a_majoor said:
(odd how you never show symptoms before, and the illness never seems to recur after the event. The wonders of modern medicine).
I'm not defending this guy, just replying to your comment (above).
Sometimes symptoms are ignored, disbelieved, or overlooked.
A few years ago a friend died of liver failure - turned out he was an alcoholic and had been for years, drinking on his way to work, going for a "few" beers at lunch, and so on. The doctors explained that his huge "beer gut" was actually his liver - he looked pregnant, it was so freakin' big.
However, as mental/medical health professionals would explain, people with "problems" try to compensate in different ways - this guy threw himself into volunterism with St John's Ambulance and coaching, others lead Boy Scouts, cadets, etc. - thus, we're always "so surprised" when they implode.
In Afghanistan we spotted somebody who was incredibly absent-minded, distracted, forgetful, irritable to the point of being ridiculous. He's not doing very well now even though he's back home (and, no - I'm not talking in the third person about myself, thanks anyway).
As for after the event, well ... sometimes they respond to treatment (which they lacked beforehand).
It's important not to be too judgemental, scornful or harsh lest you drive people "underground" ... when they need help the most.
Treat others the way you'd want to be treated if you were in their shoes
(i.e. "There but for the grace of ... whatever ... go I.")
Far from being a handicap to command, compassion is the measure of it.
For unless one values the lives of his soldiers and is tormented by their ordeals, he is unfit to command.
General Omar Bradley
) a Cpl who worked at the Carp Bunket took a 9mm C1 SMG (Sterling) and a 9mm Inglis (Browning Hi-Power) or two to the Quebec legislature for some tgt practise however he screwed up showed up at lunch and missed his "audience" The Sgt@Arms talked him down and he surrendered peacefully.
