Generation Kill Analysis

Generation Kill, written by Evan Wright, is a firsthand look at the fear, inhumanity, and uncertainty that surrounded the guerrilla warfare in Iraq. These young men from a variety of different back grounds enlisted bravely and arrogantly to find themselves facing the brutality of war. They trained as Recon Marines, a group of a thousand men selected to secretly gain knowledge about the enemy team. During the First Renaissance Battalion of 2003, they were forced to drive head on into the enemy battle zone. Despite many of them being rugged individualist, their confident nature could never have prepared them for the emotional and physically draining combat of war. Wright journalized his comrades and his own experiences in Iraq, he introduces many of his close …show more content…
From the safety of their Humvees, they were confident in their ability to survive and confront the enemy. Recon Marines feel fulfillment in their ability to endure the horrible conditions of the battlefield. At Camp Mathilda, the men become a tight knit group in their training and must learn to trust and fight as a unit in Kuwait City. This becomes difficult when they notice their leader, Capt. Dave McGraw’s, sudden urges to act irrationally towards a dangerous situation. They try their best to obey and respect the orders of their Captain, but when the issue of firing with civilians at risk arises, they become aware of the moral shift that war institutes. During an invasion amid the fire, a fellow Marine mistakes a child for the enemy. He is horrified and relieved when he realizes he missed the young boy by a few feet. The moral responsibility to save a life is skewed in the chaos of warfare, the death of innocent civilians and young children was a common and almost normal occurrence. First Recon Battalion were forced to abandon former beliefs and accept the terror that is total