The Wounded Platoon

Being currently in the military I have mixed reactions when viewing this video. I perform the same role as “Doc” Krebbs did, but for the Air Force Reserve. There is a lot to consider when discussing this documentary. It was well constructed in the sense that those interviewed held various positions representing nearly every step of the larger process that is the war. First I would like to discuss the issue of battle itself. Few of our nation’s military actually sees combat, it is largely support for those who do. Of those who are placed in a combat situation the number of those is sustained combat day after day is even fewer. Infantry during an offensive tactical plan are typically those who have suffered the worst. To make matters worse this particular war is extremely taxing of a person’s psyche. Unlike most wars of the past the enemy is not readily identifiable. They wear no uniforms they blend in with the population. Threatening the locals into keeping quiet about which buildings they are in is not uncommon. It is no wonder that returning soldiers are scanning rooftops or firing at the first male they see viewing the site of an explosion. Who is to say they didn’t set it off? Often the explosion from an IED is the first wave of an oncoming attack and the gunfire is not far behind. It is easy to say that they should know better sitting on your couch watching this video. But nine months into a deployment especially one where you are on the offensive, not all people are strong enough to know the difference in that split second. The truth is we will never know. Many of the soldiers interviewed trace the root of their problems back to the death of Sgt Huy. This was the first of many multiple traumas they encountered. They were not yet numb to the effects of war. Numbness in itself is a survival mechanism; as mentioned by a troop in the video, that is necessary to perform at the level needed. In that instant it’s kill or be killed, nothing else matters. It