Just a point of clarification. A Specialist is an enlisted man - with the same pay grade as a Corporal. The only difference is that a Specialist is not in a leadership position.
May our prayers go out to the family of the shooter and the victims.
I don't know his history, so he may have just joined the Army late. But to be 34 years old, and be a SPC, he
may have had some discipline issues anyway. This could be why he possibly had a vendetta against other soldiers. Just a theory.
Another possible theory is that the PTSD he was suffering from led him to take some actions he would not have otherwise engaged in, and he might not have known where he was. This, to me, seems more unlikely though, as he would have had to bring the weapon on post hours before this happened, showing some premeditation.
I am stationed on Ft Hood. Luckily, I am on leave this week. I was at home just outside of post when this happened. It was pretty intense though. Sirens were going off, with a voice saying, "Shut off all fuel and air conditioning. Close all doors and windows. Seek shelter immediately." The fuel and air conditioning thing is standard for any emergency, just in case of chemical agents or explosions.
The shooting happened on 72nd and Support, for those of you who are familiar with Ft Hood. I work on 53rd and Battalion. My company is roughly 2-3 blocks away from the location where the shooting took place.
I am personally undergoing a Medical Evaluation Board (MEB). This means that in a few months, I will be medically retired from the Army. I am being looked at for PTSD. I am on several drugs. Ambien, Trazedone, and Prazosin, all for sleep and nightmares. For anxiety and depression I am on Effexor.
Let me tell you from personal experience, these drugs do not make you angry, or volatile. In fact, they do the opposite. They can put you in an almost zombielike state where you just don't care. That's been my own experience, as well as the experience of an E7 who used to be my PSG; 2 E6s, who used to be my SQLs at one point; and 5 other E5s, 2 I used to work with, and 3 I work with now.
I am looking at the drug fact sheet for Effexor right now. Common side effects: Nausea, drowsiness, dizziness, dry mouth, constipation, loss of appetite, blurred vision, nervousness, trouble sleeping, unusual sweating, and yawning.
Rare, but more serious side effects: easy bruising/bleeding, decreased interest in sex, changes in sexual ability, muscle cramps/weakness, and shaking.
Since the medication increases serotonin, there is a chance of serotonin poisoning, which can lead to: fast heartbeat, hallucinations, los of coordination, severe dizziness, severe nausea/vomiting/diarrhea, twitching muscles, unexplained fever, and unusual agitation/restlessness.
That last group is the only way the drugs could have the effect claimed by some. But that isn't the drug itself. If those symptoms begin occurring, then the drug is supposed to be stopped. If it isn't, then it's the fault of either the person who is taking them for not letting their doctor know, or the fault of the doctor for not changing the prescription when told. It's very similar to the "Guns don't kill people, people kill people" argument. It's not the drugs, it's the irresponsible use of them.
And we go back to the possible theories: these drugs did not cause a man to hallucinate for around 8-9 hours so that he snuck a weapon on post and used it hours later.
This was a tragedy for all involved. And to use it to try and blame drugs or drug companies is just as low as the liberals who are going to use it to scream for more gun control. Grieve for those affected. Don't try to prove a point, especially when there is none.
Off topic, is there a problem with pill pushing? Yes. I'll readily admit that. It's because it's easier to give someone a pill and tell them everything's good and send them off to work than it is to try and actually work out the issues. That, compounded with the fact that so many claim PTSD now that it's hard to tell who's acting and who really has it. Sadly, it's almost become a status symbol, separating those who have seen real combat and those who haven't.
Back on topic, the good news is that his family will be taken care of. Contrary to what most people think (and the civilian sector), military families get life insurance for this kind of event. So his family will be taken care of financially.
