Those who believe human intelligence and sensitivity are disappearing from the planet will find confirmation in a Washington Post report about living arrangements at Fort Benning for Iraq veterans suffering for post-traumatic stress disorder:
"Across the street from their assigned housing, about 200 yards away, are some of the Army infantry's main firing ranges, and day and night, several days each week, barrages from rifles and machine guns echo around [the] building. The noise makes the wounded cringe, startle in their formations, and stay awake and on edge, according to several soldiers interviewed at the barracks last month. The gunfire recently sent one soldier to the emergency room with an anxiety attack, they said."
After being told about the situation, Brig. Gen. Gary Cheek, director of the Army's Warrior Care and Transition Office, which oversees 12,000 wounded soldiers, said: "I can see how that would be a problem. It's something we haven't considered."
My ex-brother-in-law, a Vietnam era vet, claimed, despite what you might expect from an hierarchical structure with a clear chain of command and responsibility, there was "no accountability in the Army." Always struck me as hard to believe and I figured he just (understandably) didn't like Army life. Maybe he was onto something.
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