Aftershock: The Blast That Shook Psycho Platoon

by T. Christian Miller, Daniel Zwerdling

Five soldiers injured in the same 2009 bomb blast are a case study in a new epidemic among America's troops, who are grappling with a combination of concussion and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Genres: Nonfiction, War, History, Military Fiction, Short Stories

30 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 18, 2011

About the author

T. Christian Miller joined ProPublica as a senior reporter in 2008. Before that, he worked for the Los Angeles Times, where he covered politics, wars, and was once kidnapped by leftist guerrillas in Colombia. His first book, Blood Money: Wasted Billions, Lost Lives, and Corporate Greed In Iraq was called one of the “indispensable” books on the war. He teaches data journalism at the University of California at Berkeley and was a Knight Fellow at Stanford University.

Reviews

[Pacg__nkg · Rating 5 out of 5]

They seemed like the sweetest ppl and it was hella interesting

[Mark Wilkerson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Kindle Single has enough material hidden among the pages to write a whole novel about, and I hope that the authors and the team behind this expose really consider expanding their scope; this is an important, such an important, topic, and the stories of the soldiers of Psycho Platoon, and countless other soldiers suffering from TBI and/or PTSD must be told!!!

[John Michael Strubhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very enlightening account of how traumatic brain injury affects soldiers. While I do find that it occasionally ignores alternative causal factors, it seems to be mostly based on good science. The thing that actually bothered me the most is that the father of one of the soldiers did not lose his license to sell guns after his son, who suffered from traumatic brain injury, broke into his stash and stole several of them. It would appear that the military now takes traumatic brain injury far more seriously than it used to, but there is likely still much work to be done. A fair question is whether or not the damage done to the lives of young men and women serving our country is is too high a price to pay for the United States playing the part of policeman for the rest of the world, especially when the lack of a viable exit strategy is apparent. Maybe the best thing we can do for our soldiers is to think twice, or maybe even five or six times, before entering the fray.

[Rosie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who has family in active duty should read or listen to this book. I'm sorry that it takes the wheels of justice so long to turn. But now that these discoveries have been made, many veterans or anyone who suffers trauma can get more insight and more appropriate help for their injuries. Thankful that this book is out here for the public.

[Anthony Lambert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short, engaging look at traumatic brain injury and the disturbing effects of even a so-called 'mild' TBI event. Psycho Platoon's experience clearly shows how poorly this condition is recognised, evaluated and treated - or not, as the case may be. Should be requirted reading for anyone in the military and most athletes, certainly all those involved in contact sports.

[Audrey Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Needed

As the Mom of a Son who was in the Military, had dreams and plans, but between a badly broken hip and a friends depression and suicide he couldn't re up and now struggles with depression every day. Very educational!

[Joy Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unforgettable

Was very insightful. It gave me a basic understanding of TBI versus PTSD. I found it hard to put down.

[Scott Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

July 2012: Reread it this time for a paper I am writing in Psychology.


April 2011: This was a very hard book to read. I was also affected by an IED blast in Iraq. I am still living with the headaches, ringing ears, light sensitivity, memory problems, nightmares, anger, need to withdraw from public and disintegrating bones in my spine. I started getting physically sick when I was reading the first part of this book. I was reading on my Kindle and needed to enlarge the font because my eyes were getting out of focus. I have often wondered what I should do. I have been trying to fight for the purple heart which would give some justification to the injuries which I live with on a daily basis. I have been getting nowhere with that. I have worked with the VA but, because I do not have a purple heart, they do not seem to want to call my injuries combat related and I only received a disability rating of 30%. All this despite the fact it is getting harder to walk at work every day and I may not be able to keep working there much longer. I would like to know what the VA's rating was based on, but they did not send me the right board findings so I know what another veteran's board findings were based on, but not mine. I first heard of the Brock Savelkoul story on NPR and thought that it was sad that things had to go that far before things were taken seriously, but my own experience is the same. Nobody seems to want to deal with all the problems these kinds of injuries bring up. The Army worked with me up until they medically retired me, now I am lost since I am out of the Army and the VA does not seem ready, willing or able to pick me up now that I am out. I am very grateful to my wife and children that they are holding on so tight or I fear that I would find myself totally outside of society.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another sad reminder of the complete failure of support and care systems in place for returning Iraq/Afg veterans dealing with wounds we can't see. Well written informative piece on PTSD and brain injuries and the system that fails these injured vets time and time again, told through the lens of one returning soldier's story that included a stand off with police before getting the help he truly needed. 

[Conner · Rating 3 out of 5]

A journalistic piece provided for free on the Kindle store. This is case study on a platoon suffering from the after-effects of an explosion while in the line of duty, such as concussion and post-traumatic stress. This piece explores what should and can be done to care for the alarming number of soldiers that develop long-lasting psychological and other complications because of head trauma.

[E.D. Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-researched read on the cognitive effects of concussions sustained in combat. The story focuses on a local vet suffering from severe PTSD who tried to commit suicide by cop last fall. His story's been in the papers a lot around here, and it's helpful to have a medical context for it.

[Thing Two · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember this blast. My friend had only been at Camp Liberty for a month when a rocket came thru the wall and into one of the trailers. I wondered what happened to the people inside, now I know. Tragic.

It's a free kindle book, and can be read in under an hour. Worth your hour.

[Sergio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moving on to better things

So much can happen for you in an instant when all your training goes to oblivion. Anything short of perfection shouldn't bring you down. Games are being played in war zones?

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

However you feel about the United States' in Iraq and Afghanstain, you should read this. Miller deals with the effects of PTSD among a Platoon.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting information with anecdotes that talks about concussions, the hidden damage, PTSD and what the government is doing for our veterans.

Note: Provided free by Amazon.com

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating. Heartbreaking. Recommended.

[Horacio Morfin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book. 4.4...

[Kendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gives info about the problem of concussions for many in the military today. What's being done for them and what more needs to be done.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read as a free kindle single. Informative read on effects of PTSD and TBI.

[Teresa Moore · Rating 1 out of 5]

I just couldn't get into this type of book

Not for me!!!!! I tried several times to get started to no avail!!! I am sure the book is good for a different audience.