If you're going to write about war, the ugly side is inevitable. Suffering and death are obviously part of war.

I literally went straight to New York City from Iraq, which was bizarre and complicated. I was walking down Madison Avenue, and it was spring, and people were smartly dressed, and it was so strange because there was no sense that we were at war. It was something to grapple with.

I like the ethos of the military and the idea of joining an institution in which, at the very least, everyone who signs up believes in something.

Phil Klay Quotes