WAR

Written by Sebastian Junger

Narrated by Joshua Ferris

In his breakout bestseller, The Perfect Storm, Sebastian Junger created "a wild ride that brilliantly captures the awesome power of the raging sea and the often futile attempts of humans to withstand it" (Los Angeles Times Book Review).

Now, Junger turns his brilliant and empathetic eye to the reality of combat--the fear, the honor, and the trust among men in an extreme situation whose survival depends on their absolute commitment to one another. His on-the-ground account follows a single platoon through a 15-month tour of duty in the most dangerous outpost in Afghanistan's Korengal Valley. Through the experiences of these young men at war, he shows what it means to fight, to serve, and to face down mortal danger on a daily basis.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hachette Audio
• Release date: May 11, 2010
• ISBN: 9781607881995

Sebastian Junger

Sebastian Junger is the bestselling author of The Perfect Storm and A Death in Belmont. He is a contributing editor to Vanity Fair, and has been awarded a National Magazine Award and an SAIS Novartis Prize for journalism. He lives in New York.

Reviews for WAR

[zare_3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent book that shows the true nature of war and the way reckless rushing into conflict by powers to be leaves great scars on people that enter the fray in order to fight for their country and stay fighting for most important reason they have - to save the lives of those fighting with them and living the life on the battlefield with them.

Very fact that this view of fighting man, issues they have, their fears and brotherhood, confronting death every day, does not differ from views one can find in WW1 and WW2 books and biographies shows that only thing that changes when it comes war is technology. Everything else is as old as humankind itself.

Highly recommended.

[booklistener · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is not a commentary on the Afghanistan War. The author deliberately focuses on the soldiers point of view. As he wrote, the soldiers care about protecting each other as the nest route to their own survival. They don’t care about the overall war. Junger gives a beautiful, very personal view of the soldiers’ lives. Highly recommended.

[amcheri-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I probably would have liked it more if I had read it instead of listened. The author/narrator was so monotone that there were several periods of listening when I realized that I had zoned out completely and had to rewind. Or didn't bother rewinding.

There were some very intense scenes and I got the point of the book and mostly enjoyed it. This is one of those audio books where the author shouldn't have done the reading.

[norbert.book · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A view from a very "tactical" (platoon, more or less) level, but interesting, moving and sincre.

I agree with Patrick Hennessy who wrote: "A vivid portrait, often bitterly funny and desperately sad"

[sheila1957 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Sebastian Junger embeds with the Army in Korengal Valley in Afghanistan. He gives us a look at what the American soldiers are doing in the worst area of Afghanistan. It is not pretty but it gives a picture of what happens and what the soldiers think.

This is not the easiest book to read because of the emotions brought up by it. I felt it was an honest look at what was happening to this particular group of men. I came to know these men through Mr. Junger's writing. I hated when any of them died. I hated when they were wounded. I found it interesting how the Army tried to understand and help and bring the villagers onto their side against the Taliban. I never thought about how necessary it is for the native populations to want the Americans there and the help given on both sides. I liked that we discovered what happened to some of the men who went home. Not a pretty picture. Many cannot adjust to civilian life. They have seen and done too much.

In addition to what happens with the soldiers, we are also given rationale behind decisions as well as how things are done. I found it profound that the soldiers saw themselves as part of their group, not as individuals. They would let you know if you stepped out of line whether you were grunt, officer, or journalist. I learned so much about the Army and the soldiers that I have more respect for them. This was an eye-opener for me.

[larryerick · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Having read the very powerful, The Good Soldiers, and having already seen the author's documentary film, Restrepo, I expected to enjoy this book, but not be overly impressed. I was wrong. The book is much more interesting than Restrepo. Plus, the book is a perfect companion piece to the raw emotion of The Good Soldiers. The author is very perceptive about what he observes of modern American combat soldiers fighting in Muslim countries today. While he narrates the same highly dangerous and stimulating combat situations as those in the The Good Soldiers, he also provides facinating and useful commentary about the individual soldier-level activity.

[endaclon · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

excellent battle memoir written by an observer (a reporter in this case).

