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CNN LIVE SATURDAY
Interview With Anthony Swofford
Aired April 26, 2003 - 12:16 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: Returning home from the war in Iraq can take some serious readjustment. Anthony Swofford knows about such things. He is the author of "Jarhead." The book chronicles his life as a Marine sniper in the first Gulf War. Anthony Swofford joins us from Los Angeles to talk about what returning troops may be experiencing.
Well, when you got back in 1991, what would you say was the biggest readjustment?
ANTHONY SWOFFORD, AUTHOR, "JARHEAD": Well, not -- we were deployed out in the desert. And it's a -- from the field to the rear is a big adjustment, as well, being out with civilians is something that guys who have been out fighting and deployed on ships aren't used to. So just moving into a civil atmosphere is somewhat -- takes an adjustment.
KOPPEL: Did you feel that the Marines had adequately prepared you for this readjustment?
SWOFFORD: Not especially. We returned, and all went off on our 30 days of leave and came back, and slowly had to, you know, readjust in the community that surrounded the base.
One thing that's really important on the battlefield is unit cohesion, you know, for the mental health of the men who are serving, men and women who are serving. And as well, I -- unit cohesion is important upon the return.
And in my unit, we stayed together, and in fact for the next 18 months of my service in the Marine Corps, most of the men that I deployed with to the Gulf War were still together. And that was helpful, because the public spectacle of the return is important for the citizens, the civilians.
But what's most important for the men and women who fight is, you know, the private return, and to their families, to their loved ones, and then back to their unit with the people they served with.
KOPPEL: There are probably some family members that are watching right now. What advice can you give them to try to help both the readjustment from their loved ones' point of view, but also for themselves, to try to sort of reintegrate themselves as a family unit?
SWOFFORD: Well, I think it's very important to allow the service member to reintegrate at his or her own pace, and that the people around them just, you know, let them know that they're loved, cared for, that they were missed greatly, and that the family is happy to have them return, but not to really put any pressure on them.
You know, combat is a very isolating experience, and so too, the return home can be isolating, and there can be -- the combatant can have questions of trust, and, you know, will, indeed, when they're with the family, miss the people they served with.
So it's important that the family, I think, not put a lot of pressure for, you know, instant -- an instant movement back into the unit, the family unit.
KOPPEL: What about questions? You know, I'm sure that family members are going to have so many questions about what the experience was like. Is this the kind of thing that you would recommend they wait until their loved one starts bringing it up him- or herself, or is it OK?
SWOFFORD: I think any general questions are OK, but real specific questions about what the service member saw and experienced are probably -- it's probably best for the service member to decide when he or she thinks that they want to speak to the family members.
A lot of these people will want to keep some of those things to themselves, and, you know, within the combat unit that they served with, rather than share it. There are some things that they simply, you know, will never want to share with their loved ones.
KOPPEL: Anthony Swofford, we thank you for sharing your expertise and experience with us today from L.A. Anthony Swofford is the author of "Jarhead," in case any of you out there want to go pick it up.
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