On Wednesday the New York Times began a new blog written by correspondents in the paper's Baghdad bureau. The blog is billed as a chance for readers to discover stories from Iraq that lay beyond the spatial and stylistic constraints of traditional newspaper stories. Thursday's post offered up a great look at a story that's become vastly underreported as the war continues: the American soldier. Politics, sectarian strife, diplomacy, and infrastructure concerns have all but superseded any meaningful embedded coverage, in the mainstream media at least.

Enter Thursday's post: a look at how a unit of Army soldiers spend their nighttime moments when the work day is through. This passage is very telling, and right on. Nighttime, in those last minutes before a soldier falls asleep, is virtually the only moment he or she has alone:

For these soldiers, the day is spent as one — one platoon, one mission, a single role for each soldier with a collective goal to make the operation work.

I have found that something unique happens when you are with soldiers at night.

Then, when the job is done and there is no more light to work by, they can finally rest. While some choose to sleep, some play video games, some eat and some simply think. The only time they can disband from one another is at night. When the closest thing to quiet and privacy comes, they take it.

For a wonderful series of accompanying photographs click here.