FTFA:

Pentagon employees examined 10,000 health records in 2997 to determine reasons for the non-deployment decisions, Kilpatrick said,

LOL TIMETRAVELPAD

.

But seriously, the deployment of sick and injured troops, civilians call this sort of thing asinine (and it is); us military folks call it Tuesday.

Is it Tuesday already?

The collapse of the Empire won't be pretty.

I can't wait to see how the Bushbots spin this into a sign of how well it's going in Iraq.

rppp01a: Is it Tuesday already?

It's ALWAYS Tuesday in the Iraq.

New hotness? Hello 2004.

Whatever it takes to hold off the draft until after the election.

/Get ready, young people
//Uncle Sam wants you
///Oh Canada

Getting sent to the Group W bench used to mean something else.

Mother rapers, father stabbers, father rapers, father rapers sitting here on the group W bench right there beside me!

FTFA Pentagon employees examined 10,000 health records in 2997 to determine

stupid over-large image...

I depicit there will be some reasonable discussion in this thread.

Well they already got injured once, what are the odds of them getting hurt again?

SilentStrider:


Democrats: "Look at that sign! Look at that sign!"
America: "So, what are your party's approach for bringing down gas prices?"
Democrats: "Look at that sign! Look at that sign!"


/What? Couldn't find a picture of the "plastic" turkey?

From the article:

...determine reasons for the non-deployment decisions, Kilpatrick said, listing a need for eyeglasses, dental work or allergy medicine, and some mental health cases as some of the reasons.

Why don't we just fit severe acne under that umbrella as well. It might actually help to define "medically unfit" before trotting out that loaded term.

Future Fark: the Zombie Army.

Pentagon employees examined 10,000 health records in 2997 to determine reasons for the non-deployment decisions, Kilpatrick said, listing a need for eyeglasses, dental work or allergy medicine, and some mental health cases as some of the reasons.

2997 huh?

DARPA finally put together that time machine huh?

Having a cavity is enough to claim someone medically unfit in the army these days. should that stop someone from serving their country doing something they want to do?

TheHumanCannonball: 2997 huh?

DARPA finally put together that time machine huh?

Yeah, some time last ten years from now.

/God I hate conjugating in past future perfect tense.

You know who else deployed medically unfit troops to make up combat shortfalls.

...before the service personnel were deployment

I guess in 2997, rules of grammar will be much different.

Also from the article:

More than 43,000 U.S. troops found medically unfit were sent to Iraq and Afghanistan anyway, yet another sign of stress on the military, advocacy groups said.

One more thing. Where, precisely, is this figure coming from? The advocacy groups? It doesn't actually say how the figure was produced. It only says (from the quote TheHumanCannonball provided above) that "10,000 health records were searched" for non-deployment reasons, but that "records don't list conditions or whether they were rectified before deployment," so we don't know who might have still been medically unfit under the initial criteria. Further, we don't know what the precise criteria were to begin with, so we're left guessing. That would all be nice to know, in case something really is going on that should be changed.

Anagrammer: Democrats: "Look at that sign! Look at that sign!"
America: "So, what are your party's approach for bringing down gas prices?"
Democrats: "Look at that sign! Look at that sign!"

are you really blaming gas prices on the Democrats? really?

Anagrammer: SilentStrider:
Democrats: "Look at that sign! Look at that sign!"
America: "So, what are your party's approach for bringing down gas prices?"
Democrats: "Look at that sign! Look at that sign!"

Typical of Republicans--don't look for any real solutions, just lower the gas prices, so everybody can keep living like there's no tomorrow.

yeah, a buddy of mine who plays softball, skydives, spends time at the gym is considered 'medically unfit' because of a plate in his ankle.

The troll fu is strong in that link.

As a liberal, against the war, I still got to say this article is bogus. I was "medically unfit" for deployment a few times, between dentist visits. They usually managed to fill the cavities before we went to sea.

chaosweaver: Having a cavity is enough to claim someone medically unfit in the army these days

Absolutely. Usually they will just pull the offending tooth/teeth. There is also an acronym PULHES (pops) which is part of the grading process.

\the more you know.

NOVanhelsing

FTFL: S - The "S" stands for "Psychiatric." This factor concerns personality, emotional stability, and psychiatric diseases.

