The American military is one of the most structured units in the world. It is governed by strict rules and regulations of behavior and attitude. Men and women go through unbelievable hardships while in the army but especially in combat. It is impossible to describe the emotions and thoughts that a person feels when one cannot hear another because the rockets are falling and bullets are flying. Often Soldiers have to deal with trauma, physical pain, and loss of close friends and fellow men and women. There are special laws that describe the way a person has to behave when such a horrible thing happens and Soldiers know that. When they are being admitted into the army they sign a contract, which outlines their duties and responsibilities, as well as their actions and prohibitions about extreme cases.
The first casualty of the war was Hospitalman Burnett. He was my junior corpsman, which meant that we knew each other closer than the rest of the troops. Since I was a Patient movement tracker, I was not allowed to see the body of a member who was killed in action. This is stated in the contract and agreement of DOD and the Department of the Navy. There is a specific person who is made responsible for this sort of occurrence before anything happens. As this is done before any of the troops get to know each other, it might be a person who is not close. Perhaps it is done so that there is less emotional connection involved but at the same time it is sad and unfair. I was very upset by the fact that I was not allowed to see Burnett. Even though the fighting requires strength and hard nerves, as well as mental stamina, it does not mean that a person can lose all feelings and sever all contact with emotions, love, and friendship. I was outraged by such a decision, even though I knew about it and have signed the agreement in a form of a contract. This was the start of the friction between me and my chief because I insisted to see the body of my junior corpsman and my fellow sailor who put his life in battle. The chief would not let me do it. But the Commanding Officer of the Marine Corps eventually allowed me to see the body of Burnett before sending him off to the US. This happened without the knowledge of my chief. I knew that I violated and breached the contract that I signed but USMC CO understood my feelings regarding the sailor who was in my team and my junior corpsman.
It is not uncommon for Soldiers to have memorial services and grieving moments. As in 2003, the second war of the US in Iraq, fifteen Soldiers were struck down in a helicopter and there was a memorial service. Everyone was allowed and expected to show emotions, to feel the pain of the loss and anger, because nothing can be done to bring those fellow fighters back (Sherman, 2007). My situation was very similar and it is hard to understand how it is expected of a human being to behave like a piece of rock and not want to say the last goodbye. This was the only way to show my respect to my fellow corpsman and that was the human thing to do. I decided that I will accept any punishment for the breach of contract. I knew that it was the right thing to do and that people will understand my reasons.
Reference
Sherman, N. (2007). Stoic warriors: The ancient philosophy behind the military mind. New York, United States: Oxford University Press.