The Veterans Mental Health Coalition of NYC

Events in Falluja and Its Impact on our Service Members, Veterans, and Military Families

 

Dear VMHC Members,

 

The recent news that Falluja, Iraq has fallen out of Iraqi Government control and back into the hands of Sunni insurgents with ties to Al Qaeda has delivered a real blow to many in our military community. Images of the insurgents raising their black flag over the town and walking freely through areas where battles were fought hard by our US Military in 2004 have shocked some, and has led many to question both the costs associated with securing Falluja and the war in Iraq in general.

 

Even before being highlighted in the New York Times by Richard A Oppel, Jr. this past Friday ("Falluja's Fall Stuns Marines Who Fought There"), those associated with the military had been hearing the "chatter" all that week about the recent fall of Falluja. This event has led many to re-examine what the fighting over Falluja meant to them personally, and has sparked concerns over its impact on the morale of our service members and their families. This process of questioning and re-examination, for some, brings the risk to opening "old wounds", exacerbating behavioral health issues such as post-traumatic stress symptoms, depression, and substance misuse, and shifting the meaning of events on the ground in Falluja to one where the reasons for the fighting and loss are questionable and unclear.

 

The Veterans Mental Health Coalition of New York City wants to highlight for anyone supporting or working directly with Veterans and our Military Community the following:

 

 

1. As a culturally competent supporter of our military, one should be aware of the significance of Falluja for those who serve. Recent articles in the New York Times, and archived articles about the missions to secure Falluja (Operation Vigilant Resolve in Spring of 2004 and Operation Phantom Fury in November 2004) are available online for your review. It has been noted by many that the intense fighting our US Marines and Army encountered on the ground in November 2004 in Falluja was the bloodiest our military has encountered since the Vietnam War, and many looked to our clearing Falluja of the insurgency at that time as a symbol of our current military capacity and our dedication to seeing the mission in Iraq through. 95 American troops were killed during the second battle of Falluja and 560 were wounded.

  

2. The impact of the recent news does not only affect Operation Iraqi Freedom Veterans, but also affects the families who have lost someone during these conflicts and Veterans of other eras as well. The parallels between the fall of Falluja and what occurred at Khe Sanh in 1968 is not lost on some Vietnam Veterans, who are also at risk to be "triggered" by these recent events. Gold Star families may be forced to reconsider what the loss of their loved one actually meant as they receive the news that the gains fought for in Iraq seem to be slipping away.

 

3. The news of the fall of Falluja raises moral and existential questions about the meaning of why persons did what they did and the value of the sacrifices they made. As in all battles as intense as the second battle of Falluja in 2006, violence and its aftermath are perpetrated and witnessed. Friends, enemies, and innocents die. How one may reconcile this with one's sense of what is "right and ok" comes partly from the clarity of the mission and its outcome (i.e., was the mission and it's objectives "worth it"). The news and images from Falluja now can force one to re-examine the "why" and well as the outcome, and bring into painful relief memories of what was experienced and what was lost on a backdrop of uncertainty and betrayal. A Marine may now be questioning things he did, friends he lost, and the "real" reasons behind the mission in the first place. A parent who lost his/her son/daughter during OIF may have taken solace in the idea that America made a difference in the lives of the Iraqi people; solace that now comes into question as news of Falluja comes to light. The concept of Moral Injury runs parallel to this existential questioning, and understanding how this construct can inform the support we give service members and veterans can be helpful.

 

 

In summary, please be aware of the implications that the news of the fall of Falluja may be having on the behavioral health functioning of the Service Members, Veterans, and Military Families whom you interact with and support. Realizing that news such as this has the potential to increase one's risk for social, emotional, psychological, and spiritual difficulties can help us be more available to understand what our military community may need and guide us to being more ready to provide it.

 

Prepared by the Veterans Mental Health Coalition of New York City

 

For more information about this alert and it's content, please contact Michael DeFalco at [email protected] or the VMHC of NYC at  [email protected].

 

Mike DeFalco, Psy.D.

Chair, VMHC Education Committee 

Bridge Back to Life Center, Inc.

 

Scott Thompson, M.S., M.Div., LMHC

Director 

The Veterans Mental Health Coalition of NYC  

 

Contributors:

 

Aynisa Leonardo    

Clinical Coordinator

Bridge Back to Life Center, Inc.

 

Bob Raphael USMC 1965-1972          

Board Member

Trauma and Resiliency Resources Inc.