Originally posted by bigross86
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Then I ended up working in around Ramadi and Fallujah for almost 2 years in 03-04 and again in 04-05. I was wounded...I lost half my squad in a matter of 15 minutes from a very co-ordinated attack. I lost several friends over the course of that time either KIA or grievously wounded. Seemed every day something happened to us or near us. We found bodies along the river often or out near the Bedouin routes that disappeared into the vast desert that is western Iraq. Then we went into Fallujah...pretty heavy stuff. Hard to kill the bad guys because they were armored and doped up. They'd make fun of our screaming wounded as we fought room to room or from one building to the other....fear....lots of fear...and rage. I had no idea what that was at 18 when I joined. Even as aware as I was I had no clue. I imagine it is the same for most people.
My best friend missed the first three years of Iraq and him and I used to go round and round because he was so eager to go. He felt it was his duty and that he was made to be a soldier...I used to point out to him that it's not what he thinks and that he really needed to think about what he was asking. I left for college in the beginning of 2007 and he left for his 1st tour to Iraq. He was in Baqubah with 10th mountain division. 15 months later I received a phone call from him...the first thing he said to me was "Brink, you remember what we used to talk about...well...you were right...it isn't what I thought" he "got" it.
That was my point I guess. I agree that people need to understand that the military's job is ultimately to kill. But even many soldiers don't understand the weight of that until they have done it. I understand that many people do have unrealistic ideas about combat. Of course they do! That hasn't changed throughout history. Hell, people were throwing picnics to watch the opening battles of the civil war because they thought it would be glorious to see...they quickly realized it wasn't. The bottom line is that kids will continue to think they're invincible, the population will continue to be oblivious, and soldiers will continue to come home to a world they no longer understand anymore.
As far as the guy in the video...I think he's lying. After watching it again....I really think he's lying. I don't know why, but my BS detectors are screaming.
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