Fourth of July, Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, 2010 © Ben Brody, ‘Attention Servicemember’ published by Red Hook Editions

Iraq and Afghanistan, two countries that conjure up so much attention and apathy, with their wars at once both omnipresent and irrelevant to Americans. While these wars were not a generational defining moment like Vietnam was, their influence still seeped in and altered life and society back in America in subtle ways. The gap between fact and fiction, truth and falsehoods, became wider and more pronounced because of these conflicts. It is this disconnect that Ben Brody explores in his new book, Attention Servicemember, an intensely personal collection of war photos that also serve as a reflection on the American experience in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Brody enlisted during the buildup to the invasion of Iraq, and eventually spent the next 15 years photographing war. First, he worked in Iraq as an Army photographer. and after leaving the Army, he covered Afghanistan as an independent photojournalist. While in Iraq, the pictures he took were subject to censorship, and selectively edited to portray an optimistic and successful view of the war. The photos released by the Army were propaganda, often wildly at odds with the deteriorating and violent situation on the ground. Later in Afghanistan, his work was again restricted, this time implicitly through the press access and permits granted by the military.

Beanie Babies, Sadr City, Iraq, 2005 © Ben Brody, ‘Attention Servicemember’ published by Red Hook Editions

It seems that it is this dichotomy between reality and fantasy, life and death, lies and truths that inspired Brody to release his images on his own, to show the real war as he perceived it. Upon examining the book, it immediately pops out with its distinct design inspired by military field manuals, but what is more deeply fascinating are its varied contents and structure. Much like the chaotic and unplanned fashion in which the wars were fought, it seems hard to pin down what is going on. A detailed understanding and description of the events depicted is usually not provided, and type of photo and its subject matter are all mixed up.

Suicide bombing, Baghdad, Iraq, 2005 © Ben Brody, ‘Attention Servicemember’ published by Red Hook Editions

To be sure, most of the pictures cover the American military, portraying the soldiers eating, socializing, resting, as well as the physical environment of the bases they lived on. A good portion of the images cover Iraqis and Afghans as well, both as civilians and members of the police/military. But these subtle and nuanced images are then punctuated with moments of inevitable violence, tension, fear, and destruction that was happening at the same time. We see a stark contrast between the young soldiers on their downtime, their faces laughing and smiling, and when carrying out their duties, their demeanor now serious and grim, their bodies taut and focused. The climate and geography of the countries seem to be completely at odds with the threats the people were under, placing them in the bright sunny deserts of Iraq, or the picturesque ridges and mountains of Afghanistan. Certainly, there is no lack of sunlight in the images, and the domineering landscapes of the two countries seem oblivious to the mayhem and conflict taking place concurrently.

Flying home over Helmand, Afghanistan, 2013 © Ben Brody, ‘Attention Servicemember’ published by Red Hook Editions

The subject matter in Attention Servicemember is extremely varied, depicting soldiers, civilians, aircraft, the interior and exterior. Although it may seem at first glance a confusing and unclear depiction of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, we eventually understand that is the point. There is no easy way to extricate ourselves from these conflicts, the soldiers fighting them are not action heroes, and a powerful disconnect exists between the harsh realities over there and back home, fueled by a symbiotic relationship between the media and the military that prevents outsiders from really knowing what is going on.