#13 Loves Being a Soldier... Just Not Right Now

Soldier been having a really bad week... lots going on...

I spoke with his counselor (therapist) today... called his MD but didn't get a return call. we're going to start calling Army people in the next day or two... and on Monday. Time to rattle a few cages... if nothing else than to get US answers to what the hell they're doing for Soldier who seems way worse the longer they keep him there. and he's been there over a month -- going on 5 weeks...

of course, it's hard to say whether Soldier is actually helping himself or hurting himself... his attitude sux... says the place is making him nuts and he wants to get back to an Army facility but no one can tell us or him why he's still at the civilian place and what the criteria is -- or IF there is even a criteria -- for getting him out of this facility that doesn't seem to be helping him...
one of his chief complaints is pure boredom... 23 hours a day of doing NOTHING is MAKING him crazy... or crazier, not sure which. I keep telling him that he is in a place for crazy people and if he keeps doing and saying crazy things, then they will never let him out... he thinks if they would just let him get on with his life, he will be fine... (SIGH).

he feels he's being held prisoner (mostly true) and that he has been abandoned in this warehouse (mostly true) and no one is helping him (can't say if that's true or not but he certainly isn't any better.) they have changed his meds 3 times and when Soldier complains that he doesn't feel better, rather than giving him more counseling, they just change his meds... and it doesn't help that except for one or two of his friends, NOT A SINGLE SOUL FROM HIS COMMAND has been to see him or any of the other soldiers at this facility...

apparently, the 22 regular active Army guys each called the battalion office to complain last week and the Command Sgt Major actually visited the facility this week and told the soldiers that he was exceptionally angry about this and would do something to see that the problem was fixed... from what I've seen of the Army over these past 4+ weeks, it's all talk... if you asked me again, I would never allow a son to join. I rue the day I didn't just forbid my son from joining. he might not have been happy about it at the time, but my son would still be able to laugh and smile... something I have not seen him do since he went to Iraq. the Army DOES NOT take care of its soldiers (at least not in this Division).

Although the Army was all he ever talked about doing his whole life, he says now that he needs to get away from all things Army... says he loves to wear the uniform... that he loves what the Army does... what HE did... loves being a soldier, just not right now.