Army's previous semi auto sniper rifle -- is easier to recognize since it's 46.5 inches with suppressor, more than 13 inches longer than the M4.

There is also the MK17 Special Operations Forces Combat Assault Rifle, or SCAR, in 7.62mm.

"But none of those, the M110, the SCAR or the SASS replacement ... have an open contract, so we are going to need some new contract vehicle to procure these SDM rifles," Walker said.

He said it is unclear when the new SDM will be fielded, but "I would say you will see it in the next 24 months."

The next step is for the Maneuver Center to write a requirements document for the new SDM rifle over the next 120 days, Walker said.

The goal is to find a rifle similar in size and weight to the service's new Compact Semi-Automatic Sniper System, which weighs just over 11 pounds, he said.

The SDM rifle will also likely shoot standard M80A1 ammunition, not M118LR precision ammo, Walker said.

And weapons officials want to stay away from sniper scopes, he said.

"We don't want to give a guy a sniper scope because there is a level of training that goes along with that mil dot reticle," Walker said. "We would much rather use an intuitive reticle ... that has a 1x to 6x zoom capability, so a kid that is doing an entry as a member of a team in a room is on 1x and still has that red dot for him to use in close combat.

"But when he is out on patrol and is scanning at range, he can zoom in on things and give squad leaders updates in regards to what that guy in the distance is doing ... It's not just engagement; it's for situational awareness."

 

Who let the dogs out ... Trump Gives Mattis Authority to Set Troop Levels in Iraq, Syria


In this Jan. 27, 2017, file photo, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, right, and U.S. President Donald Trump walk into the Pentagon in Washington. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

In a major reversal of Obama administration policy, President Donald Trump has given Defense Secretary Jim Mattis broad authority to set troop levels in Iraq and Syria, according to the Pentagon.

The number of troops deployed, the so-called "Force Management Levels," was the closely held prerogative of the White House under former President Obama. But in a statement Thursday night, the Pentagon said, "The president has delegated authority to the secretary of defense to determine force management levels (FML) for Iraq and Syria."

The change, first reported by BuzzFeed's Nancy Youssef, should not be interpreted to mean that Mattis is abandoning Obama's overall strategy to avoid boots-on-the-ground combat and focus on training, advising and equipping local partners, the statement continued.

"Our strategy remains to work by, with and through local forces," it said.

In addition, Mattis has made no decision to boost the number of U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria. "No change to current authorized force levels has been made," according to the statement.

Currently, about 500 mostly Special Forces troops are permitted in Syria and a little more than 5,000 in Iraq under the existing Force Management Levels. However, the actual number of troops on the ground has consistently exceeded those limits by the addition of troops deployed on a "temporary" basis.

Last month, several hundred Marines from the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit were sent into northeastern Syria to set up a firebase for M777 .155mm howitzers to support the drive by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces on Raqqa, the so-called capital of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. A small contingent of Army Rangers and Stryker combat vehicles also moved into Manbij in northeastern Syria.

Also last month, the Defense Department announced that an additional 2,500 troops, including troops of the 82nd Airborne Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, were being sent to Kuwait, where they would be on standby for possible deployment to either Iraq or Syria to support local forces against ISIS.

Mattis has made clear since his Senate confirmation hearings that he is looking for ways to accelerate the campaign against ISIS, which could include scrapping the Obama administration's caps on the number of U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria.

The question remains whether Mattis also now has authority to deploy more troops in other areas. Army Gen. John Nicholson, commander of U.S. Forces-Afghanistan and NATO's Resolute Support mission, has requested a "few thousand" more U.S. troops to counter the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan.

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Rep. Mac Thornberry, a Texas Republican, has also called for the deployment of more U.S. troops to South Korea to guard against the North Korean threat. "We must increase our military presence and capability in the region," he said at a House hearing Wednesday.

