whiskey tango foxtrot

i was in the reserves during the first iraq war, but i did not have to go there. i was in college at the time, and my group was not called up. i was fairly certain that we would have if iran had joined the fighting. but it was all over very quickly. now i’m fascinated with some of the reporting and writing coming out about the second iraq war, more critical and rich perhaps because this one is protracted and unpopular.

ashley gilbertson, an embedded reporter in iraq, is on a book tour with his newly published account of the war. he gave a talk at the santa barbara university of california campus, which is on youtube:

the war is so far away from me, it’s hard for me to stay connected to it. watching accounts like this occasionally, and generation kill which i’m following, is helping me stay in touch with it. maybe watching these accounts now is also a way for me to reconnect with that earlier experience in my life wondering if i would go to iraq, the fear i had and also the sense of duty that i had: the mixed emotions. it’s very hard for me to wrap my head around it even now.

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