“”Uncle Richie, I felt like crap after 9-11 and I wanted to do something, to stand up for my country. I think if dad had been my age, he would have done the same thing. He was thinking about me and about my future—which is cool—but I still need to be my own man, just the way you were at my age.”

This quote encapsulates Birdy’s reasoning for joining the army and defying his father. Not content with feeling helpless after 9/11, he wanted to make a difference. 

“Operation Iraqi Freedom has four phases. The first was the understanding and assessment of the area…that phase is completed. We know what we’re facing, what we’re doing, and why we’re here…The fourth and final phase will be the building of a successful democracy in Iraq. That’s where Civil Affairs comes in. It’s our job to assess and start that rebuilding process.” 

This quote shows the textbook way the army addresses the situation in Iraq without realizing that there is an entirely new war being fought, and that the army has no real idea what the rules are.

“What they understand over here is power…they got to see your power. They got to see you take out their cities, kill a few folks. In a way, we’re teachers getting ready to let them know what American power is really all about.” 

Sergeant Harris echoes the sentiment of many soldiers during the Iraq War. The consensus was that a display of power and force was needed, ignoring the fact that the region had been at war far before America ever got involved. As the army finds out, their enemies are patient; they could outlast displays of power and look for moments of weakness.