How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
"They're Shiites, and that's good, but apparently the air force sent over some A-10s on a Close Air Support mission and they took out a school. Killed some civilians. A few children. This is a war and collateral damage happens. That's a fact of war and a reflection of what is known as the "fog of war." Nothing happens perfectly. Bullets fly. Bombs fall. People stand up at the wrong time." (6.36)
Sessions, who is giving this talk, seems awfully blasé about the fact that the air force killed Iraqi children. She isn't wrong about how collateral damage is a part of warfare, though.
Quote #5
The whole thing was over in a heartbeat. The marine patrol had been coming down the street, the IED had exploded, and now people were dead. There was no confrontation, no blurred figures flying across the busy street, no one to chase down for revenge, no one to be mad at. (8.71)
Birdy's shocked description is a fact of the Iraq War in particular. The biggest threat to Americans are IEDs—with no one around them to pin the blame on. Totally different than a war movie.
Quote #6
What was happening, I thought, was that the humanity we were supposed to be showing the Iraqis was wearing thin. I didn't know who my enemy was over here, what rock he might pop out from, from which window he might shoot. I didn't know which of the figures in robes down to their ankles were praying for peace and which were planting bombs on the side of the road. (9.60)
Birdy's in the Civil Affairs unit, meaning he's there to get the Iraqis to trust American soldiers. But it's hard for him to be anything but suspicious when he doesn't know who the enemy is.