Lieutenant Colonel David L. Thomas II is a Field Artillery
Officer with over 25 years Active and Reserve Service. He served as a Battery Commander during Desert
Shield/Storm and is also an Operation Enduring Freedom Veteran after being
recalled to active duty in February 2003. He has served nine months in
Afghanistan as the Director of Information Operations, and is currently
assigned to Fort Benning, Georgia to work as a Special Projects Officer
for the Army Substance Abuse Program (ASAP). LTC Thomas promotes ASAP's services as
well as educates Soldiers and Leaders on the military readiness
impacts of substance abuse.
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December 27, 2004
By LtCol David L. Thomas II -- Fort Benning Army Substance Abuse Program
Actually, yes. The new recruits we get into the Army are already
“hard-wired” with both good and bad types of behavior. Of course,
as usual, we don’t focus much on the good types of behavior except
to reward it occasionally when it occurs. More often, we focus on
the bad behavior because that is what causes problems and takes up
so much of our time as Leaders. We spend 90 percent of our time with
the “problem” Soldiers and only 10 percent of our time with those
“good” Soldiers that have acceptable or excellent behavior.
Why is that? Is it possible that we are now getting recruits that
have been pre-programmed by American society? Of course it is! Take
violence for example. According to Abelard.org “The average American
child will have watched 100,000 acts of televised violence, including
8,000 depictions of murder, by the time he or she finishes the sixth
grade (approximately 13 years old).” Pretty startling, huh? Bet you
didn’t know that. Think about your own children in today’s permissive
society where television serves as the “great babysitter” of children.
Consider this: According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, “The
level of during Saturday morning cartoons is higher than the level
of violence during prime time programming. There are 3 to 5 violent
acts per hour in prime time vs. 20 to 25 violent acts per hour on
Saturday morning.” Just think about how many children are watching
Saturday morning cartoons. I used to every Saturday morning. Did you
as well? If so, we might be more violent than we would have been if
we did not have a television. We would not have seen as many violent
acts or depictions of violent acts were it not for TV. We usually
saw shows in black and white, now you can see the blood in bright
red color, which makes even more of an impression in the minds of
young children and teens. They want, make that demand, sequels of
movies like Chucky, Halloween, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street,
the Texas Chain Saw Massacres and other types of violent movies.
Dr. George Gerbner, from the University of Pennsylvania states “Children
who watch a lot of television are more likely to think that the world
is a mean and dangerous place.” Is it? Think about it. As a society,
are we more violent? Do we commit more violent acts than generations
before us that did not have television? Is the world a mean and dangerous
place? It depends where you live and what you learn and who teaches
you. If the television is teaching your children values, mores, beliefs,
behaviors, there is a significant problem and no wonder we are producing
a lot of violent adults in this country.
The American Psychological Association, after reviewing hundreds
of research findings, states three major national studies have concluded
that heavy exposure to TV violence is one of the most significant
causes of violence in society. They also go on to say that by the
age of 18, the average American child will have viewed about 200,000
acts of violence on television alone. That does not include violent
movies or violent video games. If you don’t believe it, just turn
on the local news to see how many violent acts were committed just
that day, especially in big cities. “If it bleeds, it leads” is
the popular mantra that is used by the reporters when they are looking
for big stories to report. Columbia University & New York State
Psychiatric Institute conducted a study which determined “Teenagers
who watch more than an hour of TV a day during early adolescence
are more likely to be violent later in life. The rate of violence
-- assaults, fights, robberies -- increases dramatically if daily
TV time exceeds three hours. The study also shows a five-fold increase
in aggressive behavior from less than an hour to three or more hours
of TV watching.
Is this a problem in the Army, where we actually want people to
be violent? We want to rain death and destruction down on enemy
forces, especially terrorists. We teach Soldiers how to do this
and they become very, very good at doing it. Unfortunately, when
they enter the Army, they come with some pre-programmed types of
unacceptable violent behavior, such as fighting.
Then throw alcohol abuse and/or drug abuse into the mix: a Soldier
pre-programmed for violence will become more violent when drugs
and/or alcohol are involved. Of violent acts that are committed,
a significant amount of them (about 50 percent) are alcohol-related.
Violence, alcohol and drugs do not mix well. If they do mix, watch
out! Trouble will soon follow. Look at the local news and you will
be able to determine that for yourself -- no one really needs to
tell you.
The Josephson Institute of Ethics, after conducting a national survey,
found that “43 percent of high school and 37 percent of middle school
boys believe it is ok to hit or threaten a person that makes them
angry.” The same survey found that “75 percent of all boys and over
60 percent of all teenage girls said they hit someone in the last
12 months because they were angry.” These are the same students
that are recruited into the Army. Think these anger issues are resolved
before they enter the military? Think they won’t be a problem in
the future? Think again. Not only could they result in the Army
being forced to separate the individual, someone could get seriously
hurt.
No wonder we have problems with domestic violence and substance
abuse in the Army. We are getting new recruits with anger and violence
issues. We don’t have much of a choice if there is no record for
an individual committing and being charged with a criminal act of
violence, so this individual is allowed to join the Army. While
the anger and violence may be suppressed for a while through basic
training and advanced individual training, it will surface soon
enough once the Soldier is assigned to a unit and starts doing his/her
job. We are having more and more domestic and violent acts committed
by Soldiers, and I believe it is because we are getting individuals
who are preprogrammed for violence.
What can be done about this serious problem? There are many resources
available to the Soldier: Anger Management Classes, Counseling,
talking with Chaplains, medical and mental health services. Normally
it takes a significant emotional event such as an attempted suicide,
or an arrest for assault and battery or domestic violence, before
an individual gets the treatment he/she requires. We need to identify
these individuals up front, before they get into trouble, so that
they not only get the help they need, but also that the Army does
not lose its significant investment in that Soldier. Commanders/1SGs/Leaders
should be looking for warning signs: explosive outbursts, damaging
equipment/property, threatening others, injuring themselves by taking
out their aggression by punching a wall or other object. Look around
your unit and see if someone has these types of symptoms/issues
and get them the help they need. The Soldiers require our full attention
in this area -- more importantly it is just another way we can take
care of our Soldiers.
If you think you (or someone close to you, like your Battle Buddy,
best friend, or spouse) may have an alcohol or substance abuse problem,
contact the Army Substance Abuse Program (ASAP) at (706) 545-1138/4415.
There are trained counselors there to help you overcome your drug
or alcohol abuse problem. There is a chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous
that meets on Monday, Thursday and Saturday nights at 7pm in the
basement of the ASAP Building, so come join those that are proving
they have what it takes to be sober and successful. The Army Substance
Abuse Program is located on Fort Benning, next to the Infantry Museum
in Building 241, Miller Hall. Call or come by and see us and we
will help you see your brighter future -- one that is not dimmed
by alcohol and/or drug abuse. Remember, only you have the "Power
of Choice."
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