(16) Our Medicated Military

According to William Saletan, "an arms race in pharmaceutical enhancement of combat troops, (para. 1)" is currently running rife throughout the United States military. It is no surprise that troops in combat are pushed beyond their limits physically and mentally. However, some might be surprised to know how the U.S. military combats this fatigue, specifically sleep deprivation.

Because the U.S. military believes that the most vital, "human performance factor in military effectiveness is degradation of performance under stressful conditions, particularly sleep deprivation, (para. 3)" the military has invested millions of dollars and countless hours to ameliorate its effects. The U.S. military started using stimulants to fight the affects of fatigue around the time of WWII. One of the most popular has been amphetamines (speed) which is a controlled substance for civilians. More recently, the military has been studying a new class of drugs called ampakines, which are capable of restoring "performance to levels compaarable to or better than, (para. 18)" those who were well-rested.

My concern with this widespread us of drugs is the effects on soldiers over time, specifically the addiction they could be sent home with. While in combat, these drugs may be a necessary evil in order to save lives (although stimulants have also been accused of leading to friendly fire incidents). When soldiers are discharged, I think the military should have a recovery program in place in order to prepare soldiers for success in the civilian world.



Source:

Saletan, W. (2008). Night of the Living Meds. Retrieved 10 19, 2015, from Slate: http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/human_nature/2008/07/night_of_the_living_meds.html

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http://archive.airforcetimes.com/article/20120614/NEWS/206140317/DoD-cracks-down-off-label-drug-use