[iangreenleaf · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm not sure that the expansive title of "War" is really the right choice for this book, as its scope is so tightly focused that never comes close to painting a full picture of the war in Afghanistan, much less of war as a general concept. It's a bit odd to get such a intimate portrait of the American soldiers stationed in the Korengal valley while so little time is spent on the enemy that we hardly even know who they are or why they are fighting. Even the allied Afghani forces are nearly invisible in this account, and their occasional entry into the narrative is more jarring for the realization that they've been fighting (and dying) alongside the Americans this whole time, unacknowledged.

That said, this intentional myopia probably makes for a better book. It's a riveting account of what life is like for an infantry soldier in modern warfare, and even more interestingly, of how war makes soldiers think and feel. It's a rare author who can do equal justice to describing the sound of a bullet passing by your head, and the troubled psyche of a teenager taught to kill and stuck in a combat outpost isolated from normal society. If the book has any claim to universal insight about war, it's probably in this thoughtful account of how war changes the people who fight in it.

[adrianburke_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Really riveting read.

[realbigcat · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sebastian Junger in his book War gives a first hand gripping account of the warin Afghanistan from the soldiers on the front line. Junger is a top notch war corespondent going right into battle with the troops he lives with. Junger makes you feel like you are right there with the troops in the Korengal valley. He brings personal profiles and humanizing characteristics to the soldiers, their leaders and the missions. Much of what we think war and battle are like is nothing to what actually occurs. I believe that's what makes this book so interesting. War is ugly and men die and the after effects are devestating. It's also extremely boring much of the so much so that men actually can't wait to get some fighting in. No matter what your interest I believe you will find this book an interesting read. There are some follow up documentaries related to the book that are excellent.

[scorpio470952 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A really good read from my perspective. It dicusses a unit's tour of duty in Afganistan from a journalists point of view. I liked the authors summation at the end, its honestly given me something to think about.

[marshapetry · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

War? that's a stretch - more like govt-sponsored MMA games. Basically another circle jerk combat story about macho cool testosterone-filled young guys trying to be as cool as they can be. This wasn't about "war" and you won't learn anything about tactics and strategies and goals - it's just yet another self-congratulatory book about how great our modern day Warrior Adonis's are. The author admits that with the greatness may come some hidden issues but doesn't delve deeper than some statistics. The narrator (audiobook) was great and that makes this book worth reading.

[gendeg-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I'm as far removed from the experience of a combat infantry soldier as you can get, and I found this extremely moving and riveting. Sebastian Junger doesn't romanticize the battles and firefights in the Korengal, or the men of Battle Company leading that fight, the special group dubbed the tip of the spear for the front in Afghanistan, and yet I couldn't help but see nobility in all of it. Most of this is because of the strong sense of purpose and loyalty among the soldiers he documents. It made my civilian life, by comparison, feel petty and shallow. Out there, in a frontline firefight, there is no patriotism or politics or religion. None of that matters. What makes you keep going everyday, even as you sit on the razor edge of existence, is a love so strong for your fellow soldier you are willing to do anything to protect him and overcome any terror of death. Dying is the least of your concerns. Letting a member of your team die is the end of the world.

I don't want to do what these guys do; I can't do what these guys do. And I would prefer to live in a world where we didn't have to deploy these young men to these treacherous places and experience such violence. And yet I have so much respect for what these guys do and what they let us do to them as a society by deploying them to these places. Respect.

Junger's writing in War is steely-eyed and rich with accurate detail. Objective where it counts but never sterile. An eye-opening read for all us civvies.

[mikebiever · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The book was an easy read and worthwhile. You get a perspective of life as a soldier living in daily boredom with moments of utter terror. War and battle are brought to life in accounts of random firefights. Confusion, terror, death and life are summarized hastily; just as they occur in real life for these men who fought the battle in Afghanistan.

[nmele_4 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

For a long time, I put off reading Junger's book fearing it was another account of a deployment in Afghanistan or Iraq, but I was wrong. Junger follows a particular squad of infantry through a fifteen-month deployment in a contested area of Afghanistan to explore the meaning of war. This is a must-read book.

[hadriantheblind · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Modern war as it is. A world so wholly alien to us in civilian life, but perhaps now we have a glimpse of what drives these men, and the intense way of life they endure.

