SBAND Seminar Materials 2013 Free Ethics: Echoes of War The Combat Veteran | Page 17

residence
 where
 a
 great
 number
 of
 similarly
 situated
 people,
 cut
 off
 from
 the
 wider
  community
 for
 a
 considerable
 time,
 together
 lead
 an
 enclosed,
 formally
 administered
  round
 of
 life.

 As
 experienced
 by
 service
 members,

  The
 United
 States
 military
 system
 meets
 many
 of
 the
 criteria
 set
 forth
 in
  Goffman’
 s
 total
 institution
 model.
 The
 individual’
 s
 entire
 being
 is
 devoured
  and
 controlled
 in
 a
 total
 institution
 environment.
 This
 environment
  undercuts
 the
 person’
 s
 individuality,
 disregards
 the
 individual’
 s
 dignity,
 and
  results
 in
 a
 regimentation
 of
 life
 that
 typically
 disregards
 his
 or
 her
 desires
 or
  inclinations.
 Short
 of
 going
 AWOL
 (Absent
 Without
 Leave)
 or
 desertion,
 the
  total
 institution
 significantly
 restricts
 the
 options
 for
 military
 personnel
 until
  their
 contractual
 agreement
 expires
 (discharge)
 –
 or
 until
 she
 or
 he
 is
 dead.61

  Given
 this
 military
 total
 institution,
 the
 training
 and
 conditioning
 the
 military
 puts
 the
  service
 member
 through
 has
 powerful
 and
 lasting
 effects.

 This
 training
 often
 is
 expertly
  designed
 to
 overcome
 the
 service
 members’
 reluctance
 to
 commit
 violent
 or
 aggressive
 acts
  in
 order
 to
 ensure
 they
 will
 kill
 the
 enemy
 or
 take
 other
 aggressive
 action
 when
 the
 need
  arises.

 This
 is
 good
 for
 the
 service
 member
 because
 it
 helps
 ensure
 survival
 in
 combat.

  But,
 since
 veterans
 are
 not
 deprogrammed
 as
 they
 leave
 the
 military,
 this
 will,
 of
 course,
  lead
 some
 veterans
 to
 rely
 on
 these
 violent
 and
 aggressive
 instincts
 even
 after
 they
 have
  left
 the
 military,
 causing
 terrible
 problems
 in
 their
 civilian
 lives.

 The
 power
 of
 these
 effects
  are
 so
 significant
 that,
 through
 thorough
 sociological
 research,
 Dr.
 William
 Brown
 found
  that
 there
 is
 very
 little
 dissimilarity
 between
 criminally-­?involved
 veterans
 and
 veterans
  with
 no
 criminal
 offenses
 in
 terms
 of
 alco ?????*W6R???*GF?GVFW0??*&?W@??*?????r???*&V?F??????*&?&?V?2???*?@??*???Vv???*&V?f??"?c ??*??*??*??2???p??*6??&@??*G&V???*6??WF??W0??*???fW7G0??*????*7&??????*&V?f?? ??*?6??&@??*G&V???*6???*&P??*???V@??*F???*7&??????*&V?f?? ??*????*Gv???*&??'???*v?2???*??*f?'7B???*7??F??0??*?`??*E4@??*6???*??6?FV?F????*?V@??*F???*7&??????*&V?f??"???*??*6V6??B???*?ffV?6W0??*6???*&P??*????*??F?&V7F???*6???V7FV@??*F???*F?P??*7V6?f?0??*G&V???*F?@??*???*??F?f?GV???*W?W&?V?6VB?c0??*??*???*7??F??0??*???*?B???*@??*??*?( ???*?6?F??r???*U%d??p??*t?dd?????*5??T?3???*U54?0??*????*D?P??*4?4????*4?ETD?????*?`??*?T?D???*D?T?E0??*?@??*?D?U ??*???DU0??*??c?????*c"??*v?????*'&?v????*7?????p??*F?P??*&?GF?S???*??*6??&F?fP??*??6?0??*?`??*fWFW&??*?( FVfV?F?G0??*?@??*fWFW&?0??*??@??*V?F?v?V@??*????*7&??????*?W7F?6R???*D?P??*ED?$?U?( ?0??*uT?DP??*D???*DTdT?D??p??*dUDU$?0??*????*5$??????*4?U%@??*?'&?6?F????*?V?FW ??*VB????*#"????*c2??*6?VF???*&?W ??*`??*6W76?P??*?f??6????*E4@??*?@??*7&??????*&V?f??#???*??*?F??????*6V?FW ??*f? ??*E4@??*f7@??*6?VWB???*?GG???wwr?G&V?F?2?*?( 7G&W72?*?( G&VF?V?B?6???'GG6F?F7&????&V?f??"??F?????*?c??p???