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medpundit |
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Friday, April 02, 2004But Pentagon data and interviews with soldiers at six bases in the United States and Europe show combat wounds represent a minority of casualties during wartime. The Pentagon 'Operation Iraqi Freedom U.S. Casualty Update' on Tuesday listed a total of 2,998 soldiers wounded in action, in comparison to the 18,004 medical evacuations described by Winkenwerder. The Pentagon defines a casualty as 'any person who is lost to the organization by having been declared dead, duty status-whereabouts unknown, missing, ill, or injured.' More mundane wartime injures seem more prevalent: back and neck injuries, torn knees and elbows, heart and lung problems and mental problems like post-traumatic stress disorder that may not be diagnosed for months after returning from combat. Sounds like the same kind of complaints I find myself filling in on worker's comp forms. People are often dissatisfied with their care and their progress in worker's comp injuries, too. In fact, they sound an awful lot like the National Guard and Reservist complaints that are being given a Congressional airing. It makes one wonder how much of the disgruntlement is due to a general dissatisfaction with their lot rather than real medical issues. Most National Guard and Reservists sign up thinking they'll never see action, let alone deployment overseas. (There really is a difference between the real army and what the English call the "territorial army." ) And it's been the National Guard and Reservists who have been loudest in their complaints, from worrying about anthrax vaccinations to complaining about the length of their deployment. They are some very unhappy campers. posted by Sydney on 4/02/2004 08:05:00 AM 0 comments 0 Comments: |
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