Partial Inventory of the John R. Bruning Collection
Finding aid prepared by Hoover Institution Archives Staff.
Hoover Institution Archives
434 Galvez Mall
Stanford University
Stanford, CA, 94305-6010
(650) 723-3563
archives@hoover.stanford.edu
© 2008, 2012
Title: John R. Bruning collection
Date (inclusive): 1939-2010
Collection Number: 2000C119
Creator:
Bruning, John R., collector
Contributing Institution:
Hoover Institution Archives
Language of Materials note: In English and Japanese.
Physical Description:
7 manuscript boxes, 37,364 digital files (486 GB)
(2.8 linear feet)
Abstract: Video recordings of interviews of American and Japanese World War II pilots and German World War II submarine commanders;
photocopies of American military aviation reports; photographs, relating to aerial and submarine operations in World War II
and aerial operations in the Korean War; and digital videorecordings and photographs, relating to American military operations
in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Physical Location: Hoover Institution Archives
Access
Collection is open for research.
The Hoover Institution Archives only allows access to
copies of audiovisual items. To listen to sound recordings or to view videos or films during your visit, please contact the Archives
at least two working days before your arrival. We will then advise you of the accessibility of the material you wish to see
or hear. Please note that not all audiovisual material is immediately accessible.
Publication Rights
For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Archives.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item] ([Digital file name if appropriate]), John R. Bruning collection, [Box number if appropropriate],
Hoover Institution Archives.
Acquisition Information
Acquired by the Hoover Institution Archives in 2000, followed by an increment of digital files in 2011.
Accruals
Materials may have been added to the collection since this finding aid was prepared. To determine if this has occurred, find
the collection in Stanford University's online catalog at
http://searchworks.stanford.edu/ . Materials have been added to the collection if the number of boxes listed in the catalog is larger than the number of boxes
listed in this finding aid.
Biographical Note
John Bruning, a military writer and photojournalist, was born in 1968 in Palo Alto, California. He earned a BA in history
from the University of Oregon in 1990. He wrote or collaborated on seventeen books published or pending as of 2011, including
The Devil's Sandbox,
House to House,
How to Break a Terrorist,
Shadow of the Sword,
Crimson Sky, and
Jungle Ace.
Bruning began work on
The Devil's Sandbox, which details the 2003-2005 deployment of the 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry, Oregon National Guard to Iraq, in 2005. Six
months after returning home, the battalion was deployed to North Central New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. For
a month, the men conducted patrols and searched for survivors and human remains. Bruning deployed with them as a civilian
embed, living with them on a concrete walkway in front of the music hall at the New Orleans Baptist Seminary.
Upon returning to Oregon and publishing
The Devil's Sandbox, Bruning founded and funded the 973rd Civilians on the Battlefield (973 COB), a nonprofit organization. This group of civilians
serves as the Oregon National Guard's (ONG) opposing force during drill weekends and field exercises. In August 2008, Bruning
spent a month with Alpha Company, 2-162 at Gowen Field, Idaho, during the unit's final field training exercise before their
second Iraq deployment.
In June 2010 Bruning was invited to deploy as an embed to Afghanistan with Bravo Company, 1-168 Aviation, a Boeing CH-47 Chinook
heavy lift unit from Pendleton, Oregon. Another part of the unit belonged to the Washington National Guard at Ft. Lewis. The
two detachments were merged and sent to Forward Operating Base (FOB) Shank in the summer of 2010 to conduct operations around
Logar, Wardak, and Gahzni provinces. Bruning joined them at Fort Hood in July 2010 and was with them until their deployment
in early August. On September 5 he joined Bravo 10168 at FOB Shank. The next day he began flying missions with the unit, which
was attached to TF Brawler, 4-3 Aviation, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division. Mixed in with 1-168 were men
and women from 5-158 Aviation, "Big Windy," out of Germany. They were at the end of their deployment and Bruning ultimately
left Shank with them in November 2010.
Bruning went to Afghanistan without any affiliation to a news organization, and he was not under contract nor in the employ
of anyone. He intended to spend his time in Afghanistan writing articles about the men and women for their local newspapers.
He wrote seven articles and had five published.
