Gruesome Experiences and Compartmentalization in Military Service

The nature of military service often exposes individuals to some of the most harrowing and gruesome experiences imaginable. Here, we delve into two particularly traumatic incidents and discuss the psychological mechanisms that allow military personnel to handle such traumas.

Incident at Fort Hood: A Mortar Round Mishap

During my service as a Military Police (MP) in 1980, I was tasked with driving Lt. Cpt on patrol at Fort Hood, Texas. One day, I received a call to rush to the north side of the base as an accident had occurred involving a unit from the National Guard Army Reserve. Upon arrival, we discovered that during motor gunnery training, a round was dropped in the mortar tube of a tracked vehicle, the M113A1 personnel carrier. The round detonated halfway up the tube, inflicting devastating injuries.

One of the soldiers, who was hit by shrapnel, had lost his foot from the lower calf down. The other soldier, however, suffered a much more horrific fate. The explosion severed him in half, leaving a gaping hole in the back of his head that could easily accommodate a fist. The rounds they had used were dated from 1966, yet they were issuing and using white phosphorus rounds, a substance known for its particularly debilitating effects. The aftermath was not pretty—there was a considerable amount of fried gut material scattered around the vehicle, and the area 100 meters downrange was scorched.

The Grim Reality of Compartmentalization

The psychological resilience of military personnel often hinges on the ability to compartmentalize their traumatic experiences. This means dealing with the aftermath of an incident without emotional overwhelm, allowing them to return to duty with a clear mind.

Compartmentalization is a crucial mechanism for maintaining mental health in a high-stress environment such as military service. It can temporarily shield service members from the full impact of trauma, thereby enabling them to continue their duties without being completely incapacitated by grief or shock. However, the reality is that these troubles do not simply disappear. The human mind, brilliant as it is, cannot compartmentalize all the horrors and life-altering events that military service can entail.

A Horrifying Truck Incident

Another nightmarish incident involved a Marine with whom I worked. The boyfriend of this woman, a Marine, tragically took his own life by orally inserting a 30.06 rifle. His parents ultimately wanted the vehicle and made the journey from Oklahoma to North Carolina to retrieve the truck from the police impound lot.

Not wanting his parents to see the graphic aftermath, I volunteered to clean the truck before they arrived. The scene inside was gruesome. The body had been removed, but the seat and floor were soaked in congealed blood. The impact of the 30.06 bullet resulted in a violent explosion of brain, blood, teeth, and skin. An eyeball with attached muscle and nerves was found in the seat's crack. The stench was overwhelming, a bleak reminder of the tragic event that had occurred four days prior in the sweltering summer heat.

Despite the challenging conditions, I managed to clean the truck thoroughly without succumbing to the bodily reactions. This is a testament to the strength and fortitude of military personnel, who often face such grim realities and yet manage to carry on with their duties.

In conclusion, while the true suffering and trauma experienced in military service might never fully dissipate, the ability to compartmentalize these experiences allows individuals to maintain their mental and emotional resilience. However, the personal toll of these experiences is something that cannot be simply 'compartmentalized' away but rather serves as a reminder of the immense sacrifices made by those who serve.