[henrimoreaux · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sebastian Junger's War is a depiction of the lives of a group of men in the US military, specifically, 2nd Platoon, Battle Company of 173rd Airborne Brigade and their subsequent deployment to the Korengal Valley in eastern Afghanistan. This a sliver of valley at the base of the desolate, rough and unforgiving Hindu Kush mountains.

The books focus is mainly on the men of Battle Company and not the larger war effort in greater Afghanistan. It paints a picture that the men don't really care one way or the other in terms of the reasons for the war beyond survival of their platoon. It also focuses on the life, fear and courage of the men; "In some ways twenty minutes of combat is more life than you could scrape together in a lifetime of doing something else. Combat isn't where you might die - though that does happen - it's where you find out whether you get to keep living."

Contrary to what Hollywood films would have people believe it also paints a vivid picture of the ups and downs faced by the men where, in the absence of regular life, risk is sought. One such example is a particular summer near the end of Battle Company's deployment it's noted "With summer come the twin afflictions of heat and boredom. A poor wheat harvest creates a temporary food shortage in the valley, which means the enemy has no surplus cash with which to buy ammo. Attacks drop to every week or two - not nearly enough to make up for the general [crappiness] of the place"

I would say it fairly shows the motivations and fears of the men, and war in general whilst also addressing that the apparent lack of humanity (cheering at the death of an enemy) is in fact humanity as it's not cheering at the death of an enemy, but cheering that an enemy can no longer cause any further deaths of your comrades.

[brian55_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Junger tells a great story. Amazing he and his camera man was imbedded with this group so far into the heat of the battle. As a journalist he refused to carry a weapon, so he couldn’t be considered a “combatant” tell it from a biased angle. The soldiers at the front of battle in this valley are truly a different breed. It’s no wonder they didn’t respond well to regulations and authority when they were out of combat area and on base behind the lines. I felt very sorry for the men when they had to return to “normal lives” either as civilians or in some peace side base. It sounds like many of them had many struggles adapting to the lack of adrenaline and camaraderie. Junger is very explicit of the day-to-day experiences – from low periods of extreme boredom to intense adrenaline filled excitement. Sounds like most of the soldiers would rather have the excitement than the boredom. Junger describes in such a way that the heat, smells, and tastes are palpable. Interesting how at the front lines it’s very focused on the daily combat, and most did not really care about the greater war and any progress being made. This gives me a deeper respect for our military and the sacrifices they go through. It’s not a matter of whether you support the war or not, they are putting on the line regardless.

[periodista_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

You don't read this book to learn anything about Afghanistan. The focus is on a single infantry platoon on a mountain in the Korengal Valley, way too close to Pakistan. You're going to learn next to nothing about the Afghans living in the surrounding area, the overall strategy, global politics or why the hell the Pakistanis continues to be allowed to provide a safe haven for Taliban insurgents. Maybe Restrepo, the documentary Junger and videographer/photog Tim Hetherington (subsequently to die in Libya) were making at the same time as this material was gathered, tells something more.

It is very unfortunate Junger didn't focus for on the bigger picture since he has been visiting Afghanistan since 1996,interviewed Massoud shortly before his assassination and says he cares deeply about the fate of the Afghan people.

Instead, he borrows much of the techniques he applied in The Perfect Storm. Here is pulls in studies from military psychology to explain what the men in this platoon experience in the heat of combat, medical science to explain wounds and treatment, psychology to explain the brotherly bonds of love, the thrill of battle and killing. That last and the bonds explain why so many can't adjust to civilian life and sign up again, but begs the question re the nature of research and assistance for returning soldiers,

(Anyone else recognize that the military psychiatrist who is much quoted was the father of writer Tama Janowitz?)

Most of the time, the format just didn't work for me. He is in the midst of a a very well-written action sequence, a real firefight, and he stops to discourse on what's happening in the nervous system? I think he should have confined the science--pretty skimpy, come to that given the sparsity of references--to separate chapters.

