digg

Join DiggAbout

Discover the best of the web!
Learn more about Digg by taking the tour.

Soldier: I Was Deployed To Iraq With Traumatic Brain Injury

thinkprogress.org — Salon.com ’s Mark Benjamin revealed last month that seriously injured U.S. soldiers are being dispatched back to Iraq. Now, one of those soldiers has stepped forward. "An MRI later showed that Thurman had lesions on the right parietal lobe of his brain, a condition that led to a 'don’t deploy' order — which the Army violated."

Bury
show profanity settings
expand all
  • remove, on 10/12/2007, -8/+47Incredible. They must truly be desperate for troops.
    • shawnfassett, on 10/12/2007, -8/+70And they must desperately hate the troops.
    • bebop717, on 10/12/2007, -14/+2That's nothing I was deployed to Iraq after I told them I died.
    • knomevol, on 10/12/2007, -10/+44this is absolutely unacceptable.

      the United States of America is NOT UNDER ATTACK.

      there IS NO NEED to send in men NOT FIT FOR BATTLE.

      please forgive me for disagreeing with our "commander in chief", but, monkey that he is, he is ruining US lives, he is ruining Iraqi lives, he is losing HUMAN LIVES, PERIOD

      and this is just unacceptable. there is no national emergency so great as to necessitate such a remorseless regard for respect of human life.

      this is DISGUSTING.

      i am DISGUSTED with this president's, this decider's complete LACK of REGARD for LIFE.

      may a solid impeachment remove this cancer from the United States of America.

      The Constitution Demands It.
    • duggudown, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5In my list of conspiracies I think they send ill soldiers so they can die in Iraq and won't have to pay for their medical attention.

      We just need democracy to kick in......
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5OA2ohnhTI
    • YoDiggity2, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4This isn't surprising. It's the next logical step in the Bush Administration's mismanagement of the war, right after sending thousands of troops to Iraq without proper training: http://www.thinkmoderate.com/2007/04/surge-troops-lack-proper-training.html

      I expect they'll be focusing next on how to reanimate the fallen to ship them out for a 5th or 6th tour.
    • sunsetprojects, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Does this shock you guys in anyway?? it doesn't shock me
    • JrMint, on 10/12/2007, -5/+0"And they must desperately hate the troops."

      I personally think that its disgraceful that this community approved of this message (+55 Diggs?). Disliking the war should not under any circumstances lead to disliking our army (nor should disliking the President for that matter). All the army is doing in Iraq is following orders, if you can let your petty and short-sighted views (however correct they may be) stand in the way of appreciating them for that then you don't deserve to have an army of people who care so much for your freedoms. The army made a mistake, its unfortunate but it's true.

      Digg me down, why the hell should I care, you people should be ashamed of yourselves...
    • TheKidd, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Where's Imus when we need him!?
  • srgtick, on 10/12/2007, -15/+5agree with shawnfassett
  • KuntaKinte, on 10/12/2007, -14/+6so was george w bush
  • hawkeye17, on 10/12/2007, -8/+38Our military is being systematically destroyed by Bush. Bin Laden and his ilk must love our President.
    • carpespasm, on 10/12/2007, -7/+47pfft. when's the last time you heard from bin laden? GW's doing all his work for him.

      slowwing the economy and putting america in debt? check
      killing US soldiers? check
      undermining people's trust in their government for a long time to come? check
    • johnlandes, on 10/12/2007, -1/+13If a man with an obvious brain injury can run the country, then why couldn't one fight?
    • SoupyBoots, on 07/06/2008, -0/+0Wow, are you guys really that retarded? do you really think that the President has knowledge of every minute decision that is made in the military? I should hope not since that would make you either naive or just plain stupid. I'm betting on the latter.
  • bergos, on 10/12/2007, -9/+2Mark Benjamin is a bit of a tool den lol
  • steven401, on 10/12/2007, -6/+2"After an hour of bench-pressing a log weighing several hundred pounds during Army Special Forces selection training in February 2006, five soldiers lying on their backs at Fort Bragg, N.C., reacted quickly to the next order:

    “Drop back!”

