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| Iraq-Jordan |
| Dogged determination of one-legged soldier |
| 2004-11-15 |
| One of Camp Dogwood's personal heroes is the Black Watch's one-legged Corporal Colin Hamilton, who refused to be left behind when his regiment deployed on their highly dangerous mission. The 28-year-old signaller lost his right leg above the knee and suffered serious burns on his stomach and face in Kosovo, in 2001. He had tried to save a colleague who had fallen on a high voltage electric cable and ended up spending nine months in and out of hospital. Told he was not allowed to go with the unit when they left for Iraq in June because of his disabilities, Cpl Hamilton set out to persuade Army chiefs to change their minds. After he clocked up the second fastest time ever for an 800-metre run by a military amputee, they had to consent. Cpl Hamilton, from Dunbarton, said: "I'm just a jealous person. I don't like being left out. I had to stay behind in the rear party when the regiment were in Iraq for the war last year and I hated every minute of it. But I've proved I can do my job just as well as anyone now. Being back with my mates is the best form of rehabilitation you can get." |
| Posted by:Bulldog |
| #3 It isn't silly and we are working on as we type. There are a number of projects out there that address this issue, not to the extent of Steve Austin, but we are working it. Currently about 70% of US amputees have requested to be returned to duty, we are still breeding some of the toughest and best here in the US! |
| Posted by: TopMac 2004-11-15 11:23:44 PM |
| #2 This may sound silly on the surface, but with today's technology should be seriously considered by military planners: instead of giving a soldier like this a "false leg", why not give him a high tech replacement as good *or better*, and return him to his unit. That is, if a soldier loses an arm, give him a (I hate to use the term) "bionic" replacement that can perform tasks an ordinary soldier can't do. Now, granted, he's not going to be repairing watches with that arm--too sensitive--so why not give him a mechanical arm, or arms, that can do very difficult tasks. Don't think of weapons or even that the arm has to look "natural"--remember that this is a combat situation. Imagine an arm that is like "the jaws of life", for opening doors, maybe attached to a chest wrap-around for extra strength. Or an arm extending down along his body parallel to his leg that he could use for very heavy lift. There are lots of possibilities, here. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2004-11-15 2:04:55 PM |
| #1 Words fail to express my admiration for the Corporal. Good luck, be safe, God Bless, and good hunting! |
| Posted by: Ptah 2004-11-15 10:14:26 AM |