On April fool’s day 1998 I have been given the gift of praise. I’ve had strangers buy me breakfast, little kids pulling on my uniform and telling their mom they met someone like me. I am not a celebrity although many times in my life I have felt like one. Every time I wanted to get my life back the people who stand behind me say life is grand. They would say, Sherri to be able to see the world. This is truly a gift. What is not a gift are things people don’t know about. On January 5, 2008. I got my individual augmented orders for Ramadi Iraq. Sitting at my desk I did not know whether to feel happy or sad, but I prepared. I had two weeks before leaving for training. I had to pack and go home to say goodbye to family. As weak as it may sound at this point of my life I felt something I never felt before. I wasn’t empty, but I felt as an individual whose focus now had to change to do what I was trained to do. I could not feel depression and I knew I could not pray to come home. I had to train well to be able to hope to come home. Stories people hear about usually take place during war. My story takes place during training at Ft. Lewis Washington. The pain soldiers and Sailors go through to train to prepare usually isn’t talked about, but for us is a moment we bond. On 15, February 2008. The platoon received training on using a baton as I have many times before. Taking three short blasts striking only when prisoners attempt to pass barriers and I had to remember to disable, not to kill. This is how deadly force is taught. Every training event or discussion I wrote down in my journal and some didn’t like it. Others thought it would be neat to have someone document what we did. Today we did not just use batons, but a weapon called ... ... middle of paper ... ... O.C. it would just react again. Standing in front of a fan cooled my face, but as soon as I walked away it hurt again. I was still blind and Clarence a friend in my platoon had to guide me until the O.C. dried and I could slowly blink my eyes open. It took about 15 minutes and then it would be my turn to help someone else. When the course is complete all of us would be loaded onto buses smelling each other. The laughter and our hearts calming with an exception of a few who didn’t make it. They either freaked out to much and failed or like my friend who went to prison. The only thing left to look forward to that night would be the shower and that would be one more time the O.C. would reactivate the burning sensation. Tomorrow another task will be given to us and again we will be ready to face it head on with the intention of learning how to survive in a combat zone.
offices utilizing special weapons and tactics to cope with the new level of violence and
PBS’ Frontline film “The Wounded Platoon” reviews the effects the Iraq war has had on soldiers as they return home and transition back into civilian life, focusing particularly on the rise in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among American military members from Fort Carson Army base (Edge, 2010). Incidents of PTSD have risen dramatically in the military since the beginning of the Iraq war and military mental health policies and treatment procedures have adapted to manage this increase (Edge, 2010). In “The Wounded Platoon,” many military personnel discuss how PTSD, and other mental health struggles, have been inadequately treated (if at all) by military mental health services. Reasons and Perdue’s definition of a social problem allows us to see inadequate treatment of PTSD among returning United States military members as a social problem because it is a condition affecting a significant number of people in undesirable ways that can be remedied through collective action (Reasons & Perdue, 1981).
Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7622314. TASER International. n.d. - n.d. - n.d. TASER x 26.
When telling a story details can be difficult to remember. Sometimes what happened can’t be pinpointed exactly. The lines between what is fact and fiction can easily become blurred. The short story “How to Tell a True War Story” tells of the difficulties of telling a true war story along with examples of true stories that are hard to believe. “In any war story, but especially a true one, it’s difficult to separate what happened from what seemed to happen.” ("How to Tell a True War Story.”).
This essay will aim to explore the controversial issue in regards to whether more police officers should be armed with Tasers. This essay will argue that more officers should not be equipped with Tasers, also known as “Conducted Energy Weapons” (CEWs), and that the issuing of Tasers by police services should be limited to supervisors and specialized tactical units until further research has been conducted on the effects that Tasers have on the human body. Furthermore the abuse of Tasers by police officers will also be argued as another reason why officers should not be armed with Tasers.
When I joined the United States Marine Corps, I knew it would change my life, but I never realized how great those changes would be. I was trained in public affairs as a print and broadcast journalist, and immediately stationed in Okinawa, Japan. Drastic life changes can take a toll both physically and emotionally over time, and it is always important to have a great personal support system to thrive through those times. My senior advisor at the time, Master Gunnery Sgt. (Master Guns) Charles Albrecht, turned out to be one of the best supporters I could ever ask for.
