NFL paid to "thank" the troops

[jesmu84]

Seems like a poor use of some solid funds

http://www.scout.com/story/1545004-nfl-teams-paid-to-thank-troops-at-games

[77ncaachamps]

As much as I despise the government decision-makers in this situation, it actually makes me despise Goddell and the NFL machine even more.

[Chicago_inferiority_complexes]

As much as I despise the government decision-makers in this situation, I actually makes me despise Goddell and the NFL machine even more.

Everything I hate about big business and big government in one story.

[brandx]

Everything I hate about big business and big government in one story.

Hey - we agree on something

I'm all for the NFL supporting the troops - but how about using their own money rather than taxpayer $$.

[mu03eng]

This is pretty gross to me.  Really having a tough time allowing myself to cheer for the NFL.

It's these type of stories that lead me to think there is a live sports bubble that is going to pop in the next 5-10 years.

[Badgerhater]

My fall weekends have become much more enjoyable since I no longer sit around watching football.

[CTWarrior]

This is pretty gross to me.  Really having a tough time allowing myself to cheer for the NFL.

It's these type of stories that lead me to think there is a live sports bubble that is going to pop in the next 5-10 years.

What the story doesn't mention is the money the NFL teams donate to the Armed Forces through various charitable initiatives.  The Jets took in $377K the last 4 years from the marketing arm of the US Armed Forces but donated at least $1M to help build housing for disabled vets, for example.  The US Armed Forces use the NFL for targeted recruiting because they know a large percentage of the people they are trying to reach are watching.

Are you all equally disgusted with the networks that air recruiting commercials for the Armed Forces and take money for airing them?

[mu03eng]

Are you all equally disgusted with the networks that air recruiting commercials for the Armed Forces and take money for airing them?

Big difference, those are identified and known to be commercials.  These in-game events at least seem to be charitable in nature and clearly are not.  If they identified* the events as being sponsored by the armed forces I don't think I'd have an issue with it.

*they may, I've not actually paid attention, if so I withdraw my distaste as I'm clearly under-informed.

[GGGG]

I think the fact that we as a country pat ourselves on the back for standing up and cheering for soldiers when they return home, yet don't support them enough financially and emotionally through serious problems when they return, is an enormous problem.  This is a symptom of that.

[Groin_pull]

My fall weekends have become much more enjoyable since I no longer sit around watching football.

I've cut way back on my viewing as well. If ever a league needed to be taken down a notch or five...it's the all mighty NFL. Hope that happens sometime soon. Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch.

[mu03eng]

I think the fact that we as a country pat ourselves on the back for standing up and cheering for soldiers when they return home, yet don't support them enough financially and emotionally through serious problems when they return, is an enormous problem.  This is a symptom of that.

+1

[Pakuni]

I think the fact that we as a country pat ourselves on the back for standing up and cheering for soldiers when they return home, yet don't support them enough financially and emotionally through serious problems when they return, is an enormous problem.  This is a symptom of that.

[mu03eng]

I think the fact that we as a country pat ourselves on the back for standing up and cheering for soldiers when they return home, yet don't support them enough financially and emotionally through serious problems when they return, is an enormous problem.  This is a symptom of that.

http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2015/05/ptsd-war-home-sebastian-junger

A very intriguing article about PTSD and the nature of veterans returning from war.  One of the key points, is of the veterans who served in the sandbox, ~30% have been diagnosed as suffering from PTSD but only about 10% of deployed troops actually experience combat.

Basically, Junger theorizes that it's not the trauma of war so much as it is the "trauma" of re-entry into society.  Our society has become so individualized and self-centered that we've lost some of the connective tissue that brings us together.  War is probably the single most unifying thing on this planet (assuming you are wearing the same flag as the person next to you).  This jarring nature of society vs war could be the root cause of some of the difficulties we see with our service personnel coming home.

[tower912]

With this taxpayer money, will the NFL be hiring more money to crack down on illegal socks and spongy footballs?

[mu03eng]

With this taxpayer money, will the NFL be hiring more money to crack down on illegal socks and spongy footballs?

No silly, they will use it to spend less time investigating instances of domestic violence and more time testing the elasticity of receiver gloves.

[tower912]

Thanks.   My bad.

[keefe]

http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2015/05/ptsd-war-home-sebastian-junger

A very intriguing article about PTSD and the nature of veterans returning from war.  One of the key points, is of the veterans who served in the sandbox, ~30% have been diagnosed as suffering from PTSD but only about 10% of deployed troops actually experience combat.

Basically, Junger theorizes that it's not the trauma of war so much as it is the "trauma" of re-entry into society.  Our society has become so individualized and self-centered that we've lost some of the connective tissue that brings us together.  War is probably the single most unifying thing on this planet (assuming you are wearing the same flag as the person next to you).  This jarring nature of society vs war could be the root cause of some of the difficulties we see with our service personnel coming home.

100% of JTACs gobble Prazosin every night to stave off either the night terrors, the nightmares, or both.

