Fog and Friction Press

If you've ever wondered what combat is really like -- the stories you don't get from the local recruiting officer -- "Fog and Friction" takes a look at three specific battles in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The half-hour film is part of a larger series, "Beyond the Border," jointly produced by the David M. Kennedy Center at Brigham Young University and Combat Films and Research. It airs on KBYU beginning Wednesday.

The series takes a look at various world events and stories through the perspective of international relations.

"Through this series, we hope to provide an alternative perspective on forces, ideas and facts that are beyond the border of our common experience," Jeff Ringer, Kennedy Center director and creator of the concept, said in a news release.

"Fog and Friction," (Wednesday, 9 p.m.) is the first in the series. Its title alludes to the two constant aspects of military chaos. Fog refers to uncertainty. For example, soldiers need to cross-check incoming reports about the enemy and determine what is known with a surety, and what isn't. Friction refers to the difficulties in doing seemingly simple tasks. What soldiers are trained to know is that they are never in total control, there is always some unknown variable to catch them off guard.

What makes this particular film interesting is that it isn't about winning or losing. It's about what the soldiers profiled are dealing with day to day. The interviews focus on training and decision making. And while there are interviews with both military professors and soldiers themselves, the installment doesn't take an emotional tone. Instead, it simply discusses the logistics of accomplishing an operation of war.

Other films in the series are "Arms Bazaar" (Wednesday, 9:30 p.m.), about the international arms market; "From the Masses to the Masses" (Sept. 29, 9 p.m.), a story of five artists in China; "Ukraine Sonata" (Sept. 29, 9:30 p.m.), a look at the music influenced by the country's independence from the Soviet Union; "Faultlines and Pipelines" (Oct. 6, 9 p.m.), about the struggles surrounding a large portion of the world's oil reserves.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page F23.

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