    So quickly, in fact, that when they dropped the log, it landed on Spc. Paul Thurman’s head."

    ------------------

    Ow.
  • trollenlord, on 10/12/2007, -31/+4The whole war is a result of gigantic brain injury.. So what, who cares about one soldier.. Scum as the rest of the Americans
  • holyskeleton, on 10/12/2007, -6/+1ya we haven't got any good results for a long time now.
  • LGFAlbatross, on 10/12/2007, -2/+10These comments have given me traumatic brain injury.
  • majortom1981, on 10/12/2007, -15/+7Hmm buried for inacuracy. Just because he has lesions on the brain does not mean anything. I have 3 lesions and I am perfectly normal. I am sure he got a new physical and got evaluated.
    • majortom1981, on 10/12/2007, -6/+2Yeah what ever. If you think I am lying go ahead. I do have them and i am perfectly normal. They were caused by a coma when I was 9. IT depends on where they are located.

      So dont go telling me That I dont know what I am talking about.
    • Akronos, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Ahh... It must have affected your ability to capitalize letters and use commas.
  • tsoldrin, on 10/12/2007, -6/+7Another casualty of the meatgrinder also known as 'the neocon agenda'.
  • CourtesyFlush, on 10/12/2007, -10/+6Between last month and this month's tally, we have a whole two guys who have complained about their medical conditions.

    And "dozens" of soldiers who were supposedly interviewed, but failed to be quoted or named.

    Buried for being far less than "progressive" in journalistic integrity.
    • CourtesyFlush, on 10/12/2007, -10/+5Oh, wait.

      This is a ThinkProgress thread. Accuracy isn't required. My bad.

      I forgot progressives can post whatever dreck they want on digg.
  • fant0m, on 10/12/2007, -5/+1@steven401 - sorry man... tried to give ya a thumbs up, accidentally hit the wrong button...
  • oMeSSiaHo, on 10/12/2007, -3/+26My cousin had an IED go off under his truck that broke his back and ***** up his legs. While healing in Germany they tried to send him back even though his tour was over in a month or two. They are still trying to get him to come back for a third! I also had a co-worker who had the same thing happen only the government wont pay for his medical bills. They send these people off to fight and get hurt and wont support them when they come back. Needless to say I'm not surprised by this article.
  • destuxor, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/04/military_braininjury_thurman_070420w/
  • SheriffJWPepper, on 10/12/2007, -5/+6wow with the military this desperate, anyone feel a draft? Remember folks, the draft boards are quietly being readied across the country for when they'll be called into action...
    • johnhummel, on 10/12/2007, -2/+12I don't believe so. I think that Bush's emphasis on "volunteer army" and use of mercenary groups like Blackwater is part of the plan. If there was a draft a la Vietnam, you'd see the 32% support for the war dwindle to 10%, the Democrats massively take the House, Senate, and White House, and the Republican goal for complete domination of all three branches vanish all but overnight. And this administration knows this, which is why you will *never* see a draft for the War on Terror (until the next administration is faced with such a depleted army that there will be no choice but to use a draft when a *real* problem, like the Taliban retaking Afganistan or another 9/11 happens - and then they'll be blamed for the military's state of unreadyness).
    • Radtse, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I agree with johnhummel, although the next administration might not have to deal with a strained military. I'd say that there are pretty good chances that the next administration will pull troops out of Iraq, which will ease some of the burden on the troops. Then again, maybe factional infighting will be so bad that we go back in. It's hard to tell, but there are many things the administration can do to minimize the damage that occurs when our troops pull out.
      The Republican goal of domination of all 3 branches is basically gone. Republicans have suffered politically due to this war. I doubt they'll be able to win the next election. Even the Democratic candidates who supported the war are suffering now.
    • SpaceForRent, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Just wait until the next 9/11 happens and "Everything has changed, we need a draft".

