US Military Casualities: Amputations at Record Numbers

Last summer a report from the Congressional Research Service based on Department of Defense information was sent to Congress detailing the US military casualty statistics in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Twenty percent of soldiers injured have multiple injuries - and may have traumatic brain injury (TBI) as well as traumatic amputations. All most half of the amputations are caused by IED's. These could be prevented if the transportation vehicles our troops are using had undersides designed to bear the impact of this well known threat. The MRAP is one such vehicle that the Marine Corp is now contracted to produce. It has a V-shaped underbelly desgned to protect against underground devices.

Advances in battlefield medicine have saved many combatants who might have died - but is the rehabilitation they receive up to par? The Center for the Intrepid, a $50M rehabilitation center in opened its doors in San Antonio, Texas in January, 2007 to treat the record number of amputees and troops with severe burns. Amputee rehabilitation programs are run at Brooke Medical Center in Texas, Walter Reed Medical Center and Bethesda Naval Medical Center. Housing has been built at Center of the Intrepid for families of the soldiers in rehab. The Center was funded by private donations from 600,000 US citizens, which means the world to the beneficiaries of the services provided. State-of-the-art technology is provided to military amputees including advanced prosthetics, computerized and video monitoring, biomechanical studies and advanced physical therapy methods.

One of these programs is the art program at the Center, a collaboration between the General Services Administration (GSA) and the Fallen Heroes Fund. The art work was chosen to complement the architecture, to remind visitors of the heroes and the sacrifices they have made for the US, and to support the physical rehabilitation programs and motivate participation in extreme sports. The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund and the Wounded Warrior Project has also just made available a publication " A Handbook for Injured Service Members and Their Families". The handbook provides information about what to expect, resources available and issues that will crop up. The handbook is available at www.fallenheroesfund.org.

New generation prosthetic devices are being designed by researchers at Arizona State University's Polytechnic campus and the Military Amputee Research Program at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The Otto Bock C-Leg has a microprocessor knee and was introduced in 1997. It allows the wearer to go up or down hills and slopes and provides greater freedom of movement. Otto Bock also makes a myoelectric hand that is lightweight, compact and responsive.

If you want to get up close and personal with some of the amputees returning from Iraq, watch HBO's Alive Day Memories: Home From Irag from Executive Producer James Gandolfini. The documentary film premieres on September 9, 2007 at 10:30 PM and continues through September 16, 2007. Don't miss it - I have had a chance to see it and it is very moving. These American heroes have sacrificed their health and well being - they don't want us to forget them.

Labels: amputees, HBO, injuries, Iraq, prostheses, veterans, warrior

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The Warrior Archetype and Violence

The Warrior archetype is a fundamental aspect of the human psyche. The Warrior is trained to regulate aggression and violence inherent in our species to defend any threat against his/her safety and well-being and those he/she vows to defend. Physical prowess in defense skills, athletic capabilities, strategies are critical to generating health and vitality, longevity, stamina and courage in the face of danger whether it be on the battlefield or in every day civilian life.

Our culture is oddly ambivalent about the warrior archetype. We venerate Michael Vick and reward him with money, fame and adulation. We worship professional wrestlers, basketball players and have love-hate relationships with people like Barry Bonds, Lance Armstrong and other sports champions who may or may not use performance enhancing drugs. Testosterone is the male hormone that not only determines sexual drive and prowess, but affects the psyche in powerful ways. Testosterone - in men and women - provides the drive to fight, to win, and to win again. Philosopher Ken Wilber calls it the " f*** it or kill it response". Testosterone masks feelings of pain and discomfort, increasing tolerance of pain and allowing men to maintain their stamina in fights, especially when testosterone levels are high. Testosterone dependent secondary sexual characteristics in males also signals to females that the male is healthy in other ways - strong, dominant and possessing immunological toughness.

Blood sports involving the fighting of animals have been with us since antiquity. If you are a fan of Shakespeare, you know that bear-baiting and dog fighting have been entertainment for our species for a long, long time. It continues in some cultures. Many dog breeds have been developed specifically for fighting. In some cultures and countries, dog fighting is still legal, like Latin America, Russia and Japan. Violent competition as entertainment has been enjoyed by humans since the origin of our species. What Michael Vick did to dogs was appalling, cruel and wrong. But in my mind, he himself is a victim. The child of teenage parents raised in a rough neighborhood where dog fighting was part of the culture, his father was never around to teach him right from wrong. People recognized his talent and rewarded him for it. A lot of people made money from his talent. Everyone was happy as his star rose. There were little signs of trouble - flipping off the fans, giving the gift of Herpes 2 to a girlfriend. Then there are the good things about him - donating funds for the support of the families of the Virginia Tech massacre, support of the Boys and Girls Club. Friends know him as a caring person who just loves to fish.

When these gifted athletes fall, they fall hard, and they fall alone. Look at the WWE superstars, Dennis Rodman, Kobe Bryant, Jose Conseco, the list is endless. Maybe the organizations who profit most from these talented but troubled men - like the NFL - should do a better job taking care of their own. Counseling to help young men who grew up poor in the projects who are suddenly wealthy, famous and celebrated adjust to the change in their fortunes and friendships doesn't seem like a lot to ask. While the NFL is busy castigating Michael Vick, maybe it should take a good hard look at itself.

Labels: archetype, champions, dog fighting, Michael Vick, NFL, testosterone, warrior

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