Soldiers suffering from lack of sleep
Published:Friday | November 2, 2018 | 12:00 AM
THE EDITOR, Sir:
With an extension of the current states of emergency and zones of special operations, I am very concerned about the toll the security operations are taking on our security forces, speaking specifically of the soldiers of 1JR who are stationed in Kingston.
Last week, I had to awaken a soldier who was fast asleep with his weapon in his hands. What if a criminal had seen him?
He lamented the fact that he was at that point for 36 hours without being relieved! He further stated that it was the norm for them, working mostly 24-hour shifts with a few hours rest in-between. He said as dangerous as it sounded, they fall asleep all the time because they are very tired.
The same soldier commented that the police they work with normally leave them and go home for 24 hours, then return to see them at the same point .
According to him, he gets 24 hours off every two or three weeks, but cannot take this up most of the time, as he lives at the other end of the island.
How safe is this for our soldiers? Why can't a better plan be put in place so they can rest and thus serve us better?
Even though they are trained for a tough life, does this mean that they don't need sleep or rest?
M. BRYAN