The scenes that we have read described the chaos and desperation that conflict brings, especially when civilians are caught in the crossfire. Images of people clinging to planes, desperate to escape, show just how urgent and dire the situation becomes when a city falls into disorder. On the other side, military personnel are making life-or-death decisions, which leads to a lot of tension between those making the calls and the civilians on the ground.

One thing that stands out is how airstrikes are sometimes talked about like a video game, where operators describe the combat zone as “poppin’” with targets. How did we get to this level of detachment, where life and death are reduced to something that seems more like a game than reality? When that kind of attitude is taken, tragic outcomes follow, like civilians and children being killed due to miscalculations or flawed intelligence. What does it say about our military systems when those calling the shots don’t feel the weight of the consequences?

Then there’s the problem of proving casualties. Families who lose loved ones in airstrikes, like those of Katbeeah, are left grieving, but there’s so much red tape involved in verifying these deaths. Sometimes, reports are rejected because there’s not enough proof, or because the information is too confusing, limiting our understanding of what really happened. What kind of system allows for such disconnect between the reality on the ground and the reports being filed? How do we move forward when we can’t even agree on the basic facts of who died and why? It almost seems like these families are forced to grieve in silence, without proper acknowledgment of their loss.

At the same time, it raises the question of how the Afghan community is coping now. What does the distribution of Afghan refugees look like, both in the U.S. and globally? What resources or support do these communities have, and are they getting the help they need to rebuild their lives? Are we seeing a true effort to embrace these refugees, or is it more about tolerating their presence? The idea that these immigrants can “revitalize” communities is promising, but does that line up with the struggles they face daily?

And then, looking at the bigger picture of military airstrikes, hidden Pentagon documents reveal repeated mistakes and failures that have cost countless civilian lives. There’s talk of “mistakes” happening, but why are these mistakes so common? Why is it that investigations into these incidents often don’t even involve talking to survivors or visiting the sites? How can we trust a system that seems to lack accountability at such a high level?

These questions highlight the gaps in understanding, from the military operators who are distanced from the real consequences of their actions, to the civilians whose lives are shattered by those decisions, and to the systems that prevent us from fully knowing the truth. How do we address these issues and bring more humanity and accountability into these situations? And what does this mean for the future of conflict and the people who are inevitably caught in its wake?