Generation Kill

Evan Wright’s book, Generation Kill, is a gritty, humorous account of Force Recon’s invasion of Iraq. I read it years ago, but now I have a new-found appreciation for the book because of the 9/11 class. While reading the first half, you really get a sense of the brotherhood between the guys of the platoon, while also getting the sense of how they are viewed, whether publicly or in the military. Force Recon will be pushing into Iraq on a path designed by Saddam himself to bog down American troops, thrusting them into the front lines, leaving their rear exposed, ahead of all other troops. Described as “Guinea Pigs”, this new “quick maneuver” warfare is new not just to the whole military, but especially for them, as they are used to using stealth to complete their mission, not a quick, shock force. There is much confusion and miscommunication on the ground due to faulty intelligence (major theme of Iraq), and incompetent leadership on the ground. Evan Wright says in the book, “While the nonexistence of Saddam’s weapons of mass destruction has almost become a bad joke in wake of the invasion….threat of a chemical attack is foremost on everyone’s mind”(35). Furthermore, you had leadership that did not even see combat before; the ultimate commander of Force Recon was a “parade commander” (45). The disconnect between commanders and enlisted marines leads to delays and animosity, sometimes in a hilarious manner. On March 23rd, Force Recon finds out about their next “leg of the invasion” via having to shave their facial hair, ordered by Lt. Col. Ferrando (76). This shows how disconnected commanders are from the enlisted; they are more concerned about “grooming standards” then they are about the actual fighting. 

While reading, I found myself constantly connecting the brotherhood of the battalion to that of frats and sports teams. You have people from all walks of life, kids just out of high school, men from Ivy League colleges, poor men, rich men, all fighting together. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from, in Force Recon, you're one of the guys, even Evan Wright, who was placed in a hallway where another battalion had to walk over him in order to use the bathroom. There’s definitely a masculinity aspect to Force Recon, describing people they don't like as “pussies” and making fun of Reye’s more feminine side. With that being said, they’re all part of the same team, and they all got each other’s backs.  This brings up a bigger question, “should Force Recon open up to women?” While this could be debated either way, I would answer no. I believe that masculinity is being destroyed now and that there is this idea that being a “man’s man” is somehow bad or destructive but in reality, it is in itself destructive to, not only men, but also to society itself. How? It destroys the individual differences between men and women, causing the loss in their respective uniqueness in the process.