      Remember, John McCain's little karaoke song from a couple weeks ago (sung to the tune of a popular Beach Boys song)...

      "Bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran"
    • SoupyBoots, on 07/06/2008, -0/+0You're dumb.
  • starguy, on 10/12/2007, -7/+6Yeah just give some Blue Eighty Eights and send them back up to the meatgrinder. That's all the military thinks of grunts anyway, cannonfodder.

    When someone suffered from severe shell shock in WW2, and were royally traumatatized to the point of not being able to function anymore (probably because they just saw something like their buddy get blown to bits right next to them in a foxhole, and they got splattered all with his brains and guts and blood all over them), instead of the US military shipping them home to some serious pyschiatric ward for help... like anybody sane and compasionate and with any shred of humanity would do... they gave them this pills that were nicknamed Blue 88's after the German 88 howitzers. The pills would knock them out for a 36 hour sleep, after which point, they were calm enough to pronounce "well" and they could ship them back up to the front line to get it right this time, and take a bullet for the president god and uncle sam like they were suppose to.

    As far as I'm concerned, if you volutarily sign up for the military, you're making a deal with the devil and a pact with death. And its death you're going to find on the other end of the bargain. You cut a deal to kill for money or patriotism, you very well are going to be on the receiving end of that bargain yourself. And the cost is high, very high my friends.

    If you're drafted, well, that's another thing. In which case you should do everything you can to sabotage your own military, so everyone can go home back to their vegtable gardens. No soldiers, no war, its just that damn simple.
  • analyze, on 10/12/2007, -5/+3How is it that "news" (/sarcasm implied) like ThinkPropaganda makes it to the frontpage of Digg? This cut-and-paste tin pan outfit couldn't pass a college journalism class let alone count as journalism. What is interesting is this same crowd of lemmings who digg this garbage up also complain about Fox News being biased; yet, they think nothing of their own biases for ThinkPropaganda. Of course, this is even more proof of the sad state of liberalism and so-called progressives. Enjoy your propaganda lemmings.
  • TrojanGuy, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2As long as he's not gay he's fit to serve, right?
  • Badspeller, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Having been in the military (NAVY pre 9/11) I can say first hand how many military doctors are, well lets just say not very good. They treat every case as if you are just trying to find a way out. They will rarely do anything besides x-rays and are quick to point to common ailments like overexertion or dehydration w/o any testing at all. The military is also always complaining, and acting, as if it is low on people. I served in peace time and went to basic with many questionable people who were given waivers to get in for everything from lack of high school diploma to felons. Given do to a "need" for more enlisted
  • kriminalintent, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I think the Army has a worse Brain Injury.
  • oMeSSiaHo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6While I agree with starguy's sentament, sadly reality isnt black and white. In something like WWII we were preventing the world from being overrun by a few pretty ***** up people. Iraq of course is totally different.

    Also who cares where the news is from? My limited experience backs this story up. Here's a few other examples.

    My mother recently passed away. At the time my little sister was in ther Persian Gulf supporting boat checks (what those captured British dudes did) as a medic. When she asked to come back home for the funeral her CO gave her a ton of ***** for it and has been "punishing" her since then. Here's another! There was a sailor on her ship who's legs were getting really big. Her doctor told her she just needed to lose weight and didnt have any problems (I guess she had an important job). It turns out she had tumors and is going to lose her leg!

    The simple truth is Rumsfeld ***** up big time with his light military. The American soldiers are not police officers and arent trained that way.

    Sorry for the stories. I wanted people to see other effects the troop crunch is having.
  • protogenxl, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2First Doctor: Get on parade! Come on! We haven't got all day, have we? Come on, come on, come on. (the patients painfully get themselves into line) Hurry up ... right! Now, I know some hospitals where you get the patients lying around in bed. Sleeping, resting, recuperating, convalescing. Well, that's not the way we do things here, right! No, you won't be loafing about in bed wasting the doctors' time. You - you horrible little cripple. What's the matter with you?

    Patient: Fractured tibia, sergeant.