The decision by Trump to delegate more authority to Mattis followed complaints by three defense secretaries who served under Obama -- Robert Gates, Leon Panetta and Chuck Hagel -- about being "micromanaged" by White House officials on military matters.

 

Army to Deploy Nearly 6,000 Soldiers to Europe, Afghanistan

The U.S. Army announced Thursday the upcoming deployments of 5,700 soldiers to Europe as well as Afghanistan.

Beginning this fall, approximately 4,000 soldiers from the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas, will deploy to Europe in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve.

As part of the regular rotation of forces, the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team will replace the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.

"The Dagger Brigade is looking forward to deploying back to Europe," Col. David Gardner, commander of 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, said in an Army press release.

"The brigade has served most of its 100-year history in support of our European allies and will arrive after a year of training ready to do so again."

The Army also announced Thursday that 1,500 soldiers from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, will deploy this summer to Afghanistan in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel.

"Since spearheading allied assaults in Sicily and Anzio in 1943, the Devil Brigade has accomplished its missions through disciplined initiative," said Col. Toby Magsig, commander of 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division. "The same endures today. The 'Devils in Baggy Pants' are well-trained, well-equipped, and ready to assist our Afghan partners."

In addition to the 82nd's deployment, about 200 soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division Headquarters, stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia, will also deploy to Afghanistan in support of Freedom's Sentinel.

The 3rd Infantry Division Headquarters will replace 1st Cavalry Division Headquarters at Bagram Airfield as the U.S. Forces-Afghanistan's National Support Element.

"The Marne Division is trained and ready to deploy in support of this important mission," said Maj. Gen. James Rainey, commander of 3rd Infantry Division. "The number one priority at the 3rd Infantry Division is readiness, and I am confident our soldiers are ready to serve our nation's call."

 

Veteran Charged with Tying PTSD Service Dog to Tree, Shooting 5 Times


Marinna Rollins seen in this undated police handout. Cumberland County Sheriff's Office via AP

A veteran has been charged with tying her PTSD service dog to a tree and shooting him five times. The dog's death was filmed by the veteran and a soldier, according to court documents.

Marinna Rollins, 22, of the 5600 block of Netherland Place, was arrested Tuesday afternoon and charged with cruelty to animals and conspiracy, an arrest warrant said. Her bail was set at $10,000.

Rollins recently received a medical retirement from the military, court documents said.

Jarren Heng, 25, also of the 5600 block of Netherland Place, was arrested Monday and charged with animal cruelty and conspiracy, an arrest warrant said. His bail was set at $5,000.

The warrant said Heng is a soldier with the U.S. Army stationed at Fort Bragg.

The dog, Cumboui, was reported to be an emotional support dog for Rollins, who is said to be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health issues. Rollins' friends and family said she called the dog Cam.

Court documents detailed the alleged animal abuse. Heng and Rollins took the dog to an unknown wooded area.

Rollins and Heng took pictures with the dog before he was tied to a tree, the warrant said. Rollins then shot Cam with a rifle five times at close range, according to the warrant.

Heng and Rollins took turns filming the incident, according to the warrant.

A video of the shooting, obtained by the Fayetteville Observer, shows the owner and Heng laughing at Cam after he was shot.

"Let me hit him once," Heng said as he filmed the shooting.

Rollins then dragged the dog's dead body around before putting the dog in a shallow grave, the warrant said.

The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office and Cumberland County Animal Control investigated the shooting. During the course of the investigation, they found multiple videos of the shooting filmed by Heng and Rollins and text messages discussing the shooting.

 

I can't speak for other units but know that we have an extensive debriefing and re-acclimation program that goes far above the mandated level prescribed by the command structure and most that leave here will actually leave most of this place here too and not carry it back home with them . That is harder than it may sound .

