Lejeune gives injured Marines a home
- Posted by MacStansbury on November 15th, 2005 filed in Afghanistan, Iraq, John, Support the Troops, Support this, The War
I’m briefly putting off my strict “All Marines Suck, All The Time,” tried and true policy to point out a story of how they got something right for a change. A NewsObserver.com article details how they put together barracks for Marines hurt in Iraq and Afghanistan to stay together rather than sending them home to wait for operations or discharge papers.
It’s really such a good story, I’d love to just steal the whole thing, and say I wrote it. There are too many small stories inside a larger story. But I was caught by how this will allow them to “feel like Marines.”
As it was before they started using these barracks, the Marines were going home to wait for their release or surgery. It’s maddening when you’re part of a team from your first days at the recruiter when you’ve got TEAM beat into you constantly, and then you’re dropped till somebody can review your discharge papers. I know, I’m there right now.
The wounded Marines could head home on leave or to bunk down in their unit’s normal barracks, which not only was tough physically for some, but hard mentally because often their unit still would be deployed. Marines need camaraderie like they need air.
Often, Barnes said, young Marines on convalescent leave get bored and depressed, and sometimes turn to drugs or alcohol.
Creating a central place for them at Lejeune not only dodges those problems but puts the Marines among people who have conquered similar problems.
Coolness. Imagine that, me complimenting the Marines on doing something right…
Michael says:
Come over to the dark side Mac.
MacStansbury says:
never. you’ll see me swabbing the deck of some frigate before I’ll be an evil Marine.
Army, baby, 17 years +
Semper whatever ours is.