We just got an audio book version of War by Sebastian Junger. He spent 15 months on the Afghan-Pakistan border with US Soldiers who spend years protecting this area. The dynamics of their relationships are explored.
We recommend clicking here to check out the author on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart talking discussing the book.
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Black Soldiers in Jim Crow Texas: 1899-1917 is an historical look at the racism African American troops encountered in Texas during their service to the United States between the times of the Spanish-American War to World War I. Following four different regiments of black soldiers, author Garna L. Christian compiles many unique resources to describe the different obstacles presented to them within their own nation. From clashing with white Texans to Hispanic populations, life was anything but easy for these soldiers. Its an interesting look at military history and race relations in the United States at the turn of the century.
There’ve been some funny “For Dummies” titles to have come out. Washington DC for Dummies. Dungeons & Dragons for Dummies (I love D&D, by the way…). The most cringe worthy book like this was actually a different series: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Enhancing Self-Esteem. Ouch.
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But we just got in Veterans Benefits for Dummies. I can hear people saying “OH NO THEY DIDN’T!” from here. Of course, it is just a matter of the series’s naming convention, and the series is pretty beneficial in general. Part of my job is programming and I’m proud to have PHP & MySQL for Dummies on my personal bookshelf. Handy stuff! And frankly, what could be more confusing than government paper work? If anything, I think having a guide like this is quite the beneficial resource for our veterans (students and staff) to make sure they’re getting every last benefit available to them for serving this country.
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I’m reading this article in the Washington Post (if they make you sign up, it is a free account) about foreign perceptions on our torture policies. It goes on to say that one of the biggest selling points for non-Iraqi opponents who fight US troops in Iraq was that they all believe that we torture prisoners, and that recent policies which may condone torture led them to believe they’d be severely tortured. From the article:
It’s no exaggeration to say that at least half of our losses and casualties in that country have come at the hands of foreigners who joined the fray because of our program of detainee abuse. The number of U.S. soldiers who have died because of our torture policy will never be definitively known, but it is fair to say that it is close to the number of lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001.
That’s a pretty bold statement, and also where today’s book comes in: Torture and the Military Profession by Jessica Wolfendale. Wolfendale presents the point of view that torture done by a military, sanctioned or not, may be a direct result of military training methods. She also calls for a dramatic change in how military troops are cultivated to have less of a psychological impact that could cause these behaviors. While I’m not sure I agree with all of her points, it is an interesting take on how some recent events may have come about.