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It was supposed to be part of a tribute to social media on Memorial Day weekend. Saturday afternoon, the US military posted a message video on Twitter featuring a lattice scout who says his service has given him the opportunity to fight for something bigger than himself, making him a better man.
In his next tweet, the army opened the floor and asked: "How did the service affect you?"
The position has been widely shared and has received thousands of responses. But many were probably not what the army was looking for.
Instead, the call provided what some have found to be a rare platform for highlighting the darker consequences of military service for soldiers and their families, tweet after tweet describing health complications Throughout life, the loss of a loved one, unpunished badual badault and struggles for post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.
"The public simply does not want to talk about this," said Brandon Neely, a former Army specialist who published an article on his PTSD. "They do not hear about guys, these veterans, who do not sleep, have night sweats, are irritated. Some guys are really anxious, depressed. "
Mr. Neely added, "Many people who have put their souls bare on this thread have probably never said anything publicly before.
In a tweet In response to the army, a man who said he was a naval veteran explained how he had suicidal thoughts on a daily basis.
Another Lily: "I was badaulted by one of my superiors. When I reported it, with witnesses to corroborate my story, nothing happened to him. Nothing. A year later, he stole a laptop and was subsequently demoted. I'm worth less than a laptop. "
The Army said in a statement that she enjoyed people sharing their personal stories.
"Your stories are true, they count and can help other people in similar situations," said the army. m said in a series of follow-up tweets. "The Army is committed to the health, safety and well-being of our soldiers. As we pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice this weekend remembering their services, we are also aware that we must take care of those who have come home with scars that we can not no see. "
Briley Kazy, 19, who responded to the Army's tweet, was discouraged by this response. "They were like, it's very important to us, gave the impression that they were doing everything they could," she said. "But they are not."
Like many, Ms. Kazy wrote not about her personal experience, but about one of her relatives: a co-worker and a friend with PTSD after serving in the Iraqi army. She refused to identify her friend.
She said that he was working for 12 hours at a Tex-Mex restaurant in Cleveland, Tennessee, where both were cooks on July 4, 2015. The day was generally good, she said. Then came a fireworks from a nearby mall at night.
"He was doing his best," said Ms. Kazy. "He should leave and sit in the cold room for a while and have a panic attack."
For Mr. Neely, this type of story is commonly shared by former service members. He said he spent five years in the Army in August 2000, seeking to break with an irresponsible and partisan lifestyle.
He testified that he served in the military police and was deployed to Egypt in 2001, Guantánamo Bay in 2002 and Iraq in 2003. He was released in 2005 with the rank of specialist. He was a vocal critic of military operations at Guantánamo Bay.
He stated that he had been working in law enforcement in Houston since his return, but that his life was far from settled.
"I do not like going to places," Neely said. "I do not like being around a lot of people. When my kids have business in school, I usually sit in the back. I do not want people behind me. "
He said the federal government was not doing enough to deal with soldiers returning from their service.
"I know more people who committed suicide in my unit than people who were killed during our deployment," he said. "The army is a good place, the army is a good place. Training prepares you for war, but does not prepare you to go home. "
He hoped that the attention given to the responses to the Army's tweet would prompt reform.
"Let's hope these politicians can do something to repair the broken down system," he said.
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