Following negative feelings from close individuals in a Veteran’s life, a person taking part in war can become detached.
Telling war stories is something Americans do on a regular basis, sometimes all true and other times all untrue. War stories from Vietnam are far different than the war stories told about the European campaign in both World Wars because the enemy we fought was in a vastly different situation. These Vietnam war stories depict a time in American history where we failed as a military and as a nation. Tim O’Brien, author of “The Things They Carried”, a book full of Vietnam war stories that he claimed as ‘fictional’. However, by comparing O’Brien’s book with primary sources from “Thinking Through the Past” by John Hollitz and “A Place for Stories” by William Cronon, fictional war stories are equally important as factual war stories because emotions
Firstly, in the past, the training a police officer had to go through in order to be effective at their job was limited to, being able to handle the handguns and rifles and to effectively use the police baton. With the vast technological advances that have occurred, a police officer is now required to be trained in the proper use and function of a variety of new weapons and technologies. Police batons 100 years ago were small straight wooden stick resembling a miniature baseball bat. In the 1970’s it evolved to being thinner, made of metal and having a side handle for defensive purposes. Now many law enforcement agencies use extendable batons, which require more training than the original small wooden stick. Along with the increased training required to use the police baton, law enforcement officers are able to operate newer and more advanced equipment not available in the past, such as Tasers, different types of ammunition for guns, radar and laser speed guns, radios computers and even more sophisticated use of force in order to take down a suspect to name a few. The police force of today is more highly traine...
By teaching police officers alternatives to shooting to kill, they experience higher risks with their lives. Police Commissioner, Ray Kelly, said, “It would be "very difficult" to train officers to shoot to wound” (Jacobo, 2016). Police officers are viewed as “predators” and “an occupying army” rather than allies (Valey, 2016). This is a perception that needs to change because it counteracts the mission of police officers
Just it isn’t a fake scene this is real life. There are six levels of force an officer can use and may have to use doing there time as an officer. The lowest level of force is presence of an officer at the scene and the officer’s body stance. This level of force is used typically whenever an officer first appears to a scene or a call. The second level of force is verbal control or commands. The verbal use of force is when an officer demands you to do something. The third level is physical control. This level involves escort holds, pain or pressure compliance. This force is brought in when a suspect tries to resist arrest or verbal commands. The fourth level is really close to the third, this is serious physical control. This really is when you use carotid control and electronic devices. The carotid control is a kind of choke hold which makes the person want to comply. The fifth level is impact and weapons. This is when you first so your willingness to use your baton by touching it or holding it out. Then possibly cause the suspect to feint so he or she can’t resist again. The last resort is deadly force. Most officer try their hardest to not have to get to this level or even be in a position to which this force is used. But deadly force is drawing your gun, pointing your gun, and, or finally firing your gun. (Police
Tina Chen’s critical essay provides information on how returning soldiers aren’t able to connect to society and the theme of alienation and displacement that O’Brien discussed in his stories. To explain, soldiers returning from war feel alienated because they cannot come to terms with what they saw and what they did in battle. Next, Chen discusses how O’Brien talks about soldiers reminiscing about home instead of focusing in the field and how, when something bad happens, it is because they weren’t focused on the field. Finally, when soldiers returned home they felt alienated from the country and
The day finally came to board the plane. I was feeling nauseous and had a steady flow of adrenaline rushing through my body. The thought of being shot at, or even worse being taken as a prisoner of war was weighing heavily on my mind. I fought my mind
At this time, I extended my baton. I observed Dunnick’s right tricep area exposed. I delivered one strike with my extended baton to Dunnick’s right tricep area. I then heard Officer Thebeau yell, hit him in the left arm. I repositioned myself and delivered two strikes, in quick succession, to Dunnick’s left tricep area. Although Dunnick was noticeably stunned by the baton strikes, he maintained control of the knife.
My men and I have grown weary, all our suites were battered, most of the armor missing, or gone entirely. Faces were cut and bruised, some of them considered serious. No time for that now. Ammunition was in short supply. We finished all the remaining rations we had. We were hungry, cold at night, and without Enhanced Sensors. We were blind to what was coming…