Love My Rifle More Than You

Where to start with this one. I liked this book, and I didn't. First of all, of all the military books I've read to date, this is the one that I had the most in common with the author. Her pre-military story I could identify with to a great degree. Growing up on the fringe, domestic chaos, a little of this, a little of that. Having firsthand friendships with Arabic people. Literature major in college, even down to her choice of linguist as an MOS. When I went to the recruiter's office when I was 18 and again when I was 21, both times I went in with questions about becoming a linguist. So there was all that. And the personality of trying to "be one of the guys" but not quite getting it right. So I could identify with her a lot.

On the other hand, there was a lot that I couldn't identify with. I never had the anti-authoritarian streak, or a desire to prove superiors wrong. A large portion of the book she spends writing about how the people she worked with sucked. I probably would think similar things to myself but I don't know if I would write a book and name names like she did. I also was a little cynical that she kept referring to the one guy who bled out in front of her. Yes, it's terrible, and sad, but the number of times she referred back to it was just surprising. I know it's a different situation but - and let's take this out of a military setting altogether - emergency providers like nurses and doctors and ambulance drivers etc watch people die every day. So it's not altogether unusual or unheard of. It happens. I understand it affected her greatly and it's certainly worth mentioning, but for her to keep bringing it up, it kinda rubbed me the wrong way.

I suppose what I got out of this book for the most part was that she brought unique details into the book. Little things, like describing the various plants in Iraq, or how ugly the skirts were that locals tried to sell to her. The book was far from dry, and gave bits of insight into Iraq. It's not the only book to have those, sure, all those little poignant details that seem so significant and stay with you. It's not even war that has those moments. D always talks about how there's always that one stupid poster in the doctor's waiting room that you keep staring at while waiting for the doctor to return with your chart. Or I remember watching this little red ribbon tied to a lamp-post one day while I was waiting for the bus back in Buffalo. Little things that are strangely significant. This book has plenty of those.

And there were a few things that I really did get out of it. She praised the infantry a lot, which made me all the more proud of D. And then she talked about how angry she felt back in the States when people cut her off. D always gets upset (to put this mildly) when that happens, and I knew *why* it upset him, but this book helped me see it even better. A little detail about how you're not supposed to let people cut in front of you in convoys. I'm not sure how or why I feel I understand about that a bit more. But I do. Anyway. And the part about how emotional it was for her to "cross the berm" - I wish I could have known what it was like for D when he did. I never really thought about that part. I always thought it must have been emotional for him to get off the plane home, and I'm sure it was, but apparently crossing the berm is a big deal too. Anyway. Things like that. And I'm sure the one quote that will stay with me (paraphrased) is "I found it very strange that I fought and was willing to die for these people who wear sweatshirts with glittery kittens on them." Strangely poignant.