 |
| Sean Patterson, 19, received psychological aid during the war – Photo: Lalage Snow |
British photographer Lalage Snow captured the strong impact caused by the Afghanistan war on soldiers. The photographer interviewed and photographed soldiers from the First Royal Regiment from Scotland in three different occasions: before going to Afghanistan, after three months on location and just before being sent back home.
 |
| Adam Petzsch, 25, didn’t know what to expect from Afghanistan – Photo: Lalage Snow |
 |
|
Ben Frater, 21, claims to get bored easily after the war – Photo: Lalage Snow |
|
The images and statements are strong proof of the changes caused by the tension and horror. Expectations, fear and trauma are notable in both pictures and words. In her words “I was shocked to see the difference in their appearance such as red eyes, beard and weight loss”. Along with the physical changes, she also witnessed psychological modifications, mainly on the younger soldiers. “They become a lot more mature” she states, “in a moment they can play a little, but once there (in Afghanistan) they seem to wake up to reality. They used to think ‘this is real, this is my job, let’s move forward’”
 |
| David McLean, 27, was shot in the leg a week before returning home – Photo: Lalage Snow |
 |
| Jo Yavala, 28, prays a lot and sometimes has nightmares that make him wake crying – Photo: Lalage Snow |
 |
| Matthew Hodgson, 18, claims to have come back prone to getting irritated – Photo: Lalage Snow |
 |
| Martyn Rankin (Mazzer), 23, thought about the enemy threat all the time – Photo: Lalage Snow |
