Paper Example. The "Thunder Run" Review

The case study is an interpretation of the "Thunder Run" key events in a coup operation to overthrow Saddam Hussein's administration, through the "Mission Command" doctrine. The case study uses raw footage from the combat and all-encompassing interviews with different soldiers to have a focus on the war. The case study is introduced as the American tanks are preparing to force their way through to the capital city of Iraq. The story then goes directly into the action and highlights some individual narratives from the battleground (Johnson, 2019). Different stories from different soldiers are joined together by the narrator to build up an actual picture of what transpired in the battlefield. This paper provides a review of the "Thunder Run" case study, highlighting all the significant activities that took place.

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The case study primarily deals with the elementary issues the soldiers encounter in combat which include invasions, weapons used in the war and details of the terrors of battle they experience. The invasion problems that the soldiers experience according to this case study include faulty maps, inaccuracy in planning, insufficient ammunition, insufficient spare parts for their tanks, communication problems, shortage of equipment and supplies, and not being familiar with the tactics being used in the battle (Carlson, 2003). Thunder Run case studies use Primary sources for the narratives and information about the combats in Baghdad. The cases studies use interviews from the soldiers who actually fought in this war as well as their journal and notes.

The soldiers experience hardships in adjusting to the terrors of the live war. Many of the soldiers on the battlefield are experiencing a live battle for the first time and are in shock of what they are doing. The crew expresses particular horror in this fight which includes merciless butchering of ill-equipped and untrained Iraqi soldiers who hardly pose any threat to the American army superiority. There also develops the question on morality with the soldiers questioning themselves whether what they are doing is right or wrong- a hard question to answer as they are in dilemma between their own religion and the number of people they have butchered (Zucchino, 2007). Friends see their friends dying in the horrific war and are in shock of what they are witnessing at first hand. The narrator in this case study does not glorify the war but is in agreement with the saying "War is hell".

Through the language used in the narrative, there appear to be some points concerning the war. The foremost point is that war is a horrifying thing to be part of, irrespective of the side taken. The horrifying sounds and sights of the war are likely to have a lasting effect on the soldiers' lives. Thunder Run visualizes the battleground scenes through gripping and passionate imagery that helps in creating a perpetual view that war is not to be glorified as it affects both sides of those fighting (Zucchino, 2007). The Thunder Run account describes the long-term impact of what the troops heard, saw and felt while on the battlefield. At some point, the case study pinpoints the soldiers being given direct orders, "if you don't shoot them, they'll shoot you " and how such orders changed the soldiers' mindset. It tells of how the soldiers were turned into killing machines through strict orders from their commanders.

The "Thunder Run" also shows the tactical approaches used by both sides of the war and how the American soldiers were able to collect intelligence information to help them overcome the Iraqi soldiers. The narrative also shows how the Soldiers were organized and how they were acting according to their commanders' orders to carry out their mission (Carlson, 2003). The operation provides excellent indicators of the strategies, strengths and fighting positions that were used by the soldiers. The American soldiers discovered the attacking strategies of their enemies and hence being able to counter attack them in time.

The case study also addresses the struggle that many soldiers faced when dealing with their colleagues who were shot or killed in an action. At one point, a soldier tries to stop and leave the tank in the middle if an extreme fight to save a partner who has been shot (Conroy & Martz, 2005). However, as he tries to exit the tank, he is blocked by the other soldiers from doing so. The emphasis placed by the author on the mental struggle by the friends of killed soldiers after situations like this appears across the case study. This aspect of war makes it seem horrific and terrible.The war has no room for caring and friendship.

The case study also places emphasis on the intensity and hardship of engaging in a battlefield even though the US tanks were stronger than the Iraqi force. At this point, the narrator dispels the notion that the American soldiers had an easy time forcing their way through the capital of Iraq. The reader is continually reminded of the ferocity of the fighting though pinpointing the low energy levels of the US armies, the continuous waves of Iraqi soldiers, the feeling that the war was unending and the fear of getting killed (Carlson, 2003). The case study shows that the US troops encountered a high level of resistance from their enemies and not as what is suggested by the media which is the US armies having an easy time.

The Thunder Run case studies develop power from the ability to engage the readers' mind by putting them in the war situation of the soldiers at the moment. Putting the readers in that situation develops personal connections to that moment hence the readers can imagine the feelings and thoughts of those soldiers who actually participated in the war. By having the soldiers tell their experiences, the case study narrates the experiences with emotions and feelings. (Conroy & Martz, 2005). book is very comprehensive and tells a fascinating narrative making the reader want to know more about the thunder run.

The Thunder Run case studies have done an outstanding job providing the reader with a personal history of the accomplishments, fights, and feelings of the soldiers in the combat for Baghdad. The Thunder Run cases studies are exhaustively researched, and exceedingly well written to accurately portray the historical situation of the battle in Baghdad (Johnson, 2019). The case studies of the thunder ran develops an interpersonal feeling that makes the reader feel as being part history other than just highlighting what happened during the war or just giving the authors opinions on a particular point of view. The Thunder Run is not only a great read but also very informative and well researched. It makes history come alive and is highly recommendable to those readers interested in this historical occurrence.

References

Zucchino, D. (2007). Thunder Run: The Armored Strike to Capture Baghdad. Open Road+ Grove/Atlantic.

Carlson, A. (2003). Thunder Run in Baghdad. 1st ed. pp.105-115.

Conroy, J., & Martz, R. (2005). Heavy Metal: A Tank Company's Battle to Baghdad. Potomac Books, Inc.

Johnson, D. E., Schaefer, A. G., Allen, B., Cohen, R. S., Gentile, G., Hoobler, J., Zeigler, S. M. (2019). The US Army and the Battle for Baghdad.