Scope and Content of Collection
Video recordings of interviews of American and Japanese World War II pilots and German World War II submarine commanders,
photocopies of American military aviation reports, and photographs, relating to aerial and submarine operations in World War
II and aerial operations in the Korean War. These materials were collected by Bruning in the course of his work.
Most of the still and moving images of national guard training and deployment in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina (2005),
in Iraq (2004-2005), and in Afghanistan (2010), supplemented by a few items dated as early as 2001, were created by Bruning,
although some photographs were given to him. The Iraq and New Orleans material follows the deployment of the 2nd Battalion,
162nd Infantry, Oregon National Guard. It fought in Baghdad, 2nd Najaf, the Sunni Triangle, and Fallujah from March 2004 to
March 2005. Bruning wrote a book about this deployment,
The Devil's Sandbox. After Hurricane Katrina the battalion was deployed to North Central New Orleans; selected photographs from this period are
available. The Afghanistan images follow the deployment of Bravo Company, 1-168 Aviation, a Boeing CH-47 Chinook heavy lift
unit from Pendleton, Oregon. Another part of the unit came from the Washington National Guard at Ft. Lewis. The two detachments
were merged and sent to FOB Shank in the summer of 2010 to conduct operations around Logar, Wardak, and Gahzni provinces.
Bruning's photos follow the unit's deployment in the summer and fall. Additional photographs and videorecordings depict Oregon
National Guard training activities circa 2008.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Afghan War, 2001- .
Iraq War, 2003-2011.
Korean War, 1950-1953--Aerial operations.
Video tapes.
World War, 1939-1945--Aerial operations.
World War, 1939-1945--Naval operations--Submarine.
Photographs and video recordings
2001-2010
General Physical Description note:
37,364 digital files (486 GB)
Scope and Contents note
These born-digital, color images depict US national guard units deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as in New Orleans
in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. In some cases, descriptions of the events and activities depicted were written by Bruning
and are included in the digital folder with the images. Several related articles by Bruning are also included.
The directory structure, folder names, and file names were retained by Hoover almost exactly as received from Bruning. The
directory structure consists of folders with descriptive names; it is the basis of the container list below. Some of the digital
file names are also descriptive, though many others follow an alphanumeric form generated by the camera, such as SUC50007.jpg.
Because the descriptive folder and file names were very long, occasionally exceeding the file system limit of some operating
systems, and contained many characters not recommended for file names, Hoover staff slightly altered some of them while retaining
their descriptive nature.
Some folders are noted as being empty. Because Bruning was not able to finish arranging and describing the material, Hoover
retained the empty folders in case they provide clues to some of the photographs that lack description. There is also a lot
of duplication of images in different subfolders, which may represent Bruning's unfinished work of sorting, arranging, and
describing the materials.
Some of the folder titles seem to suggest that the images within were created by someone other than Bruning. He probably collected
copies of some photographs taken by people he met. The photographs in the Devils Sandbox folder were all given to Bruning
by soldiers.
Several types of digital files are in the collection. Photographs are primarily JPG. Many of the JPGs also have a higher-quality
CR2 version, but only the JPG versions are available in the reading room. There are also some TIFs, all of which are available
in the reading room. Video recordings are typically short clips available as MOV or AVI files. Bruning's notes and articles
are in MS Word files; a PDF file with background information on the Haqqani Network is also included.
Devils sandbox photos
2003-2005
General Physical Description note:
circa 150 digital files
Scope and Contents note
These selected photographs taken by soldiers and given to Bruning detail the 2003-2005 deployment of the 2nd Battalion, 162nd
Infantry, Oregon National Guard to Iraq. The battalion fought in Baghdad, 2nd Najaf, the Sunni Triangle, and Fallujah from
March 2004 to March 2005. They suffered 9 killed in action and about 80 wounded in action out of 700. They were heavily engaged
during both Shia uprisings that year as well as the 2nd Battle of Fallujah in November.
41st Infantry Brigade in New Orleans Post-Katrina
2005
General Physical Description note:
circa 1,600 digital files
Scope and Contents note
These photographs and video recordings relate to the 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry, Oregon National Guard, which was deployed
to North Central New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. For a month, the men conducted patrols and searched for survivors
and human remains. Bruning deployed with them as a civilian embed, living with them on a concrete walkway in front of the
music hall at the New Orleans Baptist Seminary.
