The reality of war is that you are facing people who want to kill you and those in your unit. If you have never been in a situation where you are looking at another person, knowing that only one of you will walk away alive, you don't know what it is like. You are lucky if you don't know that...

The joy and happiness that he feels is probably that he has lived another day... ironically it's his birthday. In war, you celebrate every day you get - especially birthdays - because you don't know when or if you will die.

I don't see this as "morbid fascination" - I see it as a survival mechanism, and a crying out against death and destruction "I'm here! I'm alive! That motherfukker didn't kill me!"

Also, if more people see videos or read blogs by people who are in war situations, maybe the reality of it all will be realised by people. War looks cool when it is on the television or in the movies... not when you are there seeing your friends killed by an IED. I think war videos will help turn people from Chickenhawks to a more peaceful view.