Nicholas Comninellis

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Taking A Hit For The Team – Angola Day 7

Bullet in hip

 

Angola was home of one of Africa’s longest running wars: 1961-2003. The use of child soldiers was not only common but accepted an a norm of combat. Yesterday I was consulted by a man, Feliciano, who as a soldier in 1999 was shot in the hip. As you can see, the bullet destroyed his joint. Feliciano walked in with a limp, but over all I found his ambulatory function rather good under the circumstances. Then Feliciano began, however, to describe the years of pain caused by this injury – how it has caused him to be unable to find a wife, to make friends, to earn an income, on top of the shame of disfigurement. Such is a commonplace result of war. People may boldly be willing to take a hit for the team, but then find that the team no longer cares. More to the point, leaders to advocate for military conflict rarely calculate the very predictable, staggering person and social costs of such endeavors.

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