Ahmad, a 25-year-old draftee who had just reported to the base, recalled that incident this summer after a series of deadly shootings by conscripts focused national attention on the struggles faced by those completing Iran’s mandatory military service. That’s why they did what they did.”I hate the service and I hate my surroundings. They described Iran’s military training as a 21-month ordeal of physical humiliation, psychological stress and petty corruption, where mental health problems fester and socioeconomic grievances are magnified. Those disparities are in the spotlight now because they appeared to have been a factor in both July shootings. It’s very bad for a country that needs people to be patriotic.”In the aftermath of the shootings, Iran’s military announced that it would increase psychological screening of draftees.

Source: Los Angeles Times September 28, 2017 10:02 UTC