Sebastian Junger's Tribe: On Homecoming And Belonging

“Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging”, by Sebastian Junger, is an insightful examination of the flaws of a modernized society. Through scientific evidence and first-hand accounts, the book explores the correlation between a nation’s level of modernness and it’s rates of mental illness. Junger careful choice of words and phrasing shows that he is not arguing that a tribal society is better than a modern society- as “there’s no use arguing that modern society isn’t a kind of paradise” - but is instead proposing a blend of both society’s beneficial qualities (Junger 108). His chronological writing style within “Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging” allows for the development of his argument. Particularly focusing upon Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in veterans, Junger utilizes accounts from Vietnam War and World Wars to bring light to the “antihuman society” set forth by our modernized ways (Junger 93).

Perhaps attesting to the enhanced understanding of PTSD and alarm at the troubling suicide rates of veterans, the media seems to be raising the public’s attention about the condition, for example, through the use of documentaries. In 2005, during the second push of the Iraqi and Afghanistan war PBS FRONTLINE released a documentary entitled, “The Soldier’s Heart,” This documentary gives an overview of the history of PTSD, but focuses specifically on the psychological toll of the Iraq war. It illuminates the fact that despite advances in our understanding of PTSD, there continues to be a stigma against psychological problems in the

In the article Atonement, author Dexter Filkins tells the story of an incident involving a United States marine, Lu Lobello, and the Fox Company battalion. The Fox Company was a U.S. marine unit deployed in the 2003 Iraq war and Lu Lobello was one of the marines in the unit. Atonement captures the painful reconciliation between the military unit and the Kachadoorian family while at the same time informing the American people of the suffering that occurs beyond the battle field. Dexter Filkins utilizes this piece to emphasize the inadequate treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and to highlight the consequences of the ill-defined rules of engagement and their effects upon veterans return to civilian life.

Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried” is based on what soldiers went through facing war, and what they carried physically as well as emotionally. All of this pressure from war can cause and has caused post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the soldiers. “PTSD is the development of a set of symptoms in the aftermath of psychologically distressing event—an event “outside the range of normal human experience.”” (Roberts 3). PTSD is a disorder that can happen to anyone, but many see it diagnosed in war veterans, from the effects of war. This disorder can ranges from outburst to solitude and can affect each person in a different way. Some symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder are re-experiencing or flashbacks,

There have been many diagnoses of PTSD in American soldiers. As Mark Thomas said in a magazine article, “The National Academy of Sciences have report estimated that up to 20% of 2.6 million US men and women who have served in Afghanistan and Iraq may have it (PTSD)”(Thomas). This quote expresses that nearly 520,000 US families have been affected by this disorder. It also shows that PTSD has become a large enough issue that more and more people and

Veterans make up seven percent of the American population, but they account for twenty percent of its suicides. Yes, that is indeed a real statistic, more importantly, what is the government, the people that ordered those men and women deliberately into harm’s way, doing about this tragedy. In light of recent conflicts the United States has been engaging in, such as the conflicts in the Middle East, a new silent killer of returning veterans, has become more visible to the public. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, also known as PTSD, has taken its toll recently on Veterans returning from the harsh

Due to current operations in the Middle East and the recent combat operations in the past decade, many citizens have met somebody who has experienced their share of combat related stress. When you look at somebody who has been in combat, they may look like your average person on the outside, but on the inside lays memories of the violent scenes of war torn countries. Their mental health may not be noticeably altered, but they could very well suffer from haunting memories, flashbacks, and even post-traumatic stress disorder.

PTSD is listed among a group called Trauma-and-stressor-Related Disorders. For a person to be diagnosed with PTSD, they must have been exposed to, witness, or experience the details of a traumatic experience (e.g., a first responder), one that involves “actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence” (APA, 2013, p. 271). (PRU, 2016, p. 66). The aforementioned definition of PTSD relates to soldiers; the manifestations and causes experienced with traditional PTSD can look somewhat different. Obvious causes of PTSD in soldiers stem from exposure to stressful circumstances within combat, exposure to the suffering and death of others, destruction, personal danger, and injury. A study on Vietnam soldiers provides insight on less obvious causes of PTSD. The study suggests

Every veteran of war you see went through something that changed them, either from their own experience or from their “brother’s” and in the book The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien it shows exactly what I’m talking about. While using the psychological lens, specifically, Maslow’s Hierarchical Theory of Human Needs and Holmes-Rahe Stress Scale, the reader can see in chapters “On The Rainy River,” “The Man I Killed,” and “Field Trip” that Tim O’Brien is emotionally unstable due experiencing the trauma of war.

