BlackFive

I recently finished reading Colby Buzzell's My War - Killing Time in Iraq.  It's being billed as something between "Catch 22" and "Dispatches".

Well, while Buzzell writes cynically about some of the missions, the soldiers, and the Iraqis, it's easy to see that he really cares about them, too.  This dichotomy is the very definition of Colby Buzzell.  He has immense disregard for the media, the President, the anti-war movement, the tacticians developing the methods to fight the war...just about everyone...while trying Soldier on in one of the roughest environments in Iraq (Mosul).

CB starts the book with his life at the point of his enlistment - moving from meaningless (to him) job to meaningless job.  He spends a lot of time contemplating his motivation for becoming a Soldier.

He discusses his desire to get into the fight.  He discusses how he started blogging and what he thinks of military bloggers.

The combat rememberances are very interesting - possibly because Buzzell only romanticizes battle when it's finished by a TOW missle exploding at a target.  His own role and the roles of the soldiers are secondary to the sounds, smells, and feelings happening at that instant.

And, of course, he's got an infantryman's sense of humor.  When forced to write a mandatory death letter to be given to his parents if he were killed, Buzzell writes:

Dear Mom and Dad,

You're right.

I should have gone to college instead.

Love,

Colby

So how is the book?

My War is a great read.  Buzzell moves between new material and his posts from CBFTW.  While I don't know about Buzzell being the next Heller or Herr, he certainly is interesting.  Both unflinchingly critical of the military, himself, and the Iraqis and strongly supporting the fight, Colby Buzzell brings the human side to the War on Terror.

It's well worth the price.