Keep in mind that the following is just a brief overview and not an extensive reply but still makes the odd good point and more will follow time allowing .
PTSD can come in many forms that are the root of the problem that some have with their inner struggle that robs their ability to function normally within society due to a major trauma experienced while serving and I will get deep into that one day in an expose' to break it down including a few personal accounts that the brain is not hardwired to accept after the fact. The concern here is that medical professionals rubber stamp any disorder these days as PTSD but don't dig deeper for the underlying root problem which can mean the difference between properly medicating and rehabilitating and just covering up the problem and call it fixed, until something triggers a person to have a breakdown of coherent thought and that is when we get events like the service dog one or shooting up a fast food restaurant .
I am very sensitive to this debilitating medical condition and make sure I know my men inside and out and learn their mannerisms, quirks, triggers as well as their daily state of mind and their willingness to obey direct orders and their reactions that come with it so that we can save them long before they get to the ledge . It is a touchy subject and you do not want to inadvertently end a soldiers career by a snap diagnosis that may just be having a really bad day or a bout of loneliness or the like while at the same time not aggrevating that bad day by subjecting them to an overly hostile environment and maybe have then fall back into a lesser support role so they firstly don't go postal from stress and secondly feel worthless by having to stand down . It is not easy to juggle all of the variables especially when you go from leading a unit of 8-10 to overseeing an entire platoon of over 100 but I am more fortunate than some as my men and I become a whole due to our bond and that in itself is therapeutic to a point .
I will never like taking a persons last breath from them but do know that it may become necessary some days and I could still describe each of my confirmed kills which now stands at 22 , 6 more got on my bad side in last week . It gets quite crowded in my head some nights when I lay my head on my pillow and am subject to the same microscope from command as my men are from me just to make sure I keep my weapon aimed in the right direction which I can gladly say s not and will not be a concern for me , but my men are not me and some are more prone to distress than others .
Anyone that has been in the field of battle will tell you that we have done some fucked up shit in the name of freedom but I have never killed anyone that didn't deserve it which some men start to question if they are starting to have mental issues and that can break you or harden you depending on your state of mind and the level of care that is provided to you . Most military personnel still have a hard time admitting that there may be a deep seeded issue that is feeding their PTSD.
False positive evaluations by some in the medical field can and are a concern at times and to simply fill a persons pocket with mood stabilizers and send them on their way does not do anyone any favors .
The preceding was just the tip of the iceberg and I hope it explained a couple issues that may have more to do with this than some will admit . I will put together a report to post when time allows but we have a country to protect and some fuckers that need to be shown the error of their ways before I get to the report .
I am a dedicated advocate of the VA and any organization either similar or associated with them and will go to the ends of the earth for not only my men but any soldier airman or sailor that reaches out and just asks for a little help . You can't help someone that won't recognize the problem so the first and most important task is to assure them that to ask for help does not show a sign of weakness but instead shows that you are not in it alone .

 

There is one problem that has been growing. I can speak about this from personal experience.
When a soldier goes to the VA, if he is lucky, they will put him on some type of medication. The medication can be working well but after 6-8 months on the medication the VA does not send any more. The soldier has to try to get his medication while going through withdrawal. It is very hard to find a real person to talk to as the VA is all machines now. You can imagine how a person with PTSD feels when he is transferred to 10-12 different places only to come back to the first one to start all over again.

 

The VA has many faults that can all be traced back to bad government and even they want so badly to do more , at least on the floor level but have roadblocks at every turn .
Society expects us to keep them safe as that is what we do and yet once we outlive our usefulness we are discarded by those same people that we defended.
God help you all if we turn on you !

 

Undy something eats you from inside. Is it that you see you fight on a wrong side, or it is that you have taken a wrong occupation. Why dont you resign. I ve known some Spec force officers to become priest, or social worker.But not a policeman

 

I have been approached to run a security detail for a group of wealthy and power people in the private sector with the promise of being paid handsomely for my endeavor . I have to make sure they are worthy of my loyalty to their fight before I make a decision . I do understand what you mean by fighting for the wrong side though .
Personally my dream is to open a flower shop or work for one , something that does not involve killing and gets back to the beauty that life has to offer .

