Hello there,

Maybe I’m your doc, maybe I’m not. It doesn’t matter, because the experience is similar throughout the Army.

I’m a platoon medic in an infantry unit and I’m at an emotional breaking point for my guys. I have the privilege of both being a close friend with a platoon of great 11Bs as well as being their first stop when seeking medical care.

I got a bachelors degree and worked in a variety of healthcare settings before enlisting. I do not have much time in the Army, as I’ve been in for about 2 years. Despite my short time in service, I am perceptive to the way SMs are treated, especially my guys. This issue has been slowly bubbling up, and it is starting to boil over for me personally.

This organization simply has no regard for the health and well-being of any member who’s rank is below E-7. Young privates, specialists, and junior NCOs are chewed up, swished around, gargled, and spat out. These are people who volunteered to be here, under the impression that they would receive medical care as a part of their service.

My unit has been going through a lot of transitions and we are currently on a rotation OCONUS. Since our arrival, the situation is only worse. Our unit’s training and pt schedule has been grueling for the joes, with ridiculous pt events day after day, and never being able to work on different things or recover. The number of injured guys in my platoon alone is in the double digits. Almost all of them are basically told to fuck themselves by higher levels of care, despite getting diagnoses for their conditions.

On top of this, many of my guys don’t want to be seen, despite obvious signs of injury, because of the fact that there is a taboo about resting injuries in the Army.

My battalion and brigade leadership talk about “readiness” like its their fucking fetish. The only thing we’re going to be ready for is using crutches and wheelchairs as transportation to an objective. These high ranking people, and many of the PAs and doctors, don’t give a damn if my friends will be able to throw a football with their sons in the years to come. It’s all about that OER baby.

I’m in an emotionally exhausting position. I can only do so much for them, and it feels like I’m the only person who cares. This unit bends their bodies like little twigs. And when they break, they’re thrown into the woodpile with all the others.

Despite my short time in service, I am a pretty highly respected medic in my unit because of how much experience I have actually treating hurt and sick people, as well as managing patient care. Not trying to brag on an anonymous forum, just citing myself as another asset the Army has alienated itself from. I did this as a change of pace, not as a long term thing. But honestly I would stay in if there were a few changes, this being one of them. Sadly, we know how this story goes. This is why I’m getting out.

End of rant. I’ll take a large jamocha shake. Sorry for holding up the line.