Cheerful topic, t’ain’t it?

At any rate, further reflection has led to to append two thoughts to our discussion:

Soldiers in the heat of battle frequently speak of the anguish they felt when a comrade felt. But they alsooften speak of a guilty relief: better him than me. So perhaps, even in the grip of the “band of brothers” meme, there is still a strong drive for self-preservation. Perhaps this would make the risky retrieval of bodies a net reducer of morale.

Also, the whole issue may be moot, particularly in this conflict. Because the American soldiers outgun the insurgents so lopsidedly, U.S. troops almost always control the ground when a firefight ends. Thus, there is never any reason to risk lives under fire when one can reasonably expect that casualties may be collected at leisure once the jihadists are annihilated.