 

That is why I spend so much time with plants and animals.

 

Here is one for our Russian comrade . Apologizes ahead of time , it is quite long .

 

Isnt it good we are north country, we got our interest there, we have to defend our northern bourders from refugees of Canada and USA. It is well known thing dont wake a bear when it sleeps, or mind its business. NATO woke us up, we dont like it aproach to our bourders.

 

The poor ole ruskie bear ,
gotten bogged down in Syria.
There'll be no hibernatin nex winter ,
an Fat Kim has stolen his thunder

 

We need to stop assisting where we leave ourselves open to danger having to rely on lesser prepared locals and either fix shit or get the fuck out of there !
My deepest condolences go to the family and this hit the entire service pretty hard .

 

How safe is your job ? This image is not meant to shock but only to educate !

This is what happens when shit goes really bad and is the last image of a live-fire training exercise in Afghanistan taken by U.S. Army Spc. Hilda Clayton, who died in the blast alongside 4 other service personnel .

 

I will format this post for ease of reading as well as break it down over a number of posts to both highlight certain area's as well as trying not to be long winded .

Psychology of Killing !

Hollywood is great at making war seem so simple and strait forward. It makes the watcher believe that people kill each other because they are told, because it is kill or be killed, the enemy is hated or whatever. Hollywood tries to make us believe that all soldiers fire at each other, desperately attempting to hit and kill each other. While there is some truth in the matter, it is mostly wrong.

When most people talk about killing, they are like virgins talking about sex. You can talk about it all day, you can fully understand the mechanics involved but when the time comes there is so much more involved than the person thought.

When bullets start flying emotions start running high and that can have a powerful effect on how a person sees things. Five hundred combatants can see five hundred different things. In war every fighter will likely see things differently. The movies like to make people think that the world is black and white, not different shades of gray.

A look at history might help illustrate what I am talking about. In World War Two, it is a fact that only 15-20 percent of the soldiers fired at the enemy. That is one in five soldiers actually shooting at a Nazi when he sees one. While this rate may have increased in desperate situations or with different units, in most combat situations soldiers were reluctant to kill each other. The Civil War was not dramatically different nor were any previous wars.

In WW2 only one percent of the pilots accounted for thirty to forty percent of enemy fighters shot down in the air. Some pilots didn’t shoot down a single enemy plane. A very interesting statistic when you think about it.

In Korea, the rate of soldiers unwilling to fire on the enemy decreased and fifty five percent of the soldiers fired at the enemy. In Vietnam, this rate increased to about ninety five percent but this doesn’t mean they were trying to hit the target. In fact it usually took around fifty-two thousand bullets to score one kill in regular infantry units! It may be interesting to note that when Special Forces kills are recorded and monitored this often includes kills scored by calling in artillery or close air support. In this way SF type units could score very high kill ratios like fifty to a hundred for every SF trooper killed. This is not to say these elite troops didn’t score a large number of bullet type kills but it is interesting to note that most kills in war are from artillery or other mass destruction type weapons (airstrikes, mortars, naval gun fire, etc).

If one studies history and is able to cut through the hype, one will find that man is often unwilling to kill his fellow man and the fighter finds it very traumatic when he has to do so. On the battlefield the stress of being killed and injured is not always the main fear.

 

Fight, Flight, Posture or Submit

In the animal kingdom, most animals do not kill others of their species with very, very few exceptions. Humans are like animals in this regard, we don’t want to kill each other and sometimes we behave like animals, especially in combat. Perhaps it is because when we look at another person on the field of battle if we are not careful we see that other person as someone like us, and ‘we’ do not want to die.

When animals confront each other they begin by posturing. They both attempt to intimidate the opponent into believing it is inferior and in danger. At this point they may fight, or one may submit or flee, and when they do fight it is very rarely to the death. When one submits it exposes some vulnerability to the enemy, like its throat.

