There is a saying in the Army that, while joked about, is based very much in the truth. There is a right way and a wrong way to do something, and then there is the "Army Way" to do something. It's beyond messed up. Hopefully, an NCO or medical personnel will see the soldier in the field and determine that he is unfit for duty and send him packing. Until then, the soldier in question has to have the understanding that any lawful order must be carried out. There was nothing unlawful about him receiving orders to ship out for "the Sandbox" as we called it when I was in.

There are a great many things the military does that are unconscionable to the public at large. Heck, as a medic, I got to weed out people based upon how serious their wounds were. Soldiers with wounds that in any civilian ER would get them to the front of the line I had to make the choice to set them aside, because it would take to much effort to stabilize them.

The other large problem the military has now is that it's NCO corps is anorexic at best. Fewer NCO's mean more things fall between the cracks, such as this soldier's plight. I can only hope that someone catches him at a battalion aid station and removes him from duty.