The Things They Carried: Boredom

"Even in the deep brush, where you could die in any number of ways, the war was nakedly and aggressively boring. But it was a strange boredom. It was boredom with a twist, the kind of boredom that caused stomach disorders." -pg. 33

There is never a dull moment for a soldier. When they are not fighting, they are waiting for more fighting. How could they sleep soundly knowing that their enemy could be watching them? It may feel like boredom, but it is a stressful boredom. They become paranoid, every sense heightened, every sound a threat. I'm sure all of that stress does transpire into physical effects. Waiting for something to happen, and whether it does or doesn't, its a lot of paranoia. They spent more time waiting for violence than they did participating in it.