Pensamientos

"How's the weather in Iraq?" I asked my son on a messenger chat today. "The usual", he answered, "Cloudy, with a chance of gunfire!" Paul's humor reflects the underlying anxiety that the soldiers in Iraq experience daily. The violence of weapons resides just below the surface of conscious thought in the minds of these troops. This feeling becomes more poignant as the duty of the 4th infantry in Iraq come to a close. Returning safely to family and country is their main focus. In war, the threat of violence and loss of life are never far off. The pressure on individual emotions is tremendous. When my son was home on a short leave from the war, he was often startled by loud noises. He said that when a semi- truck rumbled by, he would flinch and duck. If a car back-fired, he'd look around for his helmet and flack-jacket. In traffic he was very nervous because the space between vehicles was much closer than the 100 ft. distance required in a convoy. A war zone had become the norm, the peace- zone of home was an aberration. This reversal is a normal adaptation of soldiers to war. I'm not an expert, but I think it has to do with the psyche's survival mode. Without the increased intensity and alertness, troops in a war zone would simply be to vulnerable to the violence and destruction that daily threaten their very existence. In a war zone, this awareness, both consciously and sub-consciously enhances chances of survival. One can only hope that after the war experience, the young men and women warriors can return to a normal state of being and mental health. Thankfully, most will, but some won't. War alters human beings.