War and Conscience

I have for some time been distantly interested in the trauma that comes from war. It is not at all surprising combat can have such dramatic effects. I had mostly attributed it to the burden of killing another and the absolute disregard for humanity... week after week of burning bodies, the smell of rotting flesh, the destruction of everything we call civilization, the loss of close friends and companions killed protecting each other, the senseless waste of youth and the fresh ranks of those willing to die just as senselessly, the incessant threat of death and never-ending state of stress. It all seems like enough to easily make a man mad and do things he might regret. I told myself that regardless of what happens, do my best not to blame soldiers, blame the awful situation  they are a product of (this means fighting to end war). It also seemed enough to trouble a man for his whole life. However, the nature of warfare has changed a since Vietnam yet PTSD rates are as high as ever (though we do admittedly incentivize it and are much more open to acknowledging it when it happens). But today I encountered a completely different theory. I came across the passage below, which is actually a summary of the book Achilles in Vietnam: Combat Trauma and the Undoing of Character. I thought this was a universal lesson worth sharing. To violate one's conscience is not something to be taken lightly. It's also a reminder of the role authority can play in manipulating others and the responsibility of such positions. 

I want to expand on this a little. I think it's not just limited to soldiers  If we violate our conscience, our sense of "what's right," it seems entirely possible it could lead to difficultly reestablishing meaning and value in "normal life." In many ways we are all directly by our moral core (whatever it may be - differences are not really important at this level - just that we have a basis). War challenges most people's basic value system and not an an indirect way. I think this trait of survivalism isn't all that uncommon in urban, gang-ridden hoods and our prison system and might be yet another reason integration for those on the periphery is so difficult. It's interesting that many gang initiations begin with some form of senseless violence such as beating or robbing a stranger. I wonder if this is so they can share in the same torment as their leaders.