Sometimes we take things for granted........

[basswipe]

Originally Posted by BigFish

Now, I always thought I new what the soldiers in Iraq (or soldiers anywhere there is conflict) were going through or fighting against. I figured sure....there are firefights, and roadside bombs or IED's (improvised explosive devices).

Please don't take this personally but that's the problem right now.Everybody "thinks" they know what our boys are going through and yet only those who've lived it actually know.No amount of magazine articles will EVER come close to the experience and fear that each soldier in that war feels or experiences.

My point BF is that after reading that article is you still don't know what our boys are going through.You have a well informed and possibly biased CLUE(depending on article/magazine) on what they're going through,but you just don't know.

In the end if you really want to know then you must go.

And to those who will jump on my response to BF please read it carefully first.There's no judgementalism going on here.I'm not saying I'm for or against,I'm just presenting a point of view that many don't consider which is that of the actual combatants.

[BigFish]

Re-read my post....it said "I thought I knew".......however the article shattered that thought! You are also correct......one must be there to understand!

[afterhours]

these men and women deserve the very best care we have period- they put their lives on the line for this country- any less is appalling.....

[nightfighter]

We're doing a job at the house of a Marine's parents. He just got home in November and was just told he's headed back in December... I've had occasion to speak with him and his buddies about what the reality is. Take hygiene for starters. Can't believe that we can't get these boys and girls more than one shower every 7-10 days. His feet took months to heal after getting home. They told me that their group had 5 killed and eight wounded by snipers, while going to and from the showers! (only time they shed their body armor...)
As for medical care, stateside, I have been to WRMC visiting an injured Ranger I know personally. From what I saw as a layman, we're doing what should be done for them as far as inpatient care. That said, it was one of the more sobering experiences to see the horrific injuries we are bringing these soldiers home with.

[doc]

i spent 6 weeks at walter reed (as a physician) and saw first hand the wounded...two things struck me that will never leave me...these soldiers are kids...i was amazed at how young some of them were...and second their injuries are devastating...when we read in the paper that 5 soldiers killed and 30 wounded i think we do as big fish suggested - take it for granted...because those 30 wounded are likely in horrible shape...and if one is not in the medical field i think it can be hard to grasp the life-long affects of these injuries...as these ied's get more sophisticated, the injuries become all the more devastating...

as for the coniditons there, i did not see what has been reported but that certainly does not mean that it does not exist...