Hell And Haditha - Understanding War

National Review Online: Find Out Details Before Convicting Haditha Marines

(National Review Online)  The vehicle, if close enough to the blast, flips into the air, snapping necks and spinal cords. Heads and limbs are torn from bodies. Gasoline ignites and ammunition cooks off, burning any survivors to a crisp.

Those soldiers and Marines (many of whom are still teenagers) who witness the action are instantly shocked, physically sickened, grief-stricken, and enraged over the horror of having watched buddies — who have become closer than any sibling might ever hope to be — torn to pieces. Badly wounded buddies are screaming in agony. Yet the ones uninjured or with minor injuries have to respond as trained. They are dismounting from vehicles, simultaneously removing safeties from weapons and racing for cover or assaulting in the direction of the ambush where seen or unseen forces are shooting at them. The counterattack often requires the instant establishment of a base of fire by one group while an enveloping force prepares to overwhelm the enemy. Blood-pressure is peaking. Adrenaline is pumping.

Surviving officers and NCOs (most of whom are in their twenties) are even busier. They are reporting their position, calling for supporting fires (if needed) and medical assistance. They also are shouting commands, directing troops, and generally trying to maintain order in the midst of chaos, and attempting to simplify what has in an instant become extraordinarily complex.

Making matters worse, the closer the action becomes, the greater the chances that something dark might take place. In his book, "On Killing," Lt. Col. Dave Grossman (a military-science professor and foremost authority on ground combat) writes, "In order to fight at close range one must deny the humanity of one’s enemy."

Yet, the killing must be controlled, and that’s almost impossible without superb leadership. Fortunately for American infantry forces, the leaders are so well-trained and the men so well-versed in instant obedience to orders that battlefield atrocities are indeed a rarity. Still there is the human factor and the extreme stress for young infantrymen, who the previous year might have only been concerned with grades, girlfriends, and football tryouts.

The Unpredictable Effects of Stress

Retired Marine Col. Wayne V. Morris, who 30-plus-years-ago commanded Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines (the same company that is today under investigation for the Haditha killings), tells NRO there is more to the story than the public knows. "Since I am a former company commander for 3/1, I am on the inside of this issue," he says. "There is much more to come out on this that the media is not reporting," and that includes "issues that will play to the amount of stress the folks were under."

According to Morris, the issue of combat stress "is huge, and the confounding aspect to it is that it affects different people in different ways."

All combatants manage or mismanage it differently, he says. The manifestations of combat stress are not always immediate nor are they obvious, and anyone who served in combat will tell you they have been permanently changed by the experience.

"We all suffer some sort of post-traumatic stress syndrome," says Morris. "And given a certain stressor, we all could fall prey to some sort of unexplained reaction that would not be normally associated with our demeanor."

Morris, who also served as a young lieutenant in a Marine Force Recon unit (deep reconnaissance and special operations), adds, "It’s difficult to determine who will perform best under fire. I've seen what many would consider a ‘Marvin Milquetoast’ turn into a tiger, and watched what some would consider the epitome of a Marine come apart: both individuals during the same combat action. I’ve also seen a person seemingly weather a very severe action at one given time, and then come-apart during a subsequent and sometimes not nearly as severe action."