JOHN TIRMAN
February 22, 2007
FETISHIZING THE TROOPS
Several politicians have all gotten into hot water for speaking truthfully about different aspects of serving in the military in Iraq. Say anything mildly critical about the troops and you're asking for trouble.
But the relentless "heroizing" of the troops really does them a disservice, and, of course, it's a distraction from more important discussions about the war. Discussions like the kind of people being recruited, sexual harassment of female soldiers, and other unpleasant truths.
As virtually all serious accounts of the war tell us, the U.S. military is responsible for a very large amount of the violence in Iraq. This may or may not be the responsibility of individual soldiers and field commanders. It will take years to sort that out, if it ever is. But pretending there is no culpability for the mayhem is foolish, not least because we need to learn realistic lessons about this debacle.
But there are other reasons not to automatically make heroes of the troops. Most important, they are suffering from very high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder--not surprising given the scale and nature of the violence, and the fact that so many must do several rotations. PTSD has been measured as high as 19 percent in Marine units, 17 percent in Army units. These numbers, now more than two years old, likely underestimate the extent of serious depression and PTSD. Alcoholism and crime are on the rise as well. And it is widely reported that the government is not treating these cases properly, has not funded programs adequately, and is generally in a state of denial about the growing problem. (The health care costs of treating veterans--assuming, after the revelations about mistreatment at military hospitals, that they get decent health care at all--is now estimated at a staggering $2.5 trillion.)
Making heroes of the troops papers over these serious afflictions. A hero is not someone who's traumatized by civilian deaths or endless rotations. A hero does not need a shrink or a social worker to hold his hand. And PTSD is not allowable in a heroic war.
A hero is also someone who will not let us down and not mislead us. When interviewed soldiers say they believe in "the mission" and want to "finish the job" and such, it is hard not to admire their gumption. But they are trained to believe these things--it would be hard to serve in such harsh cicumstances if they did not. Yet allowing these scattered testimonials (there's a growing number--now a majority of those in Iraq--that are saying we should leave Iraq) to color the debate is ludicrous. There are times for fighting, and that's when you want warriors; but there are also times for diplomacy, or retreat, and then warriors are not the ones we need to set the course.
Increasingly, moreover, the warrior class is being drawn from the criminal class, as the New York Times reported in mid February. Waivers for recruits with serious criminal records have increased 65 percent in the last three years---more than 125,000 have been granted. Medical waivers, including attention deficit disorder, also are on the rise, accounting for 12,000 recruits of 69,000 last year. A study in the early 1990s found that those with criminal waivers were more likely to be discharged for misconduct.
Even with this lowering of standards, financial inducements are a key part of recruitment. I witnessed a TV ad recently for the army reserve that promised $20,000 signing bonus and never mentioned Iraq. According to the official military recruitment website, military.com, bonuses of up to $40,000 are available in many cases, and "airmen who meet requirements may qualify for a retention bonus of up to $150,000."
That does not make this a "mercenary army" in Iraq, but with lowered standards, more criminals, and "huge cash bonuses" for joining, the profile of our band of brothers looks a little less heroic.
Another disturbing fact recently coming to light is the high rate of sexual harassment committed by male soldiers against female soldiers in the U.S. ranks. Some have estimated this as high as 90 percent. A number of reliable accounts have surfaced lately, including this riveting report from Helen Benedict. This story will grow as more women tell their stories. A lot of it is sad or ugly.
So let's lower the rhetoric about the troops serving in Iraq. Doubtlessly, many are brave and selfless. Many care about the Iraqis and hope to protect America. But making them all into heroes as a kind of mantra that excludes serious debate about the choices we must make there is nonsense, dangerous to our national purpose and the troops themselves.
Updated March 30, 2007
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