A conversation with photographer Raymond McCrea Jones
What makes someone want to become a soldier? What does it look like to transition from a civilian to a soldier? How does it affect individuality?
Raymond McCrea Jones, who used to be on staff at the New York Times, wanted to answer those questions. He embedded himself in a company of 162 Army recruits at Fort Benning in Georgia for 10 weeks. His fly-on-the-wall photos show the experience of basic training, from 4 a.m. wakeup calls to grueling field exercises.
Jones culled nearly 12,000 photos down to about 200 in a photo-essay book, “Birth of a Warrior: Ten Weeks in Basic Training” (ForeEdge/2015).
Host Frank Stasio talks with Jones about his book and experience at Fort Benning.
Jones speaks at UNC-Chapel Hill tonight in Carroll Hall at 7 p.m. as part of the PhotoNight series.
![A drill sergeant reprimands one of the recruits](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/fdf7761/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4534x3400+0+0/resize/880x660!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmediad.publicbroadcasting.net%2Fp%2Fwunc%2Ffiles%2F201510%2FBOW2.jpg)
![Army recruits simulating combat situations](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/1527e70/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5760x3840+0+0/resize/880x587!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmediad.publicbroadcasting.net%2Fp%2Fwunc%2Ffiles%2F201510%2FBOW3.jpg)
![There were a lot of early mornings before sunrise for the recruits.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ada0ed8/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5650x3767+0+0/resize/880x587!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmediad.publicbroadcasting.net%2Fp%2Fwunc%2Ffiles%2F201510%2FBOW4.jpg)
![Graduation day for the recruits](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f5c93d3/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5422x3684+0+0/resize/880x598!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmediad.publicbroadcasting.net%2Fp%2Fwunc%2Ffiles%2F201510%2FBOW5.jpg)
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