War’s Human Toll

Intel Dump‘s Phil Carter is featured in GOOD Magazine‘s feature “Volunteers,” which looks at the human toll the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have taken on those, like him, who have served. As Paul Rieckhoff puts it, “when you look at the numbers, it’s easy to forget that they represent individual stories: lives put on hold, families under strain—above all, tremendous personal sacrifice.”

The executive summary of Phil’s profile:

Phil Carter LOOK “Iraq is a very complex place. I’m still optimistic, but at this point, I worry that even if we put our best efforts forward, it may not be enough.”

At least back as far as my grandfather, all the men in my family have served.

I might go back to Iraq at some point, maybe as a writer or a consultant for the State Department.

If I could do it over again, I’d absolutely join. It was a very tough experience, but I feel like I got a lot more out of the Army than they got out of me. I would recommend it to others, but you have to know that if you sign up today you’re going to war.

After my service I see everything through a different lens. I focus a lot more on the human element of questions, like whether we should go to war.

They’re taken from a short video interview embedded in the article in Flash format.

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James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is Professor and Department Head of Security Studies at Marine Corps University's Command and Staff College. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.