Thursday, May 30, 2019

US Army gets reality check from Memorial Day tweets


Stories from news outlets around the country reported on the thousands of tweeted responses from veterans and family members to the Memorial Day question asked by the US Army.  An NPR story begins this way: 

A U.S. Army Tweet Asking 'How Has Serving Impacted You?' Got An Agonizing Response
May 27, 201912:37 PM ET
The U.S. Army issued a tweet ahead of Memorial Day weekend with a question for service members and veterans: "How has serving impacted you?"
Among the thousands of responses: harrowing tales of trauma, depression and sexual assault.
Soon after the U.S. Army tweeted its question, thousands of responses began flooding in. Many people tweeted about the positive impact military service had on their lives, but others posted stories of post-traumatic stress disorder, illness and suicide brought on by experiences ranging from seeing loss of life to sexual assaults in the military.
One man responded, "How did serving impact me? Ask my family." He wrote of a "Combat Cocktail" which included "PTSD, severe depression, anxiety. Isolation. Suicide attempts. Never ending rage."

Read the rest of this story here. 

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