An aside: given how many months that Junger and Tim Hetherington spent living in this isolated base between 2007 and 2008, going on patrol and so on, Junger certainly can't be accused of an ego trip. I think he disclosed much too little about his own physical responses, fears and relations with the men. I kept wondering where he was when describing, say, an exchange of crossfire or a soldier getting shot while on patrol. The use of double and single quotes indicate whether a statement was directly heard or hearsay but I must say I stopped noticing. Even when I did notice, I still had the question, *but was he there?*

Finally, great credit is due the US Army for giving permission to these two journalists to be embedded with this platoon and for not attaching any strings to their coverage. You're not going to read about any GIs burning the Koran or pissing on dead bodies and I'm sure Junger would tell us if he did know of such incidents.

[rdhawk6886 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The book follows the Second Platoon of Battle Company over the course of 15 months in the Korengal Valley in Afghanistan. It was a good read but not quite as substantive as others. That being said Junger's commitment to the project was admirable.

[dickmanikowski · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A respected NYT journalist spends extended period over a 15 month period with a combat unit in Afghanistan's Korengal Valley, perhaps the most hotly contested area of the country. Besides presenting vivid portraits of both the frequent moments of adrenaline-fueled combat and the incredible boredom of a bunch of men stuck on a mountainside, he offers insights on military strategy and tactics.
But the part of the book that I found the most fascinating was the author's insights on the group dynamics of a military unit. Never having served in the military (I was fortunate enough to have flat feet that exempted me from the draft during my physical in 1971), I appreciated gaining a deeper understanding of the bond that develops between members of a unit.
It's a gritty and violent book, but that's the nature of war. And regardless of my political perspective, our nation will always have to be ready to go war when the proper circumstances arise.

[jrpalin_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As a journalist embedded among American soldiers in Afghanistan, Junger sees up close dangerous, dirty, and boring frontline conditions. He reports on men he comes to know and on the physical and psychological challenges faced. He weaves research into the story and delivers a complete account of modern outpost warfare, including insights into things like bonding and coping among isolated and scared infantrymen.

[sgtbigg_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Junger spent five months embedded with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan’s Korengal valley and he does an outstanding job of relating the events that took place. This book is similar to many of the current crop of Afghanistan and Iraq memoirs except for two things. First, Junger is a writer. No matter how well a soldier writes, he is probably not a seasoned writer, which gives this book a different feel. Second, while Junger is with the troops, he is not one of them; this gives him a very different perspective. He comments on this while discussing why he never carried a weapon, “It would make you a combatant rather than an observer, and you’d lose the right to comment on the war later with any kind of objectivity.” WAR is really about more then the events in one valley in Afghanistan. Junger explores why men fight and why men grow to enjoy it. Once again, I find myself bothered by what we ask our young men to do.

[hollybdurso · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Everyone should read this book to start to appreciate what modern warfare is truly like for our soldiers. This is a well-written and gripping read by a journalist who was embedded in a platoon surviving the daily struggles of war in Afghanistan's dangerous Korengal Valley. Have you seen the documentary Restrepo? This is that story--moving and difficult to swallow, but a tale that needs to be told nonetheless. It's hard to imagine what these men have had to endure over there, but whatever your opinions on the Afghanistan War, this book will give you an unflinching idea of the disturbing and heartbreaking experiences of war in the 21st century.

[mplante-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A bit jumpy at times (chronology can be a bit confusing, and a more detailed map for reference would have been nice), but overall this is one book that I had a difficult time putting down.
You don't have to be American (I'm Canadian) to appreciate what these men go through. Disturbing, honest, raw, emotionally charged, this book has it all. It's an uncompromising look at the real war on terror, and will leave you asking yourself "why?".

[ladyhax · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is an excellent and engaging study of the experience of modern warfare and, perhaps more interestingly, of masculinity and brotherhood. Junger draws upon a wide range of disciplines and sources to try to get to the core of what it means to be a soldier, to kill, to be brave, and even what it means to be a civilian. His reflexivity is a great strength, particularly the lines he perceives to be drawn where his journalistic objectivity would be compromised. The culture he uncovers throughout his fifteen-month embedding is, without a doubt, utterly fascinating. I do wish, however, that some of Tim Hetherington's photography could have been included.

