Steroids

We were on a patrol in Tal Afar when this specialist asked me if I ever heard of VigRX. From the sounds of it, I assumed it was a creatine or some kind of supplement. In Iraq, guys were always taking muscle pills or protein shakes with the dream of being more muscular or cut for their girls when they returned home. Every soldier looks at deployment as opportunity to return as Tom Cruise or Sylvester Stallone. This specialist was a skinny dude, so he definitely needed all the help he could get. But he wasn’t speaking of a pill that would give him bigger biceps. Rather – how should I put this – he was taking a male enhancement tablet and in fact, “it really works,” he boasted on that hot Iraqi day. The specialist also told me that several soldiers in his platoon were taking the “pill” with the dream of returning not as Brad Pitt, but as John Holmes.

Here’s a recent article from Stars & Stripes that talks about steroids and performance enhancing drugs being sent to soldiers.

First, let me tell you that soldiers are not perfect. We are just as susceptible to drugs and other illegal “fixes.” But the consequences and ability to attain such substances are more difficult. Even in combat, soldiers must take urine tests and the penalty for doing drugs is very, very severe. In my opinion, there is absolutely no excuse for taking any kind of drug, especially in combat. You need your head in the game and your body certainly does not need the stress of a foreign substance.

Nonetheless, guys and gals want to look perfect, so they take diet pills, ‘roids and very dangerous pills for a private part. And they don’t care about the consequences. And that’s just sad.