US Veteran Finds Ukraine War a Stark Contrast to Past Conflicts
KYIV, Ukraine – A US Army veteran fighting with Ukraine’s International Legion says the war has been a jarring experience, forcing him to adapt to a style of combat drastically different from his deployments in iraq and Afghanistan. Matthew Sampson, who joined the Legion in May 2022, described the intense, static warfare as a throwback to World War I, a stark contrast to the US military’s recent engagements against less-equipped adversaries.
Sampson’s observations highlight a significant shift in modern warfare, as the conflict in Ukraine has demonstrated a return to large-scale, attritional fighting. He noted the lack of overwhelming US technological and logistical advantages, a condition he and his fellow soldiers are unaccustomed to. “In the US Army we don’t train in the trenches at all,” Sampson told Channel 24. “The closest thing to this is training in corridors, but they usually have doors.”
The veteran explained that the US military has grown accustomed to facing weaker opponents in recent decades. “The Americans usually have a lot of resources. But here they are almost non-existent.As frequently enough the forces at the front are about the same. Frankly,we are not used to that,” he said. Sampson’s experience underscores the unique challenges and realities faced by foreign fighters in Ukraine, and the evolving nature of 21st-century conflict.