[bookworm12_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Junger has made a name for himself with nonfiction books like The Perfect Storm and A Death in Belmont (both great books). His intimate writing style sucks his readers into the worlds he writes about and his latest book, War, is no exception. Junger spent 15-months following a single platoon during their time in Afghanistan's Korengal Valley. He chronicles his time there, including the soldiers he meets, the obstacles they face and the even greater problems they have once the battle in over.

The book is good, but as Junger himself notes, you can't be objective about something like this. I felt that sometimes his personal experiences and struggles distracted from those of the soldiers themselves. It was clearly an incredibly personal experience for him and I don't fault him for it, but it didn't add to the book for me.

The most fascinating bits for me were Junger's discussion of the men's loyalty to each other. He talks about the bonds between them that supersede everything else. He also talks about the "good" aspects of war and the reasons why soldiers often have a hard time adjusting to civilian life. Junger's observations are keen and he cites many studies and historical examples to support his conclusions. It's a hard book to read, but a powerful one.

A similar book to this one, which I enjoyed even more, is Ernie Pyle's Brave Men. If you liked War, I'd highly recommend it.

[samsattler · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

For a long time, I have been fascinated by the breed of reporter/writer so willing to put everything on the line in order to experience warfare alongside American soldiers. It is only from these brave and talented men and women that the rest of us get a decent picture of what is really happening out there and what our young soldiers are enduring for months on end. Sebastian Junger is one of the best of the breed. I am already a fan of Junger's "The Perfect Storm" and "A Death in Belmont," both of which are excellently written, but I do believe that "War" is his best effort yet.

Sebastian Junger spent more than fifteen months of 2007-2008 on the front lines in Afghanistan with a platoon of the 173rd Airborne brigade. Admittedly, Junger was able to take breaks from the combat zone in the Korengal Valley more frequently than the men of Battle Company but, when he was there, he faced the same dangers, and lived under the same rudimentary conditions, as the professional soldiers around him. Junger went out on foot patrols, experienced enemy ambushes and sniper fire, and came close to dying when the Hummer he was riding in became the target of a roadside bomb. Consequently, he experienced the same emotions and trauma experienced by the men he came to know and understand so well.

This is not a political book; Junger does not present or argue the reasons the United States has been involved in this war in Afghanistan for so many years. According to Junger, the men of Battle Company do not seem to care much one way or the other about the politics that placed them in the Korengal Valley. It is his observation, in fact, that behind-the-lines support personnel are generally more gung ho about the war than those taking fire on the front lines. The men of Battle Company waste no time worrying about the rightness or wrongness of their fight.

Junger and his photographer, Tim Hetherington, shot something over 150 hours of video in Afghanistan, video Junger mined for exact quotes and a better understanding of what he lived through in real-life speed. His combat reportage, as would be expected, is excellent, capturing the tenseness of U.S. troops who must often expose themselves via foot patrols in order to make the enemy show himself long enough for air support and heavy weapons to be used against him. As Junger points out, however, the natural terrain of the Korengal Valley offsets many of the advantages one would expect a modern army to have over the few hundred Taliban fighters it faces. Snipers, roadside bombs, the ability of the enemy to blend in with the civilian population, and having to contend with so much high ground, often force these modern soldiers to revert to old school infantry tactics.

"War" becomes especially interesting when Junger explores how the experience affects those on the front lines. The author explains how these young men handle their fear, how and why each of them is so willing to die for any other man in the platoon, and why so many of them wonder if they will be able to handle the boredom of the real world again after having experienced the rush of combat for so long. For the young men of Battle Company, the courage to fight comes more from love for their fellow soldier than from any sense of patriotism. No one wants to be the one to make a mistake that will cost another man his life, and all are willing to risk their own lives to save the lives of others.

Amazingly, many of these young men "fall in love" with combat and miss it during the lulls between contact with the enemy. Some of them, in their boredom, even wish for their operating base to be attacked - and they shout in glee when it happens again. Despite the friends they lose, for some of them, war becomes a game in which they get to shoot amazing weapons and blow up things. Sadly, it is only when they return home that many of these men will pay a heavy price for what they have experienced.

