1. This Is What Soldiers On The Mosul Front Think About The Election, October 2016

QAYYARAH AIR BASE, Iraq — Out in the dust south of Mosul — the Americans call it “moon dust” because it’s fine like fresh snow — two veteran US soldiers said they felt a world away from the hysteria of the US election season back home.

They had watched the last debate, they said, and researched the meaning of a few of the campaign’s memes. But they weren’t hanging on the campaign’s many twists and turns. “We’re just here and we’re going to do our jobs well no matter who’s in charge,” said one, a 33-year-old staff sergeant from Pennsylvania.
“Same uniforms, same job,” said the other, a sergeant first class from Texas.