Michael Golembesky

This is a fascinating (and ultimately frustrating) book following a small Marine Corps special operations group in a small valley in Afghanistan. The author illustrates in great detail a number of the operations that he participated in in an attempt to drive the Taliban out of the valley. Fortunately, he also provides excellent detailed maps of each of the operations, and quite a few photos helping the reader visualize the places where these actions occurred. The author is also very good at explaining all of the acronyms used by the military and giving pronunciations of the place names. Ultimately, the book is frustrating (through no fault of the author) in that the people who have the most to gain by driving out the Taliban seem the least willing to fight for their homeland. A lot of good people fought and died to liberate this valley from the Taliban, and within weeks of the Allied forces pulling out, the Taliban had re-gained control of the valley. This ultimate failure really makes one wonder just what we were trying to accomplish over there, and if this goal was really worth the great cost in lives.… (meer)

It can't get more first hand. The guy responsible for dropping bombs can see his targets moving each time he asks headquarters for permission to launch. Without pointing fingers (too hard) he lays out how blurred the lines between friend and foe have become in Afghanistan. At the beginning he says rules of combat have become so convoluted you need a masters degree to figure it out. An entire book later you feel you're only made one class into that degree. The incidents get increasingly bizarre. A very interesting look at modern day combat, how we fight a moral war.

It becomes very clear why this conflict has gone on for so long. A big thanks to all the soldiers who put themselves on the line.… (meer)