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Show SpecialFeatures Page 16 Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2011 10 years after 9/11: Many think war is 'unending' porary. The two sets of buildings tell the story of America's embrace of endless war in the 10 years since Sept. 11, 2001. In previous decades, the military and the American public viewed war as an aberration and peace as the norm. Today, radical religious ideologies, new technologies and cheap, powerful weapons have catapulted the world into "a period of persistent conflict," according to the Pentagon's last major assessment of global security. "No one should harbor the illusion that the developed world can win this conflict in the near future," the document concludes. By this logic, America's wars are unending and any talk of peace is quixotic or naive. The new view of war and peace has brought about far-reaching changes in agencies such as the CIA, which is increasingly shifting its focus from gathering intelligence to targeting and killing terrorists. Within the military the shift has reshaped Army bases, spurred the creation of new commands and changed BY GREG JAFFE (c) 2011, The Washington Post This is the American era of endless war. To grasp its sweep, it helps to visit Fort Campbell, Ky., where the Army will soon open a $31 million complex for wounded troops and those whose bodies are breaking down after a decade of deployments. The Warrior Transition Battalion complex , the only four-story structure on the base, towers over architecture from earlier wars. "This unit will be around as long as the Army is around," said Lt. Col. Bill Howard, the battalion commander. As the new complex rises, bulldozers are taking down the last of Fort Campbell's World War II-era buildings. The white clapboard structures were hastily thrown up in the early 1940s as the country girded to battle Nazi Germany and imperial Japan. Each was labeled with a large letter "T." The buildings, like the war the country was entering, were supposed to be tem- ea' ±0- -* Total combat deaths of active-duty U.S. military personnel MAJOR CONFLICTS OTHER SELECT CONFLICTS 256 • 148 1,394 Korean War Vietnam* Lebanon Persian Gulf War Operation Enduring Freedom June 1950 to July 1953 Aug. 1964 to Jan. 1973 Aug. 1982 to Feb. 1984 Aug 1990 to Feb. 1991 Oct. 2001 through Sept. 2 I 1950 s 1960 1970 . 1980 33,739 ,mk combat —4 deaths ■ 1990 2000 Oct. to Dec. 1983 Dec. 1989 to Jan. 1990 Ir Dec. 1992 to May1993 Grenada 18 Panama 23 Somalia 29 2010 March 2003 through Sept. 2 Operation Iraqi Freedom 3,521** Combat deaths include those who were killed in action, died while missing in action, died while captured, died of terrorist activities or died elsewhere from wounds suffered in theater. *Deaths from Nov. 1, 1955 (commencement date for the Military Assistance Advisory Group), through May 15, 1975 (date the last American service member left Southeast Asia). **Includes 35 combat deaths from Operation New Dawn, which replaced the name Operation Iraqi Freedom on Sept. 1, 2010. what it means to be a warrior. On the home front, the new thinking has altered long-held views about the effectiveness of military power and the likelihood that peace will ever prevail. In the decades after Vietnam, the U.S. military was almost entirely focused on training for a big, unthinkable war with the Soviet Union. There were small conflicts, such as Grenada, Panama and the Persian Gulf War, but the United States was largely at peace. After the Soviet collapse 44 ,-- )(oze ., ejetveay 930 N. Main Logan, Ut 435.753.9755 j erricksfinej ewelry.com -Engagement Rings -Repairs -Fashion Jewelry -Gold Purchasing -Cleanings You have seen our CARS! Have you seen our DIAMONDS? T INSPIRI START WITH CONFIDENCE. and America's swift Gulf War victory, the military bet that it would be able to use big weapons and vastly better technology to bludgeon enemies into a speedy surrender. It envisioned a future of quick, decisive and overwhelming victories. A decade of war in Iraq and Afghanistan has crushed the "smug certainties" of that earlier era, said Eliot Cohen, a military historian who served in the George W. Bush administration. Most soldiers and Marines in today's military have seen their entire careers consumed by combat. During last year's 9/11 