Sgt. Northcutt's Post-Iraq Nightmare

A quick note: I know that topics regarding illegal drugs are to be avoided, but I consider this story to be entirely relevant to the discussions here. This man is a true American hero and he was royally screwed by the system for doing nothing illegal.

Sgt. Northcutt's Post-Iraq Nightmare: Getting Arrested for Growing Pot
By Fred Gardner, O'Shaughnessy's . Posted September 1, 2009.

Phil Northcutt saw the map of Iraq on the wall and started recalling his time there. He’d been stationed in Ramadi, Al Anbar Province, in 2004.

Phil Northcutt: There was this main street, ‘Route Michigan,’ like a 4-lane highway going through town with a 12-inch tall median painted yellow and black. When we first got there you could see big holes in the median. By the time we left, there was no median. It had been blown up along six or seven miles of roadway...

There were two different kinds of fighters we engaged. When we first got there it was like local fighters. You could tell. They were wearing the man dresses and flip-flops and they had old rusty AKs. They were like beat-up, ragged-out goat herders but with weapons. They didn’t use squad maneuvers, they didn’t use military tactics, it was a shoot and run kind of thing. And pretty much we killed all those guys or they went away.

And then the second wave came in. These dudes were wearing brand new Adidas, American jeans, they were wearing tactical rigs like American contractors, baseball hats, sunglasses –they looked like American contractors.

The interview is lengthy, but it documents Sgt. Northcutt's experiences with Iraq, PTSD, the VA, drug addiction, medicinal marijuana, and the police.

It's truly tragic the way we as a country treat our veterans. It's been estimated that nearly half of the homeless people in this country are veterans, but no one's really counting. Politicians always make a big effort to APPEAR to support veterans, but the facts speak for themselves.

S+F for the post. It is sad how veterans are treated, but when has it been different? I personally know a few people, my age (mid 20's) who have served in different branches in iraq and afghanistan. Unfortunately only a few of them, the ones with non-combat MOS', are close to the same person that I knew. A good buddy of ours was recruited by special forces in the army. He would tell stories of moderate engagements, and speak of blowing a man's brain to bits like it was nothing. You could tell the time in-country was tearing him up. He would speak of shooting civilians on cell phones, knowing 95% were innocent, but it was standard practice for the SF group he was deployed with apparently, as paranoia of IED's being activated by cell phones was obvious. I haven't spoke to him in months but last I heard he sustained injuries in combat and is full-time crazy now...apparently to the point where there's little hope for recovery. Others are able to manage in front of people, but you can tell there is anger and pent up aggression underneath. War must be hell by all accounts, and when you're not fighting for the immediate protection of family and friends then all that bloodshed, killing and fear's effects on the mind must be multiplied. Unfortunately veterans will continue to be ignored...it is my hope that we can at least attempt to look after these dudes (and dudettes) with more care than we did our vets from nam. Unfortunately until people stop raising weapons against each other this will remain a problem.

Wow. His story is a good description of what happens to guys in the military. I am glad he got a "reversal" of all charges in the end, but I'll bet that is rare.

Its also too bad that ATS is probably going to view this as a drug thread and delete it. There could be a lot discussed in that area but I won't say anything in the hopes that the thread continues because the treatment of vets with PTSD is a travesty and deserves more attention.

The government doesn't give a crap about it's own citizens why the hell would they care about their soldiers?

As long as naive, young, kids sign away their lives nothing is going to change. War is hell. As far as the other posters friend who was blowing away innocents on cell phones can't say I feel too sorry for him. Killing is killing whether it's in the name of terrorism or not. The fact that we are still fighting wars in the 21st century shows that humanity really hasn't changed all that much. We are operating at a 2nd grade level..............pooping our cribs, throwing temper tantrums, spilling food, and breaking things. Wonder what the human race will be like if we ever decide to grow up.

The military brass are no different than the corporate and political "brass". Just as tyrannical, just as corrupt, just as evil. Yet somehow troops feel the military is somehow different.......that their purpose is somehow more noble, more genuine.

It's obvious in the War in Iraq that the so called insurgency was being funded by the same people that fund all wars and have funded all wars since the dawn of western society.

reply to post by Zosynspiracy


I feel bad for him in the sense that he was a positive man, a good friend and a decent human being at one point. As you pointed out, military power is built on the blood, sweat and tears of young men they recruit in their adolescence. I'm not excusing his actions of killing another man, but I can not judge the man as I do not hold that right, nor do you. I can say that I am pretty sure that I am not capable of killing another human being, but that's ME. I would love nothing more than to see us advance as a species and learn to love, forgive and tolerate each other. A world system set upon the values of empathy and respect. But none-the-less the subject was geared towards helping those who have been unfortunate enough to have been to war in our present time. I'm not pro U.S. (even though I'm a citizen) and I'm not pro any other governing body or nation. I am pro-humanity as are many, actually, what I believe to be the majority. Hell, if an insurgent can blow himself to pieces in the name of God I almost respect it. Not the action of killing others and yourself in any way, but the mentality of being able to sacrifice without second thought for something you truly and deeply believe is right. But not to get off topic I agree, our first priority should be trying to eliminate veterans of wars from even existing by means of abolishing war itself. A close second should be healing and caring for, properly, our current veterans.

[edit on 2-9-2009 by VirginiaGreen]