WAR

Reading Sebastian Junger’s War not only transports one to Afghanistan but introduces one to vocabulary and thought processes alien to those outside the military. C-Wire, Bee Huts, and the concept of blousing. Blousing came up in Stephen Ambrose’s Band of Brothers in relation to airborne soldiers in training and the state of their pant legs. At the time I passed it over but this time I was moved to research the topic. Here’s a video demonstrating how it’s done:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rY1Sb6KgVEY&NR=1

and yet another describing the process in relation to shirts:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeycYShS2MI

Blousing it seems refers to the process of folding clothing fabric so that it conforms to the wearer’s body, hence the name given to a tailored women’s shirt. If you watch the first video and note that the speeded up process takes nearly 7 minutes and the second takes two people to put on a shirt and pull up one’s pants one can only hope there is a practical application to justify all this effort. If the only purpose served is the brass’s idea of smart appearance then I can fully understand why troops in the field quickly abandon such wasted effort. As Arnold Epstein in Biloxi Blues would say, there’s my way and the military way.

Junger brings a scientific psychological analysis to the pursuit of War. After demonstrating the nature of troop comraderie in the face of brutal attacks he goes on to give historical and research-based context to courage, bravery and heroism in battle. He describes how brotherly love forms the basis for most acts of courage and bravery; how that sense of community is best fostered and the ideal numbers needed to form a cohesive group. He also demonstrates that battle fatigue and fear are not triggered by battle but by the underlying psychological make-up of the soldier himself and the life difficulties he is experiencing on the home front.

Modern warfare is fought as much in the arena of public opinion in situ as on the field of battle. If you can win the propaganda battle with the local population you’re likely to meet fewer of them at the end of a gun and outside insurgents are likely to be less welcome. Finally he highlights the cruel truth that the adrenalin rush of battle ill fits those who experience it for return to civilian life and the grinding bureaucracy it entails. Those who are most ill-suited to civilian life make the best soldiers. If you haven’t had the experience there’s no way of properly explaining it or the sensations that come back to those who have and make the attempt. Junger, who vicariously had the experience for us, makes the attempt.