The two sources explore the underrepresentation of the experiences of ordinary soldiers in the Iraq and Afghan Wars within media and literature. The first source presents a collection of comments from Medium users responding to a post about the author's personal experience in combat. The second source is an excerpt from the author's Medium article, which delves deeper into this issue by highlighting the disparity between the portrayal of elite special forces and the realities faced by average soldiers, focusing on the author's own wartime experience and the stories of his colleagues. Both sources emphasize the importance of acknowledging and sharing the complex and nuanced experiences of ordinary soldiers, arguing that their stories are often overlooked in favor of more glamorous narratives.