And while the video is only a few minutes long, and it follows one small unit, it is indicative. The patrol is part of the 61st Brigade, which is involved in the larger hunt for the rebel power plant recently activated near New Zanzibar. The plant and the government efforts to shut it down in turn have broader implications than just the Batanga City area. Videos like this show how one small section of the war has a much bigger butterfly effect on the country as a whole. Indeed the video represents a microcosm for the war itself: long periods of boredom, punctuated by short periods of abject chaos. Yet despite its overarching connotations, the video also shows that it is an intensely personal experience for those involved, their squad mates, and ultimately, their families.
And then there's Baldanga, the man behind the lens. Amazingly, he remains sanguine about his role in it all as a documenter of war.
“I don't relish a gunfight anymore than the next man, but someone's got to show the public what these men go through every day.”
You can learn more about the ongoing conflicts at https://www.facebook.com/Action10CostaRey/
