Operation Homecoming: Writing the War Time Experience

So I decided a while ago that I wasn't going to share many of my own thoughts and opinions on the military, current wars, or soldier treatment until after the hub is no longer in the military and I am no longer working with soldiers. While this blog is primarily anonymously written, I also know that its not that difficult to figure things out thanks to the internet these days....and I've been raised to recognize that whatever I say/write now can reflect upon others that are connected to me AND can be brought back up years down the road. What I will say is that I whole-heartedly believe in my current job and in providing services to soldiers. And I'm recognizing every day that my opinions are currently in a state of metamorphosis thanks to my changing environments. 

I have many friends who think that the military can be a viable option for any individual who needs an income, secure health care &  housing, etc---however thanks to my job, I can wholeheartedly tell you: this way of life is not for everyone and anyone. (On a side note: The lowest level enlisted soldier makes such a minimal amount that if s/he has dependents, they qualify for state assistance due to income.) No one should think of joining the military (any branch) lightly, and the military isn't keeping just anyone in the service these days. On the other end of the spectrum I have friends who have a hard time understanding why anyone at all would join the military...

I will say that I think that every single soldier's experience is different than the next. Two people can experience the same event and have completely different view points, interpretations, and reactions to that same event---the same thing happens with soldiers. There are men soldiers, there are women soldiers. There are mechanics, pilots, supply, communications, human resources, infantry. If you want to know the break down of the different Army occupations you can find it here and Marine occupations are here. Keep in mind the Navy and Air Force are two additional branches of service, and deployment cycles and experiences vary based on branch of service and military job. What most people envision when they think of a deployed soldier who is fighting on the front lines is most likely going to be an infantry soldier or artillery soldier. However these individuals are only a percentage of the total military.

I'm sure that many individuals envision an infantry soldier's experience to be similar to the movies that are produced based on soldier experiences. While there may be some truth to those films, I will say that a lot of soldiers do not feel that mainstream films totally convey the experience nor demonstrate the truth. While we are still fighting two wars overseas, the public's focus on this fact and the amount of news demonstrated to this fact are limited. Even as a military spouse, my awareness and understanding of the soldier experience is limited. Hub isn't a big fan of talking about his current work and while I've seen pictures of his past deployment, that's about as indepth as we've gone. What I do realize some days more than others though is that most of the soldiers I work with have seen the face of war and several of them are headed back to it.

Last night I found a great instant stream documentary on Netflix (that mail-in & instant streaming movie rental program available here in the States for my foreign readers!) called Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience. The Iraqi and Afghan wartime experience written by those that have been there and lived it. (The stories have been compiled by the National Endowment for the Arts.) What the soldiers wrote seemed to convey much more of the experience than what any blockbuster film could do. I would encourage you to check it out.....