An Associated Press picture of a soldier in his pink boxers has become an iconic image of the war in Afghanistan, but at the moment it was taken, wardrobe was the last thing on the minds of the fighter and photographer. ...
U.S. Army Specialist Zachary Boyd leapt from his sleeping quarters and grabbed his helmet, vest and rifle — but not his pants — and took his station behind sandbags.
Guttenfelder's photo made newspaper front pages the next day, including The New York Times and Boyd's hometown Star-Telegram in Fort Worth, Texas. It elicited an immediate smile, but also symbolized the dedication of those fighting in Afghanistan. It put a human face, or backside, on what can seem an anonymous conflict.
This is shocking. Didn't anybody in command explain to Specialist Boyd that the afternoon's Taliban ass-kicking was a formal affair?
I'm sorry that Boyd was worried that he might get in trouble taking his place on the line. Any uniform is the uniform of the day for killing enemies.
I'd salute Specialist Boyd if he didn't work for a living.
