ClydeR
09-09-2010, 02:45 PM
The Duck Test is the perfect measure of whether or not a soldier deserves a Purple Heart. If there's not a lot of blood, then there should be no Purple Heart. The last time the military got lax about this, we got a John Kerry. The big shots in the military are making sure that doesn't happen again.
The U.S. Army honors soldiers wounded or killed in combat with the Purple Heart, a powerful symbol designed to recognize their sacrifice and service.
Yet Army commanders have routinely denied Purple Hearts to soldiers who have sustained concussions in Iraq, despite regulations that make such wounds eligible for the medal, an investigation by NPR and ProPublica has found.
More... (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129606127)
The denials of Purple Hearts reflect a broader skepticism within the military over the severity of mild traumatic brain injury, often described as one of the signature wounds of the conflicts, according to interviews, documents and internal emails obtained by NPR and ProPublica.
In 2008, Brig. Gen. Joseph Caravalho, then the top medical commander in Iraq, issued a policy blocking medical providers from even discussing the Purple Heart with soldiers who suffered mild traumatic brain injuries. Doctors were not barred from discussing the award with soldiers who have other injuries.
The Purple Heart confers practical benefits, gaining recipients a higher priority in obtaining medical service from Veterans Affairs medical facilities.
But for many soldiers, the Purple Heart is, first and foremost, a badge of courage: A tangible recognition of service, honor, and bravery.
Neely said some senior medical officials opposed giving out the Purple Heart for invisible injuries. He said one fellow medical officer — whom he did not identify — told him that he feared creating "another John Kerry" by giving out the Purple Heart for concussions.
But a fellow officer said that "no more John Kerrys" became a catchphrase among some medical officers in Iraq who felt that mild traumatic brain injuries were not serious enough to merit Purple Hearts.
Also, this is a voluntary army, not drafted like with Vietnam where everybody had to go. That means the test should be even stricter for who deserves a Purple Heart.
The U.S. Army honors soldiers wounded or killed in combat with the Purple Heart, a powerful symbol designed to recognize their sacrifice and service.
Yet Army commanders have routinely denied Purple Hearts to soldiers who have sustained concussions in Iraq, despite regulations that make such wounds eligible for the medal, an investigation by NPR and ProPublica has found.
More... (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129606127)
The denials of Purple Hearts reflect a broader skepticism within the military over the severity of mild traumatic brain injury, often described as one of the signature wounds of the conflicts, according to interviews, documents and internal emails obtained by NPR and ProPublica.
In 2008, Brig. Gen. Joseph Caravalho, then the top medical commander in Iraq, issued a policy blocking medical providers from even discussing the Purple Heart with soldiers who suffered mild traumatic brain injuries. Doctors were not barred from discussing the award with soldiers who have other injuries.
The Purple Heart confers practical benefits, gaining recipients a higher priority in obtaining medical service from Veterans Affairs medical facilities.
But for many soldiers, the Purple Heart is, first and foremost, a badge of courage: A tangible recognition of service, honor, and bravery.
Neely said some senior medical officials opposed giving out the Purple Heart for invisible injuries. He said one fellow medical officer — whom he did not identify — told him that he feared creating "another John Kerry" by giving out the Purple Heart for concussions.
But a fellow officer said that "no more John Kerrys" became a catchphrase among some medical officers in Iraq who felt that mild traumatic brain injuries were not serious enough to merit Purple Hearts.
Also, this is a voluntary army, not drafted like with Vietnam where everybody had to go. That means the test should be even stricter for who deserves a Purple Heart.