The United States of America has been at war since 2001. The two campaigns are known as Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraq Freedom. Since the beginning, there has been over 1.5 million troops deployed to the region (Savitsky, Illingsworth, & Dulaney, 2009). It does not matter what the job is, the chances that a soldier will experience a form of trauma is almost guaranteed. It was no different for Lieutenant Commander Heidi Kraft. In her book, Rule Number Two: Lessons I Learned in a Combat Hospital, she discusses the trauma that she experienced in her seven months in Iraq, along with effects it had on her when she first returned back to the states.
Dr. Heidi Kraft was a psychologist Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy. She …show more content…
It is important that in the deployed setting it is important to ensure that the mission at hand is still the priority. It does not matter if the individual is a commanding officer or a corporal. Everyone within the military live by certain values, which is different for each branch of the Department of Defense. When it comes to the values that the Marines that Alpha Surgical Unit served, it consists of honor, courage and commitment. This was evident throughout Rule Number Two: Lessons I Learned in a Combat Hospital. For example, there was a special forces unit that was outside the parameter of the hospital. The informant that was imbedded in the unit, became significantly depressed. There were a few incidents where he attempted to commit suicide. However, the members of the unit had a commitment to this informant and dedication to the mission to reach out to Lt. Commander Kraft for her assistance and knowledge. Unfortunately, the ending result for the informant was death from possible execution by the …show more content…
Although, there has been some improvement with having trauma teams in the field to begin the process of dealing with the images of war. Rule Number Two: Lessons I Learned in a Combat Hospital, demonstrates that no matter what treatment is started while in the field, it only touches on a small proportion of the traumatic effects that soldiers face when they return back to the states. There have been programs established for these brave men and women that are returning back to the states after a long deployment. However, more needs to be done. The military has done well with out-sourcing services to private contractors. This is due to the lack of personnel to handle the thousands of soldier returning back from hostile environment. The military has also implemented debriefings that the returning service members go through upon arrival. Some of the difficulties about establishing programs to assist in not only the physical, but also the psychological effects of war. Many soldiers find it difficult to talk with health care professionals, without the fear of being stigmatized. The stigma that mental health has on all communities is something that needs to be changed, in order for help to be received or welcomed. This can be done through making people aware of the issues that many of these soldiers face when they
Dr. Heidi Kraft was a psychologist Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy. She …show more content…
It is important that in the deployed setting it is important to ensure that the mission at hand is still the priority. It does not matter if the individual is a commanding officer or a corporal. Everyone within the military live by certain values, which is different for each branch of the Department of Defense. When it comes to the values that the Marines that Alpha Surgical Unit served, it consists of honor, courage and commitment. This was evident throughout Rule Number Two: Lessons I Learned in a Combat Hospital. For example, there was a special forces unit that was outside the parameter of the hospital. The informant that was imbedded in the unit, became significantly depressed. There were a few incidents where he attempted to commit suicide. However, the members of the unit had a commitment to this informant and dedication to the mission to reach out to Lt. Commander Kraft for her assistance and knowledge. Unfortunately, the ending result for the informant was death from possible execution by the …show more content…
Although, there has been some improvement with having trauma teams in the field to begin the process of dealing with the images of war. Rule Number Two: Lessons I Learned in a Combat Hospital, demonstrates that no matter what treatment is started while in the field, it only touches on a small proportion of the traumatic effects that soldiers face when they return back to the states. There have been programs established for these brave men and women that are returning back to the states after a long deployment. However, more needs to be done. The military has done well with out-sourcing services to private contractors. This is due to the lack of personnel to handle the thousands of soldier returning back from hostile environment. The military has also implemented debriefings that the returning service members go through upon arrival. Some of the difficulties about establishing programs to assist in not only the physical, but also the psychological effects of war. Many soldiers find it difficult to talk with health care professionals, without the fear of being stigmatized. The stigma that mental health has on all communities is something that needs to be changed, in order for help to be received or welcomed. This can be done through making people aware of the issues that many of these soldiers face when they