Part 6/9:
The narrative transitions to a more personal account of what life was like as a soldier, especially during deployments marked by both apparent inactivity and underlying tension. The military environment in Iraq and Afghanistan was starkly different; while Iraq saw active combat, Afghanistan’s early days were relatively quiet, leading to differences in mission engagements. He speaks of the psychological impact of wanting to be involved in the action versus being sidelined, likening it to the frustration of being a backup quarterback when you’ve trained to start.