/I'm so glad my Military medical personnel know how to put together acronyms.
//Has had to take the Hep series shots 4 times due to poor record keeping.

It makes sense. You can just give the dangerous missions to the medically unfit troops. If they make it back, great. If not, well, it's a good thing we didn't spend taxpayer money treating their PTSD and filling their cavities!
I'm glad the Republicans are looking out for our tax dollars like this. Isn't the Bush Administration AWESOME?

/vomits

Punk Rock Hippie: it's a good thing we didn't spend taxpayer money treating their PTSD and filling their cavities!

sorry, man, but nowhere in the article is there any mention of soldiers with PTSD being sent back out there.

/Fail

Anagrammer: So, what are your party's approach for bringing down gas prices?

Are you saying this was the Republican's way to do it?

Epic fail to you then.

We just keep turning those corners, don't we?

This hits close to home and is one of the reasons I got out. Back in January of 2003 I was mobilized and sent out to Ft Dix, NJ to aid in the mobilization of other soldiers. In the begining (~June) the soldiers that were going out were, IMHO, fit to go. As time went on though and as we saw more and more soldiers from areas of the country with little to no medical care the rules became more "lax". At one point the dentists were only allowed to pull x number of teeth.... That was until we got the reserve unit from west virginia and nearly EVERY soldier in that unit had multiple teeth that needed to be pulled. Many would have been unfit to go using the original rules, however a command decision was made to send that unit out, and following this the rules were changed.


The dental rule was in place though for a simple reason: A soldier cannot eat without teeth, and because of the speed of mobilization there was not enough time to manufacture dentures/bridges for these people. You may smirk when cavities are cited as a reason for non-deployment, however you probably also have most of your teeth and are unable to see how disabling multiple tooth loss can really be.

Farked_in_the_NW: You may smirk when cavities are cited as a reason for non-deployment, however you probably also have most of your teeth and are unable to see how disabling multiple tooth loss can really be.

there's a reason I used the cavity thing, NW. I almost lost a couple teeth so I could be deployed to where I am now. I was given a chance to get them fixed before I left.

Um, for my second tour I was one of those "medically unfit" troops. I had knee surgery and was still recuperating from it when my unit went over. However, as my job was to fly a desk in the operations cell this time, it didn't make sense to not send me. I got PT at the Air Force hospital in Balad and things worked out just fine. Imagine that. Nobody is sending the sick, lame, or broken to kick in doors. Now, please continue with what I'm sure will be the typical well reasoned and fact based discussion one can always expect from Fark when talking about war, religion, and politics.

/ladies, feel free to raise my morale with BIE
//Halp mee Jawn Carrie!

This is BS. there may be a few sick or injured that somehow end up deploying, but most of these "medically non-deployable" troops simply hadn't gone for a dental check up in the last year. I have deployed three times. Each time a signinficant part of the unit is medically non-deployable in the weeks leading up to deployment. All that means is that they are due to get a dental exam or physical. There is always a big push to get everyone through their exams at the last minute and as soon as they get them they are deployable. No story here, move along.

TheHumanCannonball: Pentagon employees examined 10,000 health records in 2997 to determine reasons for the non-deployment decisions, Kilpatrick said, listing a need for eyeglasses, dental work or allergy medicine, and some mental health cases as some of the reasons.

2997 huh?

DARPA finally put together that time machine huh?

Did it look anything like this?



/I'm so so sorry.
//Can no longer see that acronym and not think of MGS

This isn't new hotness, it's standard procedure.

"[A soldier's] arm was blown off by a faulty grenade. He is sent to the hospital, where the doctors give him a wooden arm and the army medical inspector stamps his papers 'Fit for service'.

He is sent back to the front, and his leg is blown off. He finds himself back in the hospital; the doctors give him a wooden leg, and the army medical inspector stamps his papers 'Fit for service'.

Once again he is sent to the front, and his head is blown off. Brought back to the hospital, the doctors give him a wooden head, and he is made an army medical inspector."

/I'd cite the reference, but I'd like to pretend it's obscure on Fark.

Anagrammer: SilentStrider:


Democrats: "Look at that sign! Look at that sign!"
America: "So, what are your party's approach for bringing down gas prices?"
Democrats: "Look at that sign! Look at that sign!"


/What? Couldn't find a picture of the "plastic" turkey?

