Leland Lavoie in Iraq. Image courtesy of Tony Alter.

In Iraq and Afghanistan, soldiers are armed with machine guns, tanks, and helicopters. Under the most stressful of circumstances, they must identify friend or foe and decide whether or not to engage while complying with the UCMJ, Geneva Conventions, Army regulations, and any special orders. Soldiers spend over a year at a time in a combat theater of operations while carrying their M16/M4 with a full loadout of 210 rounds. Often, a soldier carries his weapon everywhere– to the chow hall, barber shop, and Post Exchange. He even sleeps with his weapon.

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