Operation Southern Comfort
B Co photos Sept 7 and 8 my Cam
7-8 September 2005
Bates camera Sept 11 evening patrol met Mimi first time
11 September 2005
Day patrol Indian Village Sept 10 morning and early afternoon B Co 2nd Plt
10 September 2005
IO article Sept 14
14 September 2005
Lt Miller camera patrol with BS Sept 9 morning
9 September 2005
Monday Sept 12 3 Patrols Bravo Co
12 September 2005
Night patrol number 1 Vinnie Dave John Sept 9 2100-2200
9 September 2005
Sept 8 and 9
8-9 September 2005
General note
Folder is empty.
Sept 9 patrol escort with Charlie
9 September 2005
General note
Folder is empty.
Sept 11 2 bus patrols 5 hours 1st Plt SFC Jacques
11 September 2005
Sept 13 night patrol and Dillard Patrol 1st and 2nd PLt
13 September 2005
Sept 15 3 patrols SFC Jacques Tagging
15 September 2005
General note
Folder is empty.
Sept 15 morning patrol Houston 3rd Plt
15 September 2005
General note
Folder is empty.
September 18 late photos
18 September 2005
General note
Folder is empty.
Woodke photos
General note
Folder is empty.
41st Infantry Brigade Training
2008-2010
General Physical Description note:
circa 15,800 digital files
Scope and Contents note
Bruning founded and funded the 973rd Civilians on the Battlefield (973 COB), a nonprofit organization. This group of civilians
serves as the Oregon National Guard's (ONG) opposing force during drill weekends and field exercises. They dress as Sunni
or Shia or Taliban insurgents, use the appropriate tactics depending on whom they are modeling, and help prepare units for
combat and stability/support operations overseas. These training photographs and video recordings come from field exercises
with the 41st or 82nd Brigades, ONG that the 973rd attended. In August 2008, Bruning spent a month with Alpha Company, 2-162
at Gowen Field, Idaho, during the unit's final field training exercise before their second Iraq deployment, and images from
this time are also included.
Gowen field trip
August 2008
A Co Aug 11 village attack
11 August 2008
Additional B Co photos iteration 3 Aug 10
3 August 2008
Aug 12 A Co. village attack
12 August 2008
Staff photos Aug 8
8 August 2008
Travels with the BC and the TAC
August 13 last trip photos
13 August 2008
Idaho trip day 1 and 2
7-8 August 2008
Oregon NG photos July 8 John Bruning
8 July 2008
Edited TIF files BG David Enyeart
8 July 2008
Unedited photos BG David Enyeart
8 July 2008
Promotion ceremony Major Welch
8 July 2008
Saturday Aug 9 Gowen Field 08
9 August 2008
Sunday August 10 B Co village assault Gowen Field
10 August 2008
Afghanistan
Fall 2010
General Physical Description note:
circa 19,700 digital files
Scope and Contents note
These photographs and video recordings document the deployment to Afghanistan of Bravo Company, 1-168 Aviation, a Boeing CH-47
Chinook heavy lift unit from Pendleton, Oregon. Another part of the unit came from the Washington National Guard and stationed
at Ft. Lewis. The two detachments were merged and sent to FOB Shank in the summer of 2010 to conduct operations around Logar,
Wardak, and Gahzni provinces. Bruning joined them at Fort Hood in July of 2010 and was with them until early August, when
they deployed. Bruning joined Bravo 1-168 at FOB Shank on 5 September. The next day he began flying missions with the unit,
which was attached to TF Brawler, 4-3 Aviation, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division. Mixed in with 1-168 were
men and women from 5-158 Aviation, "Big Windy," out of Germany. They were at the end of their deployment and Bruning ultimately
left Shank with them in November 2010.
Bravo 1-168 flew a variety of missions, including Air Mission Requests (AMRs). These routine requests from ground units were
for personnel movement or supply/equipment deliveries. They usually involved hopscotching around the province to different
FOBs to bring stuff in or pull people out. The unit also conducted air assault missions to insert troops into landing zones
and extract them after their missions were complete. It also flew missions to deliver swing sets to local villages as part
of the COIN campaign to connect citizens in rural areas to their government in Kabul, carried ballots and election officials
to remote villages, and participated in a battalion-level night air assault in the Charkh Valley.