Here is what happens when you get back from the Sandbox:

- You don't go into the Starbucks if it has too many people; too much random movement
- You jump and face the noise when the guy drops a pallet at Home Depot
- You never sit at the bar; you need a booth in the back where you can see the entire room
- You shop for groceries after 2100
- You cross the street if the neighbor has piled up garbage on the street
- You avoid restaurants that use corn oil
- You do not go to Mariner or Seahawk games
- When you wake up at 0200 in a cold sweat you begin your day; there is no going back to sleep
- If there is a line at the checkout stand you set down your things and leave
- You notice and track the woman in a hijab or the man in a taqiyah
- Traffic jams make you extremely nervous; you get off at the next off ramp

I remember coming home from Iraq after a tour as the CAS Chief for MNC-I. As a rated officer I could grab a ride on one of the C 17s. We went VFR direct from BIAP/Baghdad to McGuire in New Jersey where we did a 1 RON before pressing to McChord.

Because of jet lag I was up in the middle of the night. As dawn broke I threw on my running stuff and headed out. We were off base and the hotel was adjacent to a golf course. After 8 months in the desert I was overwhelmed by how green everything was.

As I was soaking in the fact of being home, some grounds keepers fired up their equipment. I was running on a cart path along a stream. At the initial roar of the mowers I took cover on the river bank. I remember my first thought was that I didn't have my weapon. As I got my SA back up I emerged from the brush, covered in mud, as the grounds keepers stared at me while I jogged back towards the hotel. They probably thought I was nuts and, in a very real way, I was not yet ready for everyday life back in The World.

[GGGG]

100% of JTACs gobble Prazosin every night to stave off either the night terrors, the nightmares, or both.

Here is what happens when you get back from the Sandbox:

- You don't go into the Starbucks if it has too many people; too much random movement
- You jump and face the noise when the guy drops a pallet at Home Depot
- You never sit at the bar; you need a booth in the back where you can see the entire room
- You shop for groceries after 2100
- You cross the street if the neighbor has piled up garbage on the street
- You avoid restaurants that use corn oil
- You do not go to Mariner or Seahawk games
- When you wake up at 0200 in a cold sweat you begin your day; there is no going back to sleep
- If there is a line at the checkout stand you set down your things and leave
- You notice and track the woman in a hijab or the man in a taqiyah
- Traffic jams make you extremely nervous; you get off at the next off ramp

I remember coming home from Iraq after a tour as the CAS Chief for MNC-I. As a rated officer I could grab a ride on one of the C 17s. We went VFR direct from BIAP/Baghdad to McGuire in New Jersey where we did a 1 RON before pressing to McChord.

Because of jet lag I was up in the middle of the night. As dawn broke I threw on my running stuff and headed out. We were off base and the hotel was adjacent to a golf course. After 8 months in the desert I was overwhelmed by how green everything was.

As I was soaking in the fact of being home, some grounds keepers fired up their equipment. I was running on a cart path along a stream. At the initial roar of the mowers I took cover on the river bank. I remember my first thought was that I didn't have my weapon. As I got my SA back up I emerged from the brush, covered in mud, as the grounds keepers stared at me while I jogged back towards the hotel. They probably thought I was nuts and, in a very real way, I was not yet ready for everyday life back in The World.

It's too bad you don't go to Mariners or Seahawks games.  We would all stand up and cheer for you.  I'm sure the rest of the stuff would go away after that.

[keefe]

It's too bad you don't go to Mariners or Seahawks games.  We would all stand up and cheer for you.  I'm sure the rest of the stuff would go away after that.

One avoids places like stadiums because of the crowds and the commotion.

Are you actually mocking the symptoms of guys repatriating home from combat?

[GGGG]

One avoids places like stadiums because of the crowds and the commotion.

Are you actually mocking the symptoms of guys repatriating home from combat?

Absolutely not.  Going back to the subject of the thread, I think society gives itself a pat on the back for cheering for returning soldiers at sporting events, but then ignores (perhaps willfully) the deeper issues that soldiers face.  Our society should be supporting returning soldiers in more significant ways than we do...emotionally, financially, etc.  It's the full cost of war right?  We center on the superficial. 

I'm sorry for the misunderstanding and I should have used teal.

[mu03eng]

100% of JTACs gobble Prazosin every night to stave off either the night terrors, the nightmares, or both.

Here is what happens when you get back from the Sandbox:

- You don't go into the Starbucks if it has too many people; too much random movement
- You jump and face the noise when the guy drops a pallet at Home Depot
- You never sit at the bar; you need a booth in the back where you can see the entire room
- You shop for groceries after 2100
- You cross the street if the neighbor has piled up garbage on the street
- You avoid restaurants that use corn oil
- You do not go to Mariner or Seahawk games
- When you wake up at 0200 in a cold sweat you begin your day; there is no going back to sleep
- If there is a line at the checkout stand you set down your things and leave
- You notice and track the woman in a hijab or the man in a taqiyah
- Traffic jams make you extremely nervous; you get off at the next off ramp

I remember coming home from Iraq after a tour as the CAS Chief for MNC-I. As a rated officer I could grab a ride on one of the C 17s. We went VFR direct from BIAP/Baghdad to McGuire in New Jersey where we did a 1 RON before pressing to McChord.

