'..Some research also suggests that moral injury may be present in up to 90 percent of post-traumatic stress cases, and acts as an obstacle to successful treatment.
..
American society and its government, including senior military officers, should take concrete steps to mitigate the resulting moral injury. This means providing veterans with the resources, the honesty, and the opportunities for conversations that they deserve. While these three steps alone will not ameliorate two decades’ worth of damage, they will begin a necessary reckoning.''The fall of Afghanistan, specifically the chaotic nature of the Noncombatant Evacuation Operations and the abandonment of tens of thousands of Afghan allies, left thousands of Afghanistan veterans to face an old but largely forgotten mental health condition: moral injury.
This diagnosis refers to the damage done to a person’s conscience when witnessing or participating in an event that violates their moral or ethical code. And it is currently wreaking havoc on America’s Afghanistan veterans. If steps are not taken to address this problem, the result will be a disgruntled veteran population more prone to mental health problems, substance abuse, incarceration, and radicalization.*
The three elements of a more effective response are simple but difficult. First, there should be more research and funding for moral injury. Second, the American government and the Department of Defense should be more candid in acknowledging the failure of America’s war in Afghanistan and in addressing the plight of Afghan allies still at risk. Third, the Department of Defense should provide institutional heft by encouraging the creation of structured spaces, like commander’s calls or down days, in which veterans, active-duty personnel, and others can discuss the war, its ending, and its consequences. Senior military leaders can lead the way by discussing these topics virtually in order to help lower-echelon commanders follow in their footsteps.
Moral InjuryThe study of
moral injury as a psychological condition began when
Vietnam veterans reported feeling distress as a result of violating their core beliefs during combat. According to the
U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs, moral injury occurs when people, usually in traumatic or unusually stressful circumstances, “fail to prevent, or witness events that contradict deeply held beliefs and expectations.” Although
studies have increased over the past decades, there is still no commonly accepted definition of moral injury, in part because of its overlap with post-traumatic stress disorder. Both conditions often negatively impact a person’s well-being and mental health and are associated with an increased risk of suicide, depression, and anxiety.
Some research also suggests that moral injury may be present in up to 90 percent of post-traumatic stress cases, and acts as an obstacle to successful treatment.
..
ConclusionWhile Afghanistan continues to fade from America’s collective memory, the war looms large for tens of thousands of America’s veterans. For 20 years, U.S. soldiers were ordered to rebuild Afghanistan and, following the mantras of population-centric counterinsurgency, they grew close with their Afghan allies. Then, in the blink of an eye, the war ended disastrously, with their allies trapped behind enemy lines. While Americans, by and large, have moved on, far fewer veterans have turned the proverbial page.
American society and its government, including senior military officers, should take concrete steps to mitigate the resulting moral injury. This means providing veterans with the resources, the honesty, and the opportunities for conversations that they deserve. While these three steps alone will not ameliorate two decades’ worth of damage, they will begin a necessary reckoning.'
-
Moral Injury, Afghanistan, and the Path Toward Recovery, June 19, 2023
Context(Project C - Phase II 2022 - 2032) - Eye Opener, To Heal in The Electric Universe