Modern Warriors

 

Modern Warriors: Real Stories from Real Heroes by Pete Hegseth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

While the media and pop culture would have you believe that it is traumatizing at best, and devestating most likely, to be a modern soldier, this is the other side of the coin. These are the soldiers (mostly officers) who were able to turn their experiences into ultimately positive outcomes. Granted, most of these perspectives are several years after retiring, but even those with significant loss (double amputees, loss of an eye, death of comrades) were able to find a successful way forward. They credit the discipline and drive they learned in the military, and their stories are inspiring, and their insight is motivating. It is well to honor and learn from these soldiers, without forgetting that for others the struggle to cope and carry on is real too.

View all my reviews

And that word "can't: is one of the most debilitating words that these guys, including myself, will ever have to deal with, whether you can't go downrange anymore, you can't avenge this guy's death, or you can't do this or that.  It's a heck of a psychological disability, really.

Fear has become an addiction.

Fear operates best in an environment of uncertainty.

Once I saw the effect and Knew that I'd killed someone, I'd get this metallic cast in my mouth, it was like a piece of my soul.

I tried not to think about how shocked a lot of the people I shot looked.  That would make me think about what if it was going to happen to me.