In both How Many Miles to Basra and All Quiet on the Western Front, the war had a strong impact on both soldiers and society.
The aftermath of war in All Quiet on the Western Front is seen because the soldiers can't really adjust to being civilians again. It's hard for them even when they just come home on leave, and they aren't good with family relationships. That's hard on society because the soldiers aren't part of it anymore in the way they were before they left, which means they aren't the productive members that society really needs.
In How Many Miles to Basra, the soldiers, translator, and journalist are all deeply affected by trying to make amends. They want to reach out to a society that isn't interested in them, and they don't know how to do anything else, so it's a losing proposition for both sides.