Humans are not much different. Firearms are an excellent method of posturing, they are loud and dangerous, and the bullets zipping by overhead can be terrifying to the enemy. They provide a primal release when fired and can give the shooter a feeling of power. Posturing is very evident in combat tactics. War cries are a form of posturing. A battle cry cannot kill, but it provides a primal release and can intimidate the enemy. Bullets slamming into the ground or wall near a trooper can be frightening and when they are put there by some screaming ‘maniac’ it is much more terrifying.

This may be why so many rounds were fired in Vietnam without any real hits. (52,000 shots to score 1 hit? Our troops weren’t that bad at shooting!). US troops were in many cases superior at posturing. However, when it comes down to it, when the crunch comes, many people, regardless of how tough they sound in the barracks, find it hard to kill their fellow man and prefer to posture instead of kill.

Fire superiority means one side has postured successfully and has intimidated the enemy. In the Civil War there are cases where yelling matches have been held and the loser has retreated, simply because they were intimidated by the other side’s battle cries. (This happened in the woods where they couldn’t see each other but superior units retreated from inferior units because of effective posturing on the other side.)

The military does not recognize this as posturing, per se, they call it intimidating the enemy, or suppressing the enemy.

This does not mean all soldiers are trying to scare the enemy rather than kill him. A few may actively try to kill the enemy and this is where a great many of the casualties come from. Like the one percent of fighter pilots that killed forty percent of the total enemy killed.

Fighting is another option and then both sides will make an effort to kill each other. One side may submit, but for humans on the field of battle this is the most dangerous option because prisoners are often killed in the heat of battle, and not always on purpose! Fleeing becomes the best option and even this is very dangerous. It is a natural animal response to hunt down and kill something that flees. In a hostile situation someone that turns their back and runs triggers an almost instinctive response to be attacked. Someone who surrenders in the heat of battle might not have given their opponent time to transition mentally from ‘predator fighting for its life’ to compassionate human who understands at a deeper more visceral level the fight is over and mercy can be shown.

Distance from the other human directly affects how easy it is to kill him. Bomber pilots don’t have trouble laying waste to kilometers of land and killing hundreds or thousands because they don’t see or hear the dead or dying. For infantry units, this takes on a different aspect, they see the fear in the other person’s eyes, the sweat on his brow, the pain in his face, the blood spurting from the wound, the desperate cries for help or mercy or their mother. The enemy becomes very real and vivid, the enemy becomes someone with hopes, dreams, fears, a mother, a father, maybe a wife, just like the shooter. In a way the shooter can see the enemy as little different than himself and killing that enemy soldier is like killing oneself. This is why infantrymen are more traumatized by war than any other field.

Wars are about humans fighting each other, it is horror and chaos, fear and trauma. This is why the shooting rate among troops is lower than most people would think. People will be willing to face death and dismemberment more willingly if they didn’t have to kill anyone. Medics for instance are notorious for risking life and limb to save someone while a regular trooper may stand by doing nothing but fire impotently at the enemy.

When a soldier flees he becomes a back. Again, humans are like animals. If you run from a dog it will chase you down and bite you, maybe kill you. Humans are like that, to run from a human high on adrenaline is an open invitation to be chased and killed. This is why the most dramatic casualties occur during a retreat. Troops no longer look into the eyes of a terrified foe like himself, he sees a back, prey that is fleeing from him and is much more willing and able to shoot him in the back. A fleeing soldier is no longer somebody, he is something, he is prey for the soldier behind him.

Killing a soldier that is submitting is a very frequent occurrence because the killer may be high on adrenaline, is in a highly emotional state and may not realize his foe is surrendering. Then there are the psychopaths that are quite willing to shoot down surrendering troops and these individuals are in every military. It is after the battle when the soldier has time to rationalize and seeks to understand his actions that the horror becomes real. This is one thing that can lead to PTSD.