Comments on: Required Viewing | Restrepo

By: Peter

Peter — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:35:46 +0000

Restrepo is a truly powerful film… my wife and I saw it a few weeks ago.
we both agreed that while not having served but knowing several (including my cousin who put in two tours in Iraq with the USMC) that it gives a very visceral experience of what it is like to serve in combat.
I agree that Restrepo should be required viewing for everyone: hawk or dove, young and old. (with possible exception of military families, for whom this could well be too painful to watch)
this movie is a powerful reminder that we as a nation should fully understand what we are sending our youth into – combat in any war is a horrific situation.
I wonder just how damaged (mentally and physically) is this generation of Americans who have fought and died in these two wars over the past nine years?

By: Tintin

Tintin — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 15:23:39 +0000

Gen. Bradley- I forgot about the families. Thanks for reminding me. I was wondering why my grandfather didn’t get rotated in WWII. And why there didn’t seem to be rotation in the Korean War.

“And we won’t be back till it’s over over there.”

I’m well aware of the families, Brad. And when I was in the army there was a lot of talk about rotation and how it contributed to losing Vietnam. For some insight, try Hackworth’s, About Face.

I’d love to hear about your service. I mean it. To that end, please email me at: the.trad@yahoo.com. I just saw the film Friday. I like the SGM’s observation near the end. “everything is about just getting home.” Well, the Taliban are home.

And what about a draft? I’m sure the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan would be over by now if there was one.

By: ryan d

ryan d — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 07:14:28 +0000

I don’t think Tinton’s point was one of NOT knowing rotations happen, but that it’s impossible to successfully win a war against an opponent that lives the war 24/7 and who is much more organically linked to its outcome (because they can’t rotate out) than the invaders.

By: chace

chace — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 23:03:28 +0000

The wars which America fights for now are perversions

By: brad

brad — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 18:01:05 +0000

Michael, akin to your recommendation of Junger’s book , I will try to bring this post back around from the vomitous dribble of opinions (from what reads more like that part in good will hunting where Damon says he could have recited all the same crap if he spent a buck in overdue fees.. ) Did you guys just recite crap you read in the Times OppEd columns?

hey tinton – you been over there? I have … you HAVE TO rotate folks in and out – they have families, dummy.

I have a great recommendation – Read recent release about Pat Tillman’s life – as mapped by the great Jon Krakauer (called Where Men Win Glory) – he writes about pat’s life as it developed – in parallel to how the situation in middle east was building momentum. Very interesting.

By: Evan

Evan — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 18:10:13 +0000

I read the request not to succumb to youtubian commentary, but I cannot stand by and have Peter say that High Life is as bad as war.

By: ryan d

ryan d — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 14:22:11 +0000

Still a racket:

By: Matthew Carter

Matthew Carter — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 13:54:48 +0000

Peter is totally wrong. “War is war no matter how it is portrayed” is a cop out. First, we are fighting an illegal war in Afghanistan. That is different than, say, the American Revolution. Second, the “war” there is the longest “war” we’ve ever been involved in, save the Cold War. Third, the occupation in Afghanistan deserves special attention, given it’s post-modern, robot-armed context. In a world where the real bad guys are being taken out by robots, and the real soldiers are being blown to bits by gangsters, it only serves that Junger shows us the real units on the ground. The absurdity is fitting. Samuel Becket had it right; Vladidmir: “Well? shall we go?” Estragon: “Yes, let’s go.” (They do not move).

By: Tintin

Tintin — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 15:35:26 +0000

xris- Seems to me the same problem in Vietnam and Afghanistan is with the rotation of the military. A soldier does his tour and moves on. The Taliban is not moving on. They’re the ones in it for the long haul.

DoD is also aware that most soldiers are not cut out for ‘Stability Operations.’ The job is to fight and win wars without cultural sensitivity. While Special Forces has always been better with local cultures versus a buck Sgt in the 82nd Airborne – - more and more civilians, some ex-military, are working to win the hearts and minds. These are older men who are doing the same relationship building with locals that my dad did in Vietnam more than 40 years ago.

But it will not work if we just rotate people in and out.

By: RAZ

RAZ — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 04:36:42 +0000

WAR PORN