Tonight saw the second of the two part documentary being shown in the UK that appears to be completely based on a book by David Grossman ex-US Army.
Focus tonight was more on the techniques that modern armies have used to try and up the fire rates of the infantry. First we heard from Vietnam vet B52 pilots who said that they felt their work was easier on them psychologically than the work the infantry must have had to have done. This theme was returned to at the end.
Then our reporter went to experience 'Clockwork Orange' experiments, as advocated by an American army scientist in 1974 who subsequently went missing and was never heard of again. Smith (reporter) had his eyes held open and his head clamped and was forced to watch footage the like of which could never be shown on TV. He said it had the opposite effect, he felt more horrified by the violence.
The idea seems to be all about teaching soldiers that firing is the automatic response when under threat, to sidestep and eliminate the paralysing fear response. And it works, by the Falklands the British 'firing rate' was at 95%, the Argentinians had not had the training and despite out-numbering the British they took three times more casualties.
He went to speak to Grossman who talked about weapons technology being all about putting distance between yourself and the enemy. Two practical reasons being at distance there is less risk and that it displaces your actions. As he said, when we first picked up rocks we could start to blame the rock for the kill, after all we couldn't stove a man's head in by ourselves, it must be the rock that killed him. Where have we heard this before?
Smith did some training with Grossman and with a former soldier in Arkansas and then joined the US Marines for a simunitions exercise where he got shot, and he says it really really hurt.
To return to the psychological aspect, he spoke to British para's who had been at Goose Green, one of the nastiest battles that occurred in the 1982 Falklands War. One in particular still has nightmares, he cannot sleep because he sees a young Argentinian with his brains in his helmet steaming in the freezing cold. Not surprised he doesn't sleep. 252 British soldiers died in 1982, since then over 200 veterans have committed suicide. As Grossman said 'I can train your body to kill, I can't train your mind to deal with what your body has done.'
Less controversial than last week, just as thought-provoking.
Focus tonight was more on the techniques that modern armies have used to try and up the fire rates of the infantry. First we heard from Vietnam vet B52 pilots who said that they felt their work was easier on them psychologically than the work the infantry must have had to have done. This theme was returned to at the end.
Then our reporter went to experience 'Clockwork Orange' experiments, as advocated by an American army scientist in 1974 who subsequently went missing and was never heard of again. Smith (reporter) had his eyes held open and his head clamped and was forced to watch footage the like of which could never be shown on TV. He said it had the opposite effect, he felt more horrified by the violence.
The idea seems to be all about teaching soldiers that firing is the automatic response when under threat, to sidestep and eliminate the paralysing fear response. And it works, by the Falklands the British 'firing rate' was at 95%, the Argentinians had not had the training and despite out-numbering the British they took three times more casualties.
He went to speak to Grossman who talked about weapons technology being all about putting distance between yourself and the enemy. Two practical reasons being at distance there is less risk and that it displaces your actions. As he said, when we first picked up rocks we could start to blame the rock for the kill, after all we couldn't stove a man's head in by ourselves, it must be the rock that killed him. Where have we heard this before?
Smith did some training with Grossman and with a former soldier in Arkansas and then joined the US Marines for a simunitions exercise where he got shot, and he says it really really hurt.
To return to the psychological aspect, he spoke to British para's who had been at Goose Green, one of the nastiest battles that occurred in the 1982 Falklands War. One in particular still has nightmares, he cannot sleep because he sees a young Argentinian with his brains in his helmet steaming in the freezing cold. Not surprised he doesn't sleep. 252 British soldiers died in 1982, since then over 200 veterans have committed suicide. As Grossman said 'I can train your body to kill, I can't train your mind to deal with what your body has done.'
Less controversial than last week, just as thought-provoking.
