Take a Few Hours to Understand the Experience

So....(How many of my posts seem to start with this word anymore?!)

I never intended to write many posts about the military and I'm still holding most my final thoughts until after we are no longer active duty....but since the military is what surrounds me, is what currently defines my husband's life, and is part of the institution that employs me, then I'm sure you can imagine that much of what I think about is, well, the military.

I come from an area of this nation where most individuals are opposed to us being at war, but I don't ever feel that any of my friends or family are ever opposed to the soldiers themselves that are over there fighting. I like to believe, that for the most part, the nation does stand beside these men and women who are fighting and who are continuously putting their lives in harms way.

Now anyone who has been a long-time reader here probably knows that I have a mixed bag of opinions on the military, "defense" spending, the lack of services available to soldiers after separation, etc etc. I will whole-heartedly reiterate that I completely believe in my current job, however, and I feel honored to have the experience to interact with such a diverse group of individuals on a daily basis.

One thing that I think we as a society often struggle with is a sense of what it's like to be fighting in this current war. In all honesty, I was under the impression before coming here that we technically weren't at war anymore...but at this point, I can't remember if that was due to the media or a governmental decree or what. What I can tell you is that the military definitely believes that we are still at war and are active participants in Operation Enduring Freedom.

I don't feel that any of the media we see truly documents what the current deployment experience is like however, not that I would know exactly what that experience is or could be like. What I can tell you and urge of you is that you might seek out a recent documentary that my husband and I viewed on the National Geographic Channel. It's called RESTREPO, selected based on the name of an out posting built by a platoon (approximately 30-40 soldiers assigned to more or less the same duties and location) in memory of one of their fallen.

This documentary gave me my first glance at what the actual mountainous terrain of Afghanistan looks like. It exposed me to what an ambush scenario feels like, what it's like to be constantly exposed, raw, and potentially always in fear. It showed me how at times the leadership might lack, that the men bond and form a brotherhood in spite of personality and background differences, and it showed me how difficult it can be to be a soldier and yet need an opportunity to grieve. It gave me a snap shot of the experience that most of the infantry soldiers face and are currently facing, left me applauding the interviewed soldiers for their honesty amid the difficulty of sharing such innermost thoughts and feelings, and left me with an aching heart for these soldiers I serve on a daily basis and for those who have already separated and are attempting to integrate back into a world of civilians who for the most part have a limited understanding of their experience.

If you have the opportunity, please take the time to try to  understand this experience and view the film. This link: http://restrepothemovie.com/ will provide you with an overview and the film itself might increase your perspective. You'll probably walk away with new insights but you might also walk away with a stronger argument for some of your previously held beliefs. Regardless, I always think its worthwhile to attempt to understand another human's experience and to gain a better, more honest picture of what is going on in other areas of this world.

If you are in the US and a Netflix user, the film is able to be delivered via DVD although its not yet instant. And I can tell you via the soldier who sat along my side and from commentary from other wives, this film is a vivid snapshot of reality.

(Although a word of caution, you will hear the F bomb dropped consistently and this film is not suitable for children....)