anniversary, Lt. Col. Christopher Coglianese accompanied his secondgrade daughter on her school's annual Freedom Walk outside Fort Hood, Texas. "Basically the whole student body walks around the grounds of the school wearing patriotic garb and carrying signs about freedom," Coglianese recalled in an e-mail from Iraq, where he is on his third tour. The children in his daughter's Skipcha Elementary School class proudly told him how many times their fathers had deployed and where they had fought. "To be honest there was a certain surrealism about it," Coglianese wrote. "For this very small slice of American children this way of life is completely normal." Coglianese believes the separations have forced military children to develop "a strength, maturity and resilience well beyond their years." The long stretch of war has also isolated the U.S. military from society. Senior Army officials worry that career soldiers have forgotten how to take care of their troops outside the war zones. A 2010 Army study partially blamed the service's unusually high suicide rate on the "lost art of leadership in garrison." Other top military officials fret that the troops are developing a troubling sense that they are better than the soci- ety they serve. "Today's Army, including its leadership, lives in a bubble separate from society," wrote retired Lt. Gen. David Barno, who commanded U.S. forces in Afghanistan, in an essay for the website of Foreign Policy magazine. "This splendid military isolation - set in the midst of a largely adoring nation - risks fostering a closed culture of superiority and aloofness. This must change if the Army is to remain in, of, and with the ever-diverse peoples of the United States." The Iraq and Afghanistan wars have not had the broad cultural impact of previous conflicts such as World War II or Vietnam. The new wars have not produced war bonds, internment camps, victory gardens or large-scale counterculture protests. Movies about these fights have largely flopped. The endless conflict, however, has triggered major changes in the way Americans view war and peace. Call of Duty, a series of video games, offers up a fun-house-mirror reflection of this new understanding of conflict. Each year more than 30 million people play the game, accordingto its manufacturer, Activision Blizzard. Early versions of the game were set in World War II and largely paralleled real-world events. As American troops hurtled toward Baghdad in 2003 to topple Saddam Hussein, Call of Duty players controlled virtual soldiers fighting to liberate European cities from a fascist dictator. The popularity of the series truly soared in 2009 with the launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, which portrayed a very different kind of war. Modern Warfare 2 begins in Afghanistan, where U.S. troops are locked in a long, bloody struggle with the Taliban. "We are the most powerful force in the history of the world," an American general bellows at his soldiers. "Every fight is our fight." From there the game veers into the sensational. A terrorist attack at a Russian airport triggers a global war between the United States and Russian ultranationalists. Game players battle Russian soldiers in the Washington suburbs and fire missiles from Predator drones. In a Russian airport scene, the players are made to take part in a slaughter of innocent civilians, who crawl across blood-streaked floors and beg for their lives. In the World War II games, the players are unquestionably good and the war's ends are noble. The games end in victory and peace. The allies raise a victory banner over the Reichstag building in Berlin. In the Modern Warfare battles, the conflicts are unending. "You find yourself doubting why we fight," said Lee Brimmicombe-Wood, an industry veteran and game designer. "Villains are killed, but you are left in the end with a completely devastated world." Victory is unattainable. Peace, of course, is not just absent from video games. It has faded from any debate in Washington surrounding the wars. New Pentagon organizations set up for Iraq and Afghanistan are likely to persist indefinitely to deal with the era's enduring threats. In 2006, the Defense Department created the Joint IED Defeat Organization to help in the battle with improvised explosive devices, which remain the top killer of American troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. The command has requested $2.8 billion next year. Senior Pentagon officials said there are no plans to scale back its funding. "Outside of Iraq and Afghanistan, there are 500 IED events each month," said Lt. Gen. Michael Barbero, who commands the organization. In June and July, IEDs exploded in Pakistan, India, Somalia, Yemen, Colombia, Nigeria and Norway. " -3698 Classi iedAdS Help Wanted Earn $1000-$3200 a month to drive our brand new cars with ads. www.AdDriveClub.com 4 ._: 1111 . f:0.1 Utah State University ••Logan, Utah • www.utahstatesman.com A ., • Garage Sales RUMMAGE SALE! 75 South 400 West Logan Saturday 8am - 3pm west-side gym BEAR RIVER CHARTER SCHOOL FUNDRAISER GREAT BARGAINS! clothing,books,kid stuff household,sporting gear multi-family sale Email rebeccaechols@comcast.net 115. 7,-. ,a :4 TA T YOUR FUTURE AS A LEADER. ---- - STA • There's strong. Then there's Army Strong. Do you want to jump-start your career plans? Apply for the Army ROTC Leader's Training Course at Utah State University. This 4-week leadership development course will challenge and push you to your limits. After you finish, you will be ready for life as a leader when you , graduate from college as an Army Officer. • 7 To get started, contact Curtis Turner or visit usu.edu/armyrotc. • Announcements OASIS BOOKS 25 West Center, M-Sat 10-6 pm. 435-753-8697 Great conversations, Bibles, and books. Free WiFi and coffee. www.oasisbooksoutreach.com Student Jobs U.S.AR MY STRO G. CONTACT US TO LEARN WHAT ROTC CAN OFFER! COMPETE FOR A FULL SCHOLARSHIP AT THE PAID SUMMER LEADER'S TRAINING COURSE! We teach you the skills employers are looking for after college! Call 435-797-7682 or email: curtis.turner@usu.edu For more information, See USU Student Employment, TSC 106, or www.usu. edu/studemp On-campus jobs: C208-96 Tutor $7.25/hr C658-11 Part-time Nurse $18/hr C429-96 Mowing $6.55/hr C424-10 Extension Intern 7.25 to 10/hr C827-11 Arts Graphic Designer C005-04 Research Assistant $1500/month C968-11 Bilingual Youth Corps Member 7.25/hr C934-11 Social Work Or Mft Graduate Student $25.00 per 1.25 hrs CO32-12 Fall Americorps Crew Member $1250/month C743-11 It Helpdesk Technician (network Asst) DOE C048-12 Ucc Fall Crew Member--asl Interpreter $1250/month CO53-12 Website Content Manager 8.50/hr C013-12 Research Assistant BOE C073-11 Scientific Drilling Field & Lab Assts 10.00 C448-07 Customer Service- Tooele Distance Ed 8/hr C483-00 Laboratory Assistant DOE C736-11 Instructional Technologist $15+ C889-11 Usu Uintah Basin Fall Internship $13,500 for 16-weeks C735-11 Graphic/web Designer $14+ C079-12 Gis Computer Operator $9.52 C041-11 Web Developer 8.75 C087-12 Research Assistant 8.00 C042-07 Office Assistant DOE C094-12 Research Assistant BOE C410-05 Me Assistant BOE C083-12 Adobe Flash Developer $12 C097-10 Temporary Substitute Slp $25$35/hr, doe C314-06 S I Leader Geog 1000 001 $9.00 C194-98 Undergrad Tas For Labs & Paper Graders $8/hr C953-11 Marketing, Pr, Graphics, Web Intern $8 C090-12 Building Representative C316-08 Research Assistant 800/mo C116-12 Java Programmer $10-14/Hour C122-12 Undergraduate Research Assistant $12.50/hour C115-12 Software Testing Technician $810/Hour C123-12 Accounting Assistant DOE $7.50 Minimum C118-12 Student Assistant In Art History C154-08 Engineering Tutors dependent upon experience C124-92 Speech Instructional Assistant $8/hr C124-12 Temporary Field Assistant Position C396-10 News Reporter $8.00 C113-12 Athletics Usher And Ticket Taker $7.25 C126-12 Peer Advisor 10/hr C095-12 Model CO59-10 Office Assistant 7.25 C085-11 Sound Technician $7.25 $1 raise after 100h C127-12 Voices Intern $500/semester C274-01 Newspaper Courier NEG. C296-05 American Sign Lanugage Interpreter $14-$26+ C134-09 Laboratory Technician minimum $7.25 C203-06 Manager Off-Campus Jobs 5849 Babysitter 7.25 4478 Business Analysts DOE 4479 Software Application Developer (net) 4480 Business Intelligence Developer 6854 Lead Generator 4525 Web Development Intern To Be Discussed 4526 Actionscript Developer, Flash Applicatio To Be Discussed 3724 Wordpress Developer $10-12 per hour 4528 Webmaster To Be Discussed 4555 Massage Therapist 4559 Insurance/financial Sales Rep Experience Based 4573 Online Sales $20 4179 Landscape Laborer 8-12 doe More coming |