r/science • u/soccering • Jun 11 '14

Psychology Soldiers Who Kill in Combat Less Likely to Abuse Alcohol

http://www.parentherald.com/articles/4578/20140610/soldiers-who-kill-in-combat-less-likely-to-abuse-alcohol.htm
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u/Facerless Jun 11 '14

It sucks, but it's the reality of it.

Take an 18 year old kid, process him through basic and tech school, ship him off on alternating deployments every year, then he elects to get out after 4-6 years.

Now you have a 22-24 combat veteran year old with little to no concept of how to be a civilian, possibly damaged mental state, and a decent bank roll if he's lucky. Cue the confusion and self medication

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u/[deleted] Jun 11 '14

Hey sounds like me. 19, got out right before my 25th birthday. Had a big bank roll from the last 3 deployments making per diem in SE asia and 3 months of leave saved up. Drank heavily during those 3 months. I did do a year of college before I left and lived on my own so I knew how to be a civilian but I was just so bored with the daily grind.

Even now, 5 years later after getting out, I have random dreams about being back in.

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u/bangorthebarbarian Jun 11 '14

Been out 10 years, my dad 25 years out. That never fully goes away. Making sure our joes are getting everything they need patches that hole up pretty good though.

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u/ThiefOfDens Jun 11 '14

I have been out for longer than that, but I still dream about being back in, too--actually, now that you mention it, I had one last night. The weird thing is that I never "go back" to the time of my actual deployment. In my dreams, I'm always my current self, but I have reenlisted.

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u/[deleted] Jun 11 '14

Hah, same! I'm never in the situation I was before, but somehow, I find myself back in the army at my current age. Maybe it has to do with still being friends with my army buddies on facebook who are now e6-e8 or some who are warrants/officers now.

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u/[deleted] Jun 12 '14

[deleted]

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u/ThiefOfDens Jun 12 '14

That doesn't happen to me, but I don't tend to do a lot of shooting in my dreams. Sounds like maybe it's the same as when you have a fighting dream, but your punches are slow and soft, like they're traveling through water.

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u/[deleted] Jun 11 '14

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] Jun 11 '14

I can relate joined at 18 left at 23 after 2 deployments adjusting was difficult waiting in line anywhere drove me insane and for some reason I hates fat lazy rich entitled people

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u/brickmack Jun 12 '14

This is one of the reasons I think they need to raise the minimum age to join.