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**thighikergove** · 08-29-2012, 10:31 PM

I've never killed anyone, but I've hung with quite a few guys who have.

Based on that very limited "exposure" I'd say it's a completly personal thing.

I've talked to snipers from the present conflicts who seemingly have no regrets or concerns. Same thing with guys who have killed with bare hands.

I've talked to guys who called in arty during DS/DS and they were still fucked up over it years later.

I've heard of guys remotely piloting UAVs who have legitimate cases of PTSD.

I've read that the key difference between people, circumstances involved in killing being equal, is that you're either introspective or you're not, and that if you are, killing people is going to hit you much harder than if you aren't.

Makes sense to me as the more time you spend spinning anything up in your own head the more of a "life of its own" any act or action is going to take on.

It's my understanding that this is why killing children, or women, or other civilians, or BLUEFOR in combat has a much more damaging effect than killing a legitimate target. You're not supposed to do these things so when you do there's a great deal more gravity involved so you think about it a lot more and a lot more deeply.

Similar things occur with PTSD as a result of accidents or acts of God/nature.

If you spend a lot of time dwelling on the why's, whatfor's, could-have-beens, why was it him and not me, etc... the more damaging it'll be.

Lots of folks who kill a single person accidentally (like in a car crash) end up just as damaged as a kid who spent 15 months kicking doors and shooting people in the face.

My nephew was involved in a car accident a few years ago (not his fault) and the last thing he saw before he passed out from pain was his BEST friend, who was in the seat beside him, die.

He's a happy, healthy dude these days and while it's always tough for him on his buddy's b-day, or when he's someplace he strongly associates with his best friend (HS football locker room being the example I know of) it really gets on top of him.

I have a buddy who deployed as a Marine to Haiti back in the '90s who has PTSD from seeing dead Hatians laying around whom neither he nor his buddies played any role in killing.

The only common denominator that I know of or have ever heard of is how much folks think about the situation(s) that they were involved in.

08-29-2012, 10:31 PM	#6
thighikergove Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 486 Senior Member	I've never killed anyone, but I've hung with quite a few guys who have. Based on that very limited "exposure" I'd say it's a completly personal thing. I've talked to snipers from the present conflicts who seemingly have no regrets or concerns. Same thing with guys who have killed with bare hands. I've talked to guys who called in arty during DS/DS and they were still fucked up over it years later. I've heard of guys remotely piloting UAVs who have legitimate cases of PTSD. I've read that the key difference between people, circumstances involved in killing being equal, is that you're either introspective or you're not, and that if you are, killing people is going to hit you much harder than if you aren't. Makes sense to me as the more time you spend spinning anything up in your own head the more of a "life of its own" any act or action is going to take on. It's my understanding that this is why killing children, or women, or other civilians, or BLUEFOR in combat has a much more damaging effect than killing a legitimate target. You're not supposed to do these things so when you do there's a great deal more gravity involved so you think about it a lot more and a lot more deeply. Similar things occur with PTSD as a result of accidents or acts of God/nature. If you spend a lot of time dwelling on the why's, whatfor's, could-have-beens, why was it him and not me, etc... the more damaging it'll be. Lots of folks who kill a single person accidentally (like in a car crash) end up just as damaged as a kid who spent 15 months kicking doors and shooting people in the face. My nephew was involved in a car accident a few years ago (not his fault) and the last thing he saw before he passed out from pain was his BEST friend, who was in the seat beside him, die. He's a happy, healthy dude these days and while it's always tough for him on his buddy's b-day, or when he's someplace he strongly associates with his best friend (HS football locker room being the example I know of) it really gets on top of him. I have a buddy who deployed as a Marine to Haiti back in the '90s who has PTSD from seeing dead Hatians laying around whom neither he nor his buddies played any role in killing. The only common denominator that I know of or have ever heard of is how much folks think about the situation(s) that they were involved in.
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