Document Type
Honors Thesis
Semester of Graduation
Spring 2026
Abstract
From 2001 to the early 2020s, the United States and its allies have consistently engaged in political, military, counterinsurgency, and nation building operations in nations such as Afghanistan and Iraq. The efforts of this coalition first rallied to combat the threat of global terrorism after September 11th, yet it would then develop in decades-long assignment to rebuild these countries and their institutions with fundamental (and foreign) western values. This thesis intends to examine the conflict by conducting oral histories of its many veterans, to better understand their lived experience. These interviews will be supported by scholarly works from those involved as well as other academic sources. Together, this research will permit me to understand what transpired, the extreme disconnect between the coalition and the Afghans, and ultimately why it could be considered a failure.
Recommended Citation
Edwards, B. (2026). Analyzing and Understanding America’s Involvement in the Global War in Terror through the Oral Histories of its Veterans and other Sources. Retrieved from https://repository.lsu.edu/discover_dur/31
Awardee Name
Bryce Edwards
Academic Major
History
Project Mentor
Julia Irwin