For many, warfare lead to their unfortunate demise. For the survivors, warfare leads to PTSD due to the sickening experiences they were forced to endure. Looking back through human history, we can see the sheer lethalness of warfare, and the intense damage it can do. By reading our popular literature, we are able to envision to traumatic experiences soldiers witnessed, and yet still carried on doing their job. Modern day soldiers and veterans help us understand just how heavily those type of experiences can affect someone. For many, those war experiences will evolve into mental health disorders such as PTSD, and they will carry that around with them for the rest of their lives. Warfare is no friend to man. It picks at everything good in the hearts of soldiers and fills their heads with evil. In war, many will die, many will see things that they would do anything to unsee,

Other journalists would be with the soldiers and learn about their lives. Sebastian Junger is an author and journalist who wrote the book titled War. Joseph Goodwin read War and got the understanding of how the fierce bond of friendship the soldiers formed with each other. Goodwin continues to talk about how Junger vocalizes that some men justify killings. He said, “People think we were cheering because we just shot someone but we were cheering because we just stopped someone from killing us” (Goodwin). One of their friends was murdered and some were trying to justify that killing. Junger remembered when he contemplates about someone whose IED, improvised explosive device, was close to killing him. Further on in the article, Joseph Goodwin talks about post-traumatic stress disorder and how actions cannot be justified. He also explains that, “The returning soldier is no longer part of a group bound together by a clear sense of purpose, familiar rituals, and shared experiences” (Goodwin).The kind of relationship, friendship, or bond that is created during is not like a relationship that would be made outside of war. No one would understand such a situation unless they have been in it themselves. If a

War impacts the soldier in more than the physical sense. It can also change someone psychologically and can cause PTSD. The Things They Carried is a book about the Vietnam war and what Tim O’Brien went through. The article 4 Kent State Students Killed By Troops is about a group of College students having a peaceful protest turned Violent. The Vietnam Veterans Still Have PTSD 40 Years After War article is about the horrendous things nurses had gone through when they were drafted into the Vietnam War. The Vietnam soldiers experienced PTSD, the Vietnam Veterans Still Have PTSD 40 Years After War article explained signs, symptoms, and treatments for the soldiers with PTSD. War not only affects soldiers physically due to injuries sustained in combat, but, more so the mental injuries sustained that no one can see.

Military Pathway (2013) concluded “Military life, especially the stress of deployments or mobilizations, can present challenges to service members and their families that are both unique and difficult”. Hence, it is not surprising that soldiers returning from a stressful war environment often suffer from a psychological condition called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. This paper provides a historical perspective of PTSD affecting soldiers, and how this illness has often been ignored. In addition, the this paper examines the cause and diagnosis of the illness, the changes of functional strengths and limitations, the overall effects this disease may have on soldiers and their families, with a conclusion of

Numerous people all over the states join a military branch. Some are forced with war and others are not. Soldiers that have war experience might experience Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) when returning home. In the story of “Soldier Home”, Harold Krebs seems to have quite a few symptoms of this disorder. Prior to his war services, Krebs experiences conformity, connections, and his faith; however, after the war he has a difficult time adjusting back to civilian life.

In 2004 Operation Iraqi Freedom became the deadliest American military conflict since the Vietnam War. Military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and Vietnam have brought heightened awareness of military related PTSD, as well as the relationship and family problems that accompany the disorder. Studies have shown that 11% - 20% of Veterans that served in Iraq and 6% - 11% of veterans that were deployed to Afghanistan have suffered from PTSD. Veterans of operation Desert Storm suffer at a rate of about 10% and Vietnam veteran estimates have been as high as 30% – 50%.