RESOURCES
Government/Military
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)
Under the auspices of a U.N. resolution, ISAF coordinates the efforts of international military forces in Afghanistan (including the Danish troops featured in the film). The website describes the group's mission and provides news updates. Read additional information on ISAF's role in Afghanistan from BBC News..
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark: "Denmark's Engagement in Afghanistan: Executive Summary of the Government's Strategy for the Danish Political, Civilian and Military Efforts, 2008-2012"
This link takes you directly to a downloadable English version of a Danish government report.
NATO
The official website of NATO includes a section describing its involvement in Afghanistan.
U.S. Department of State: "Background Note: Afghanistan"
The U.S. Department of State's page on Afghanistan includes general background, history, war policy and current relations from the official U.S. government perspective.
Vortex of Conflict: U.S. Policy toward Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq by Dan Caldwell (Stanford: Stanford Security Studies, 2011)
This history of the fluid U.S. policy towards Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan relating to the current conflicts provides general readers, students, and veterans and their families with a better understanding of the situation.
Soldiers' Voices
POV: "Regarding War"
This 2010 blog features posts by soldiers, veterans and journalists who have had "boots on the ground" in Afghanistan and Iraq. The site also includes links to organizations serving veterans and military families.
Generation Kill by Evan Wright (New York: Berkley Trade, 2008)
After serving as the only embedded journalist in a platoon of First Reconnaissance Battalion Marines, Wright recalls his observances about pop culture's influence on today's soldiers and their perceptions of war, peace and combat compared to those who fought in Vietnam.
One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer by Nathaniel C. Fick (New York: Mariner Books, 2006)
This combat memoir tells the story of a U.S. Marine deployed to Afghanistan, who eventually spearheads the invasion of Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
House to House by David Bellavia (New York: Free Press, 2007)
U.S. Army Staff Sergeant David Bellavia provides a gripping hour-by-hour account of his experience during the fierce 2004 Battle of Fallujah in Iraq.
Effects of War
NOW: "Transcript: Bill Moyers Talks With Chris Hedges"
In this interview with Bill Moyers, journalist Chris Hedges talks about his book War is a Force That Gives Us Meaning, which explores the ways in which war is addictive.
Rand Corporation: "Invisible Wounds of War"
This link takes you to a downloadable copy of the 2008 Rand report "Invisible Woulds of War," one of the most comprehensive studies of post-traumatic stress disorder, major depression and traumatic brain injuries suffered by Iraq and Afghanistan combat veterans.
The Guardian: "Armadillo: The Afghanistan War Documentary That Shocked Denmark"
This news article on the film provides an introduction to the controversy over the soldiers' actions.
War and Gender by Joshua S. Goldstein (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001).
In this study of gender's effect on war and vice versa, Goldstein analyzes the construction of masculinity and femininity with regards to combat.
Stoic Warriors: The Ancient Philosophy Behind the Military Mind by Nancy Sherman (New York: Oxford University Press, 2007)
Georgetown University philosopher Nancy Sherman investigates the modern stoicism to today's soldier with regards to the current military conflicts.