The life of a soldier is something most civilians could not truly understand. To have to put your life completely in another man’s hands, whether it be you commander or squadmate, takes great discipline and courage. Every day a soldier is in active duty, he is depending on those around him to do their job: any slip up, and he could end up dead, wounded, or captured. Danger lurks around every corner, so a soldier must be on his toes; both to save his life and the lives of others. A soldier must learn to follow orders to the letter or else he risks endangering his comrades. This constant weight on a soldier’s back can wear away at him and alter the way he thinks. This stress can have such an impact, that soldiers can have mental breakdowns. …show more content…
Sandborn. while Sgt. First Class James is an example of the latter reaction to war. “American Sniper” on the other hand, tells the story of Chris Kyle who both has trouble pulling away from war and has a mental breakdown which pushes him to go home. Chris Kyle in particular shows the symptoms of PTSD: feelings of mistrust, depression, relationship problems, problems in daily living, panic attacks, and constant flashbacks. ("Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.")
“The Hurt Locker” tells the tale of Sgt. J.T. Sanborn , Spc. Owen Eldridge, and Sgt. First Class William James. Sandborn and Eldridge are in a bomb squad team which loses its main technician and James is sent to replace him. It is soon apparent to the first two that James is extremely carefree even though they are constantly putting their lives in his hands. They are at first angry at him, but they eventually they grow close. They later go on a mission where William believes that he finds the body of a young child (who sold DVDs at the camp) to be used as a corpse bomb. This makes him angry, most likely because he has a child at home, and he makes