Because of jet lag I was up in the middle of the night. As dawn broke I threw on my running stuff and headed out. We were off base and the hotel was adjacent to a golf course. After 8 months in the desert I was overwhelmed by how green everything was.

As I was soaking in the fact of being home, some grounds keepers fired up their equipment. I was running on a cart path along a stream. At the initial roar of the mowers I took cover on the river bank. I remember my first thought was that I didn't have my weapon. As I got my SA back up I emerged from the brush, covered in mud, as the grounds keepers stared at me while I jogged back towards the hotel. They probably thought I was nuts and, in a very real way, I was not yet ready for everyday life back in The World.

Keefe, I'm curious as to your opinion on Mr. Junger's piece.  He's been there done that, and it makes some logical sense, so I'm wondering if we are looking at these types of things the wrong way.

[mu03eng]

Absolutely not.  Going back to the subject of the thread, I think society gives itself a pat on the back for cheering for returning soldiers at sporting events, but then ignores (perhaps willfully) the deeper issues that soldiers face.  Our society should be supporting returning soldiers in more significant ways than we do...emotionally, financially, etc.  It's the full cost of war right?  We center on the superficial. 

I'm sorry for the misunderstanding and I should have used teal.

One would argue that is one of the significant negative outcomes of the society being successful enough to send less than 1% of its membership to war.

As an example, Israel fighting forces have a 30x lower rate of PTSD than do American fighting forces yet one would argue their entire fighting force is engaged in a continually hostile environment with no front lines as well as mandatory service.  The total engagement of society in their efforts seems to have a positive impact in this regard.

Bottom line, if we are going to put people in harm's way we should all be willing to sacrifice for that.  I do think mandatory national service is something we need to move to, whether it be militarily or some sort of volunteer service organization like Teach for America, etc.

[keefe]

Absolutely not.  Going back to the subject of the thread, I think society gives itself a pat on the back for cheering for returning soldiers at sporting events, but then ignores (perhaps willfully) the deeper issues that soldiers face.  Our society should be supporting returning soldiers in more significant ways than we do...emotionally, financially, etc.  It's the full cost of war right?  We center on the superficial. 

I'm sorry for the misunderstanding and I should have used teal.

I figured that was your meaning; you are far too sophisticated.

The reality is that general society cannot possibly fathom the experience of war. And that is a very good thing.

I have gone from calling in airstrikes outside Helmand to a dinner party on Mercer Island in less than 60 hours. What strikes one in that circumstance is how trivial everything seems to be in comparison to the theater of combat.

My wife had planned a trip back to SE Asia to coincide with my repatriation from A Stan. She had some Microsoft business in Singapore but then we would spend two weeks in Bali, Lombok, and Thailand. Once I got home I had zero interest in doing that trip. She was supremely pissed but I chose not to go. To this day I still have no idea why.

In past wars you defeated the enemy, occupied territory; it took months and years to go from combat to home. Now, we go from the intense violence and constant threat of harm to the surreal world of places like Bellevue, WA in a matter of hours. People in Bellevue agonize over what Jimmy Choo shoes they 'need' for that weekend.       

It may sound cliche but when you are deployed you can't wait to get home. And once you get home you can't wait to head back over. 

[GGGG]

I figured that was your meaning; you are far too sophisticated.

The reality is that general society cannot possibly fathom the experience of war. And that is a very good thing.

I have gone from calling in airstrikes outside Helmand to a dinner party on Mercer Island in less than 60 hours. What strikes one in that circumstance is how trivial everything seems to be in comparison to the theater of combat.

My wife had planned a trip back to SE Asia to coincide with my repatriation from A Stan. She had some Microsoft business in Singapore but then we would spend two weeks in Bali, Lombok, and Thailand. Once I got home I had zero interest in doing that trip. She was supremely pissed but I chose not to go. To this day I still have no idea why.

In past wars you defeated the enemy, occupied territory; it took months and years to go from combat to home. Now, we go from the intense violence and constant threat of harm to the surreal world of places like Bellevue, WA in a matter of hours. People in Bellevue agonize over what Jimmy Choo shoes they 'need' for that weekend.       

It may sound cliche but when you are deployed you can't wait to get home. And once you get home you can't wait to head back over. 

See, I agree that general society shouldn't deal with the experience of war.  But we most certainly can do a lot better to experience what you have mentioned in this post and the one above.  Too many times we stand, cheer and say "welcome home," and then think our work is done. 

And believe me, I have been just as bad.  Probably my least proud moment on MUScoop was making a very crass PTSD joke at your expense.  It was stupid and insensitive.  I still have a lot to learn on the issue.  It should be talked about more.

[jesmu84]

Absolutely not.  Going back to the subject of the thread, I think society gives itself a pat on the back for cheering for returning soldiers at sporting events, but then ignores (perhaps willfully) the deeper issues that soldiers face.  Our society should be supporting returning soldiers in more significant ways than we do...emotionally, financially, etc.  It's the full cost of war right?  We center on the superficial. 

I'm sorry for the misunderstanding and I should have used teal.

http://www.ibtimes.com/pope-francis-criticizes-arms-industry-powerful-people-dont-want-peace-because-they-1916992