Bruning also captured some other events. In mid-October he flew to FOB Leatherneck and embedded with the 162 Engineers, Oregon
National Guard, for its final route clearance mission. Bruning returned to FOB Shank at the end of October. His final images
document his departure from Afghanistan on November 1. He went out with 5-158 to FOB Sharona, then to Kandahar, where he said
goodbye to the "Big Windy" troops. From there he flew via C-17 to Kuwait, and then to Bilad, Iraq. He caught a medical flight
to Ramstein, Germany, then a final C-17 that stopped at Gander, Canada, before landing at McChord AFB, Washington, which he
reached five days after leaving FOB Shank.
Articles and blog entries
Marne Air 3rd CAB backgroud to deployment
Nature of the enemy in Logar Province
Scope and Contents note
Consists of one item, "The Haqqani Network: From Pakistan to Afghanistan," by Jeffrey A. Dressler, in
Afghanistan Report 6, published by the Institute for the Study of War
Non-Mission in-country photographs
100310 flight line shots on Sunday
October 16 2010 with 162 Engineers FOB Leatherneck
16 October 2010
October 17 2010 with 162 Engineers
17 October 2010
October 19 2010 with 162 Engineers brief
19 October 2010
October 26 2010 flight line at sunset
26 October 2010
Mission 00 090510 flight to Shank from Bagram with 1-168
5 September 2010
Mission 01 090610 RPG attack at Tangi
6 September 2010
Mission 02 090710 swing set
7 September 2010
Mission 03 090810 Tangi twice weapons cache
8 September 2010
Mission 04 090910 sling loads at sunrise
9 September 2010
Anson Smith and Captain Hoffman pilots
Mission 05 091010 face of the enemy
10 September 2010
Morning air assault John and Joe single engine 173 abb I flew with Eric and Kyle
Mission 06 091110 swing wet II
11 September 2010
Morning swing set delivery and afternoon air assault pick up with Apaches
Mission 07 091210 John Joe Carmen air assault Tangi slingload twice
12 September 2010
Mission 08 091510 Afghani commando insertion Bob and Anson chalk 2 Eric and Kyle chalk 1
15 September 2010
Mission 09 091610 Joe and Carmen chalk 1 15k, ballots, hinds
16 September 2010
Mission 10 091710 Polish FOB incident
17 September 2010
Mission 11 091810 election day mayhem
18 September 2010
Mission 12 091910 hot LZ Ageristan Bob and Carmen got mortared and zoo on hilltop with ANA and LN
19 September 2010
Mission 13 092210 Shulak air assault and knock and talk
22 September 2010
Mission 14 092310 battalion air assault in Chark Valley flying with LTC Ault
23 September 2010
Mission 15 092610 Bagram Tangi IED and SAF attack and Kyle's act of bravery
26 September 2010
Mission 16 092910 Bob and Anson Ryan, Sully and Jerrik Tangi SAF
29 September 2010
Mission 17 093010 flight to Altimur Czech heavy weapons shoot
30 September 2010
Mission 18 100410 Sorkh Ab Valley with Czechs
4 October 2010
Mission 19 100810 Bob and Anson Sully and Sgt Pollard sunrise over Chinooks ghazni and slingloads plus water to Tangi
8 October 2010
Mission 20 100910 Hoshnapur KLE
9 October 2010
Mission 21 101310 KLE Sorkh Ab Caccas house for tea and lunch
13 October 2010
Mission 22 102010 route cleance to COP Cryptic 162 Engineers
20 October 2010
Mission 23 Blackhearts - Col Ault's grand tour
Mission 24 103110 brawler 6 Charkh Valley
31 October 2010
Mission 25 110110 exfil with Big Windy to Kandahar via Sharona
31 October 2010
C17 Kandahar to Kuwait to Bilad to Ramstein to Gandar to McChord
Pre-Deployment 1-168 training photos
Bravo 1-168 at Ft Hood predeployment training
Rest of collection not yet described