Yeah, it looks like YOUR Idiot Emperor's approach worked GREAT!

You want a picture of a plastic turkey? HERE'S A PICTURE OF A PLASTIC TURKEY!

chaosweaver: Punk Rock Hippie: it's a good thing we didn't spend taxpayer money treating their PTSD and filling their cavities!

sorry, man, but nowhere in the article is there any mention of soldiers with PTSD being sent back out there.

/Fail

I deployed to Iraq with guys with PTSD from their previous tours.

Happy now?

FTFA: records don't list conditions or whether they were rectified before deployment

2/3rds of my unit was 'medically unfit' because of simple things like outdated glasses prescriptions, outdated medical records, missing a shot on their records, old profiles for things like shin splints that were never taken off the record, and other crap like that. during the three months of paperwork prior to Mobilization, all that shiat was straightened out and taken care of. everyone, (except one crazy biatch who lied to everyone about her mental status) was and still is medically fit.

/TFA is pointless and just another attempt to throw in the towel on the war.
//no real facts in TFA

Anagrammer: SilentStrider:
Democrats: "Look at that sign! Look at that sign!"
America: "So, what are your party's approach for bringing down gas prices?"
Democrats: "Look at that sign! Look at that sign!"

/What? Couldn't find a picture of the "plastic" turkey?

I don't normally post in political threads, but this type of comment is something I don't understand. Are you suggesting that either political party can or should be able to formulate a plan to immediately bring down gas prices to, say, 1999-era $1.xx / gallon? As if the reason gas prices are high is solely due to political factors and in no way related to the falling value of the dollar and a host of other factors that are not easily fixed. What do you expect the Dems (or the Repubs) to do? Pass a law that mandates all gasoline now costs $2.00 a gallon?

What America needs is are politicians that won't pander to questions like that, and can explain why we are in the economic mess we are in and that there are no short term solutions that will bring us out of it. This country has dug itself in pretty deep and it's going to take some honest commitments by both our leaders and the people to get out of it.

chaosweaver: FTFA: records don't list conditions or whether they were rectified before deployment

2/3rds of my unit was 'medically unfit' because of simple things like outdated glasses prescriptions, outdated medical records, missing a shot on their records, old profiles for things like shin splints that were never taken off the record, and other crap like that. during the three months of paperwork prior to Mobilization, all that shiat was straightened out and taken care of. everyone, (except one crazy biatch who lied to everyone about her mental status) was and still is medically fit.

/TFA is pointless and just another attempt to throw in the towel on the war.
//no real facts in TFA

When you leave an SRP site though, those things will be corrected. I believe the article was pointing out deficiencies that cannot be corrected by simply getting you a new script for your glasses, and in spite of those shortcomings the soldiers are still being sent out. You either are A) not in a position of any real authority and thus in the "know" or B) using your experience in your one unit and applying that to other units. I saw over ten THOUSAND troops mobilized, and while the vast majority were fit to deploy, there were more than a few that were sent into Iraq and Afghanistan that were medically unfit using the standards of early 2003.

Also, don't believe for a second that these commands magnanimous. When push comes to shove they need to show that they were not farking up the paper work and fudging the numbers when they report that they have x number of troops that are deployable.

nobozo: Getting sent to the Group W bench used to mean something else.

Now he group W bench is getting waivers and sworn in. Now word on how many father stabbers, mother rapers, and litterers we've inducted so far.

An example of a benevolent command:

We had a company of soldiers living in our barracks that were charged with guarding the post. They had been on active duty for 18 months alreadyThese troops were demobilized then remobilized THE SAME DAY for an addition 18 months. They did not clear their barracks, they did not move, they did not go home. They went through the SRP process twice over three days. What happened was that their command did not want to release them, and did not want to give them the benefits that were due them (after 24 months of UNBROKEN service reserve soldiers can start getting active duty benifits like the FULL GI bill, etc), except these poor guys were SCREWED by their company. Please don't try to tell me that these units are in the business of taking care of soldiers... I have seen first hand that they are not.

We're gonna be in trouble if a REAL war breaks out...

Excuse me for being silly, but if you were counting on your buddy to save your ass in a firefight, wouldn't it be a good idea if he could see well enough to actually hit the motherfarker that was shooting at you?