Dangerous minds of war

The ‘apparent suicide’ of Job W Price, a US Navy Seal commander in Afghanistan, has brought attention to a serious issue. More American soldiers have died by committing suicide (2,676) than in combat (1,950) since the war in Afghanistan began in 2001. To break it down even further, the average for 2012 is almost one soldier suicide per day or as the Navy Times reported, one suicide every 27 hours. Out of every 100, 11 to 20 of those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan will suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In response to the rising suicide rates in the armed forces, the Pentagon spends almost four per cent of its $54 billion medical budget on mental health.

A Pentagon study commissioned by the US Air Force attempts to measure the mental impact of fighting a war from afar. The report reveals that up to 30 per cent of drone operators said they were “burned out and suffered from high levels of fatigue”.  About 17 per cent of the drone pilots fell under the category of clinically distressed; a level which is considered by the US Air Force to affect the drone operator’s life at work and at home.

Various reasons are cited for drone pilots stressing out, most prominently stepping in and out of two dimensions. Such is the unusual video game-like nature of their work, which provides a detachment from the war zone before driving back home to a different reality. Sounds like a gamer’s dream but, according to the Air Force, this lifestyle produces its own set of psychological problems. If drone operators are having issues living in Las Vegas, imagine the trauma to those living under the daily threat of drone strikes or those having lost their families to ‘collateral damage’ and suicide attacks.

Being at war for over a decade coupled with returning home to a slumping economy has given rise to PTSD and suicides in the US forces. Perhaps the futility of attacking Iraq and Afghanistan weighs heavy on the conscience of soldiers. The increase in green on blue attacks surely doesn’t help, despite Leon Panetta terming them the Taliban’s ‘last gasp’. In comparison, the Pakistan armed forces, with their inferior weapons and technology, have lost 3,571 soldiers in battle. Concrete suicide figures for Pakistani forces were unobtainable but they are considered minimal in comparison to the number of lives lost to constant conflict.

Fighting a war on one’s own borders creates unique dilemmas when troops are expected to wage battle against fellow countrymen. The US government always has the option to extract its forces and return to a peaceful home. The Pakistani military cannot rest until there is a final resolution along the violent territory bordering Afghanistan. The Frontier Corps units are not deployed on rotations and will remain stationed indefinitely at the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Add to that the repercussions of a terrible Pakistani economy, daily terrorist attacks and an incompetent farce of a civilian government in power.

One difference in the conduct and bearing between the two militaries might be a result of the coalition forces not taking responsibility for a tactical reverse and instead searching for scapegoats. Perhaps the rank and file recognise the bogus justification for failures and the obvious lack of corrective measures which, in turn, has led to severe demoralisation.

The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have left deep, ingrained scars on the minds of the US soldiers, wreaking havoc within their family units and causing them to take their own lives. Meanwhile, the civilian death toll of the ‘Global War on Terror’ continues to rise, with around 140,000 civilians dying violently in Afghanistan and Iraq over the last 11 years. Despite being at war for over a decade, the issue was not addressed during the US presidential election campaigns. It is only a matter of time before compromises are made with once sworn foes in order to secure a safe withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 2^nd, 2013.