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re: Question for Iraq/Afghanistan vets and friends of same: (possible trigger alert)
Posted on 5/6/15 at 4:57 pm to baybeefeetz
Posted on 5/6/15 at 4:57 pm to baybeefeetz
My experience was far different in the First Gulf War than what the guys who fought in the Second Gulf War and Afghanistan went through. The actual combat phase was a blur and we barely even stopped from the time the shooting started until they called a halt to offensive operations.
As far as traumatic part, there was the weeks of anticipation of what lay ahead before we crossed the berm. We were expecting to be hit with a ton of chemicals and that's what worried me the most. Once the ground war started, my biggest scare came when we first started getting incoming fire and hearing and feeling a round bounce off the turret. Big jolts or bangs still get me sometimes even today.
As far as traumatic part, there was the weeks of anticipation of what lay ahead before we crossed the berm. We were expecting to be hit with a ton of chemicals and that's what worried me the most. Once the ground war started, my biggest scare came when we first started getting incoming fire and hearing and feeling a round bounce off the turret. Big jolts or bangs still get me sometimes even today.
This post was edited on 5/6/15 at 4:59 pm
1
Posted on 5/6/15 at 5:18 pm to baybeefeetz
I see a counselor once a month at the VA. I was back home and out the military for 5 years, before I got help. I was a raging alcoholic with a short fuse, and my wife told me if I didn't get help she was going to leave me.
Seeing and hearing someone being burned alive is something that stays with u forever. For me I think the worse part was just the anxiety or anticipation right before some shite pooped off. Once the shite hit the fan my training kicked in for the most part.
Seeing and hearing someone being burned alive is something that stays with u forever. For me I think the worse part was just the anxiety or anticipation right before some shite pooped off. Once the shite hit the fan my training kicked in for the most part.
Posted on 5/6/15 at 5:22 pm to IgotKINGfisherSpeed
quote:
For me I think the worse part was just the anxiety or anticipation right before some shite pooped off.
Nothing like rolling through a village full of people and kids playing soccer only to come back through an hour later to a ghost town. All you could do was strap it up and wait.
Immediate pucker factor increase.
Posted on 5/7/15 at 12:09 am to baybeefeetz
You're kidding yourself.
Posted on 5/7/15 at 1:35 am to baybeefeetz
quote:
What do you tell people/what do you hear was the most traumatic part of serving there?
Nothing I saw was even that traumatic in my mind. Seeing people torn up didn't affect me since it's my job to fix them and it was never anyone in my platoon, fortunately. I didn't care about getting shot at or blown up since I went in expecting it. I had a jingle truck VBIED go off about 100 meters away that scared the shite out of me. Other than that most of my deployment was pretty boring and uneventful.
Posted on 5/7/15 at 5:25 am to RedTigerRulz
quote:
Some people are more susceptible to PTSD I guess. I was never really affected by it anymore once I got back to the States. Every person is different.
SPOT ON. I have been through pretty much the same shite as some of my buddies (IED's,etc.) and we were affected in different ways. A couple of buddies have obvious PTSD and some don't. I think the only way I changed is my temper can get bad sometimes, but that's just my opinion.
Posted on 5/7/15 at 6:09 am to DesertTiger44
Right, honestly the "you better not act like you had any tough times in Iraqistan because you didn't kill three Taliban with a knife like I did" mentality in the military causes a lot of unnecessary suffering because people are afraid to admit things are difficult. I don't like talking with civilians about my experiences but I'm not on a witch hunt anytime someone says things were rough for them.
Posted on 5/7/15 at 6:12 am to armytiger16
quote:
Right, honestly the "you better not act like you had any tough times in Iraqistan because you didn't kill three Taliban with a knife like I did" mentality in the military causes a lot of unnecessary suffering because people are afraid to admit things are difficult. I don't like talking with civilians about my experiences but I'm not on a witch hunt anytime someone says things were rough for them.
Agreed.
Posted on 5/7/15 at 6:17 am to baybeefeetz
I don't mention to anyone I was over there,and very rarely do people ask me about it.
Posted on 5/7/15 at 6:20 am to Darth_Vader
You're saying they hit the turret on your tank?
Posted on 5/7/15 at 6:40 am to GreatLakesTiger24
quote:
by GreatLakesTiger24
You're saying they hit the turret on your tank?
Yes, front of turret. Shot bounced. The Iraqis could not penetrate the armor on our tanks. The only Abrams lost in the First Gulf War were due to friendly fire.
Posted on 5/7/15 at 8:41 am to Darth_Vader
That's crazy. I've been looking at tank videos on youtube for 20 minutes now.
Posted on 5/7/15 at 8:45 am to armytiger16
quote:
honestly the "you better not act like you had any tough times in Iraqistan because you didn't kill three Taliban with a knife like I did" mentality in the military causes a lot of unnecessary suffering
Try being a Navy guy..."All you did was sit on a boat"..
Glad thats what you think of the Navy...
Posted on 5/7/15 at 8:53 am to GreatLakesTiger24
quote:
That's crazy. I've been looking at tank videos on youtube for 20 minutes now.
The Abrams is an amazing feat of great American engineering. Though I will tip my hat to the Germans, it's their 120mm smooth-bore gun that we use in it after all. And I'll also give a nod to the Brits because they developed the Chobham armor used on the Abrams series of tanks.
And speaking of armor, to give you an idea of how the Abrams is armored, look at this picture...
Look at the box on top of the turret on the right side, opposite the loader standing up out of his hatch manning the M240. That box is the gunner's main sight. The front of that box is where the inside wall of the turret is located. Notice how far back from the front of the turret the box sits? Everything between that box and the front of the turret is armor. Now it's not one solid piece, but it's basically all armor. Here's a close up to give you a better view...
That's why shooting at the front of the turret of an Abrams is a waste of time.
Posted on 5/7/15 at 9:03 am to Darth_Vader
Darth, I still don't get why you have serial downvoters. Someone has to read in a thread about vets experiences post war the statement "I get jumpy when I hear loud bangs because Iraqi rounds were bouncing off my tank" and think "That damn attention-whoring Darth, downvote."
Posted on 5/7/15 at 9:03 am to Darth_Vader
Darth, what about the space between the turret and the body? You always see the turret getting blown off in old war movies. Is it possible to get a shot in between there... is that a weak point?
Posted on 5/7/15 at 9:10 am to terd ferguson
The turret ring is a natural weak spot on all tanks and we trained to hit Soviet tanks there. As for turrets blowing off, that happens when the ammo stored on the tank goes off when the tank is hit.
Posted on 5/7/15 at 9:13 am to elprez00
quote:
Darth, I still don't get why you have serial downvoters. Someone has to read in a thread about vets experiences post war the statement "I get jumpy when I hear loud bangs because Iraqi rounds were bouncing off my tank" and think "That damn attention-whoring Darth, downvote."
I'm use to it. Really don't even pay it attention. It's not like they mean anything anyway. If anything, i look at it as whoever is doing it is just showing themselves to be petty and weak.
Posted on 5/7/15 at 9:20 am to Darth_Vader
quote:
As for turrets blowing off, that happens when the ammo stored on the tank goes off when the tank is hit.
Yeah I guess all that pressure released inside a metal can would cause something to give...
Posted on 5/7/15 at 9:29 am to baybeefeetz
Eh, I'm a medical bitch and never left the base. I deal with none of these issues.
It was still tough seeing these kids younger than me, same age as me in the wards though with their lives and realities completely changed
It was still tough seeing these kids younger than me, same age as me in the wards though with their lives and realities completely changed
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