When thinking of war, civilians may think of the possible consequences to soldiers as they relate to the actions of the opposition. Rarely does one consider that by defending oneself and the country, American soldiers may be harming themselves, as well.
However, evaluation of methods of warfare defense shows that personal-injury will occur when in battle. For example, the Carl-Gustaf system, a shoulder-fired weapon weighing approximately 10 pounds, may be called “the best [recoilless] multi-purpose weapon.” A single shot from this powerful weapon produces a burst of gas from its muzzle and breech towards the shooter. (“It feels like you get punched in your whole body,” is the way one Army gunner described it.)
When the Carl-Gustaf system was presented to the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force, one member asked what all of us wonder and worry: “What kind of damage is that doing to soldiers in training and on the battlefields?” The Army knows of this “brain-injury problem” and started testing the effects of the weapon on American soldiers, as early as 2011.
