I don't know if the reality of war is something they could ever actually psychologically prepare them for. I used to teach rock climbing and back country mountaineering and for that I have had training in advanced first aid/extended care and CPR. Part of my training involved exercises where we would "rescue" other classmates who were done up with make-up, fake blood, the works, we aslo saw slides of actual backcountry injuries. I thought I was prepared for an emergency situation.

One night shortly after it hard started raining very hard I was driving in my car when I came upon a motorcycle accident that had happened just a few minutes beforehand. The guy was ok but the girl who was riding on the back of the bike without a helmet was in bad shape. She wasn't breathing and had blood coming out of her eyes, ears, and nose. When I gave her mouth to mouth blood would bubble up from her lungs. I tried to give her CPR but it was hopeless. She had gone head first into a wrought iron fence and died instantly. Nothing anyone could do.

Even though I thought I was prepared it seriously freaked me out. I couldn't get the image of her open, lifeless eyes filled with blood staring up at me. I actually stopped teaching climbing altogether for fear one of the newbies would get hurt and I'd have to deal with a situation like that again. That was more tha 15 years ago but I still remember it clearly and the thougfht still freaks me out. And, I fully realize that my experience is nothing compared to what the young men and women now in Iraq must deal with.

My hats off to your son BlueCat. If he can do that everyday he is by far a better man than I.