Rated at: 5.0

[adrianburke1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I'm clearly not meant to review this book. I have written two entries so far and each time have pressed some irrelevant key on the laptop, consigning my thoughts to cyberspace. So. I will be brief. This time! I read the book in one go and thought the writing tremendous. Close the book though and the doubts creep in. The title is well-chosen: it is just an abstract label. But this is war in a country. In another person's country. And it does not answer the question about why we/they are there at all. Evan Wright's 'Generation Kill' does the same thing. They tell surprising things about the young men who fight in these distant combat zones. But we are so close up to the action that we cannot see beyond or round it to get any idea of the context. I read today in the Guardian that Bush played on the myth of the old West, to re-awaken America's "oldest, darkest and most enduring folk memory: the fear of sudden attack by Indians". So 'War' is highly readable and impressive. The big question is on Junger's stance: is he deliberately looking the other way or was that not part of the plan?

[wilsonknut · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Sebastian Junger’s War will be for the Afghanistan war what Michael Herr’s Dispatches was for the Vietnam War. By capturing the unabashed experience of a platoon of soldiers in Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley, Junger has captured the essence of this war for this generation. He doesn’t debate politics, because the politics of it all mean very little to the men fighting. What matters is their collective survival and doing their job. Junger uses biology, psychology, and military history to put what these men are going through mentally and physically into context.

Junger made five trips into the Korengal Valley over the course of a year. He writes this about the valley:

The Korengal Valley is sort of the Afghanistan of Afghanistan: too remote to conquer, too poor to intimidate, too autonomous to buy off. The Soviets never made it past the mouth of the valley and the Taliban didn’t dare go in there at all.

It is a sparsely populated slit of steep mountainsides and draws near Pakistan, and it was the most dangerous posting in Afghanistan. It is nicknamed the Valley of Death. The U.S. withdrew all troops from the valley a month before Junger’s book was published, stating a shift in strategy in the larger war effort.

Junger follows several men more than others, but he never delves into one soldier’s character completely. They are a collective, and they operate as a whole. He finds that the best fighting men are the worst garrison soldiers. They’re troublemakers. In fact the platoon has a tradition of beating all new members, including officers. They beat guys when they go to and come back from R&R. The only way you can leave without getting beaten is to be wounded or dead. Speaking of being poor garrison soldiers, one soldier states, “Okay, I got to shine my fucking boots. Why do I care about shining my goddamn boots?” But these are the men you want with you in a firefight.

The sheer physical toil of the war is almost unbelievable. The men tote 80 to 100 pound packs up and down steep slopes. The rocks shred their clothes. They carve an outpost out of mountainside in the middle of the night. The outposts are infested with fleas and tarantulas. And not least of all, they receive enemy fire on almost a daily basis. Junger states that the men reek of ammonia because they have burned all the fat from their bodies and are now burning muscle.

The only thing worse than the physicality of the war is the psychological strain. One soldier compares the rush of adrenaline from a firefight to crack, and many of the mean don’t know how they will handle returning to the States. Junger writes:

The attention to detail at a base like Restrepo forced a kind of clarity on absolutely everything a soldier did until I came to think of it as a kind of Zen practice: the Zen of not fucking up. It required a high mindfulness because potentially everything had consequences.

Of course the war in Afghanistan has its own peculiarities, but it is still war. It shares what all wars have in common. When one of the men discusses signing back up after his tour despite all of the terror and violence he has experienced, Junger writes:

War is a big and sprawling word that brings a lot of human suffering into the conversation, but combat is a different matter. Combat is the smaller game that young men fall in love with, and any solution to the human problem of war will have to take into account the psyches of these young men. For some reason there is a profound and mysterious gratification to the reciprocal agreement to protect another person with your life, and combat is virtually the only situation in which that happens regularly. These hillsides of loose shale and holly trees are where the men feel not most alive- that you can get skydiving- but the most utilized. The most necessary. The most clear and certain and purposeful. If young men could get that feeling at home, no one would ever want to go to war again, but they can’t.

Sebastian Junger and photographer Tim Hetherington filmed a Sundance award-winning documentary about their experiences with Battle Company in the Korengal Valley. The film is name Restrepo, after the base carved in the mountainside. The base was named after a medic who was killed.