What makes someone want to become a soldier? What does it look like to transition from a civilian to a soldier? How does it affect individuality?
Raymond McCrea Jones, who used to be on staff at the New York Times, wanted to answer those questions. He embedded himself in a company of 162 Army recruits at Fort Benning in Georgia for 10 weeks. His fly-on-the-wall photos show the experience of basic training, from 4 a.m. wakeup calls to grueling field exercises.
Jones culled nearly 12,000 photos down to about 200 in a photo-essay book, “Birth of a Warrior: Ten Weeks in Basic Training” (ForeEdge/2015).
Host Frank Stasio talks with Jones about his book and experience at Fort Benning.
Jones speaks at UNC-Chapel Hill tonight in Carroll Hall at 7 p.m. as part of the PhotoNight series.