What would be traumatizing is blowing out a six year old's brains in your first firefight, which the article mentions was the case for Sam Siatta's squadron. I hardly think going to a poor country in itself is the main source of trauma for veterans. It's the violence that happens there and the later realization of the utter futility of the whole thing, the realization that you were used as a pawn for the benefit of weapons manufacturers and imperialistic geopolitical maneuvering.

Forget the politics. Just seeing that shit happen fucks with you.

preach!

What? People are very likely to develop stress disorders from continuous and constant proximity to violence regardless of where it takes place.

People who grow up in a state of constant war become desensitized to it but you're going to have a problem with their behavior and tendencies once you have them try to adapt to what amounts to a normal life to you.

or you know, the killing people part