    First Doctor: 'Fractured tibia, sergeant'? 'Fractured tibia, sergeant'? Ooh. Proper little mummy's boy, aren't we? Well, I'll tell you something, my fine friend, if you fracture a tibia here you keep quiet about it! Look at him! (looks more closely) He's broken both his arms and he don't go shouting about it, do he? No! 'Cos he's a man - he's a woman, you see, so don't come that broken tibia talk with me. Get on at the double. One, two, three, pick that crutch up, pick that crutch right up.
  • laserblazer, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3War is never the result of a healthy society.
  • ElbridgeGerry, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2"I Can't Believe It's Not Constitutional!"
  • madfusion15, on 10/12/2007, -5/+3all retards should be sent over. i mean they just get in the way and are useless. represent
  • kd1s, on 10/12/2007, -0/+13I was with the SO at a friends house and she was telling us about her son in law. They guy took two bullets to the back and one shot that destroyed his right hand. He's also suffering severe PTSD yet they want to send him back to Iraq.

    She was telling us about conditions at Walter Reed, the fact that it's $129 a night for a patient to stay there, and how our military has failed our men. My grandfather the Army MSgt is spinning in his grave.

    I say we take Bush, Cheney, Rove, Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz and drop them into Iraq with only their wits. While we're at it, lets take every congressman that voted for this debacle and do the very same thing.

  • craka, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1I love it when diggers who have most likely never served a day in the military comment on military matters, acting as if they give two ***** about anyone in the military. Newsflash: we see through your pathetic attempt to denigrate the military, and this kind of stupid ***** happens a lot in the military.

    The military is a gov't bureaucracy and by nature not the most organized when it comes to paperwork etc.
  • Zombi, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1This is sad and pathetic. The irony of attempting to do a "humanitarian" effort by "helping" Iraq, but showing blatant disregard for the health and well being of our own citizens.
  • supercop, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0I am a soldier in the 82nd airborne who was injured and deployed to iraq on 7 major narcotics and a doctor sitting beside me keeping me going to deploy. I got a second and perminant injury causing CPR to be done, they treated me great until I got back to Bragg, they made me stay in my home bed for over 5 months with no doctor seeing me, I had to get in touch with the Wounded Soldier Advoc. who got me going with doctors, the command began a smear campaign and has put me in the ER twice in two days all just to cover up the CSM violating my profile and getting me killed as a result. The kicker is that I was comming home with the first injury after getting in country and getting a MRI, I talked the doctor into allowing me to return to set up the CPN and network thinking I was loyal and had selfless service. I have later found that the 82nd deployed over 1000 injured and "non deployable" soldiers just to get the numbers that the President said would deploy. I am currently in ruin financially, physically, and emotionally, and my CO told me over and over when I went to him for help that he didn't want to get involved. Anyone who has been deployed injured contact me, I have DC involved in an investigation, you can contact me @ chuckmcbrayer2003@yahoo.com
  • newsomelaw, on 07/02/2008, -0/+0since there has been so much publicity on this tragic topic, the military seems to be starting some kind of action- screening troops BEFORE they are deployed.
    http://www.brainandspinalcord.org/blog/2008/06/mor ...
    Could it be an honest evaluation or just an attempt to discredit the "epidemic?"
  • newsomelaw, on 07/02/2008, -0/+0since there has been so much publicity on this tragic topic, the military seems to be starting some kind of action- screening troops BEFORE they are deployed.
    http://www.brainandspinalcord.org/blog/2008/06/mor ...
    Could it be an honest evaluation or just an attempt to discredit the "epidemic?"
  •  

    Login or register to add a comment

    Create a new account or login to join in the conversation on Digg. You'll also be able to Digg stories to help promote things you like.


© Digg Inc. 2008 — Content posted by Digg users is dedicated to the public domain.
DIGG, DIGG IT, DUGG, DIGG THIS, Digg graphics, logos, designs, page headers, button icons, scripts, and other service names are the trademarks of Digg Inc.