The age of context is upon us.
Last week we featured some POV footage of mind-blowing surfing action. It was fun, sporting and intentionally creative.
The clip above is on the the whole other side of the spectrum. It’s real, raw, and unnerving from the middle of an active battlefield. No doubt, it was not created with artistic purpose. But it captures the context and imagery of what it is like, visually, to be in war. Nerve-rattling and stressful.
Watch as this unknown US soldier places himself in harms way – presumably to to pull Taliban insurgent fire off his squad, pinned down above him, so they could get to safety. He is hit several times (reports suggest his body armor protected him from serious injury) and his exclamation, “Im hit, Im hit,” parks itself in your brain. The soldier’s actions might seem courageous and brave, but some are suggesting that he was reckless and moving into harms way without a plan for cover. I’m not a solider or an expert in fighting the Taliban, so I will leave that debate for others. I’m sure there will be no shortage of opinions.
The soldier is quoted:
“I got a hit a total of 4 times. My helmet cam died and i made it down the mountain on my own. I was also hit in the side of my helmet and my eye pro was shot off of my face.
A round struck the tube by my hand of the 203 grenade launcher which knocked it out of my hands. When I picked the rifle back up it was still functional but the grenade launcher tube had a nice sized 7.62 cal bullet hole in it and was rendered useless.”
This is an relatively new application of wearable cameras – and the footage from the battlefield is more ubiquitous than ever. There is ongoing footage from the war in Afghanistan HERE.
I like how they’ve bleeped out “fucking” from a war clip. War = OK. Cursing = not OK.
+1
Agreed, it’s ridiculous. Showing someone being shot is acceptable viewing but if you say a naughty word we’ve got to bleep it…
Actually the guy in the end says shit and fuck not bleeped
Looks like the taliban knows where they are shooting but him. They were a good aim too… Ak47?
Wow, this is crazy stuff. I would never judge any actions because it is impossible to do so unless you’ve been there. Very cool video to show you what it is like in a fire fight. I wish these guys were home and chillin stateside instead of getting shot at and shooting others. Hoorah for the 4th I.D.
This video is quite impressive. It show us first hand what the soldiers experience on a daily bases. Its brutal, but i think its a must watch for everyone. Its the real and raw truth.
I don´t really care if he was doing a brave move, or if if its actions were the most appropriate for that moment. What i really can´t get out of my head is that even if the soldiers have a great training, its impossible to always keep calm, and sometimes mistakes are made, and in this case, with bullets flying in your direction, and on that hill, its “very easy” to do mistakes.
Regarding the wearable cameras, this is a fine example on how sometimes that cameras capture moments when stuff don’t happen as planned, that otherwise would be just a story told from person to person.
Impressive…
I never want to be on the side of a mountain with no way to go but up and be shot at by an invisible enemy. Where the hell are the walkie-talkies much less anything more fancy for communication? This seems like something right out of WWII.