Daniel A. SjursenBesprekingen

In spite of the length of time it took me to read this book it is excellent. Should be a must read for everyone

Review thus far:

The introduction is a very meaningful read.

I am loathe to write a review of a book I haven't finished, but considering how long ago I received this book for an "early review" I feel that I should simply consider myself out of time .I requested this book because of my admiration for Andrew Bacevich, not realizing that he was simply an editor. That said, this book certainly delivers on its subtitle 'Solders speak out against America's misguided wars'. The essays I've read so far provide diverse viewpoints of those on the ground and are generally well written. Unfortunately only the introduction, written by Bacevich himself, really impressed me. To me a format change away from a straight essay (along the lines of Svetlana Alexievich) would have allowed for a far more poignant book....... However, for those looking for a specifically American viewpoint from those in our volunteer armed forces, this book certainly delivers.

Paths of Dissent: Soldiers Speak out Against America’s Misguided Wars is a collection of 15 personal narratives edited by Andrew Bacevich. In these narratives the authors seek to encapsulate the events and struggles that led them to become military “dissenters.” Well written sometimes jarring, these memoirs in miniature are compelling stories, but together they form a comprehensive and cohesive case against the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq – indeed against all wars of choice.

The authors come from varied socio-economic backgrounds, educational levels, and military experiences. The readers engage with a self-described “grunt” like Buddhika Jayahama who noted that “There are moments in life when the smart thing to do and the right thing to do don’t necessarily align.” (14) He realized this as he felt compelled to do his part to participate in the wars and struggled with his personal responsibilities to his wife and child. But readers also meet Kevin Tillman, a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, who was the brother of the late Pat Tillman, the NFL player who joined after 9/11. Kevin’s experiences lead him to note, with exquisite accuracy, that “This nation has been living off the virtue of the greatest generation most of a century in order to systematically pillage the planet. It’s an insult to everything that generation fought for in the first place.” (230)

Bacevich, whose own son was killed by an IED in Iraq, explained that “Genuine military dissent is patriotic. It expresses a determination to right wrongs, especially policies that victimize US troops without yielding any discernible benefit to the nation. Military dissenters are not self-seeking. Their commitment is to a cause larger than themselves.” (7). Their willingness to cut against the grain of American society and call the military and the American government to account for its failures and wrongdoing infuse their narratives with a certain weightiness and seriousness that we would do well to heed.

Paths of Dissent is a powerful read. However, it does lack a diversity of voices. Only one woman contributed to this book, Joy Damiani. Her story is important, but it is disappointing that more female voices and experiences were not used. Bacevich also included a narrative by Jonathan Hutto, Sr. titled, “A Sailor’s Story.” Hutto explains, in detail, the racism and prejudice he experienced at the hands of his commanding officer and fellow sailors – and the apparent lack of concern of his immediate chain of command. However, while his story is about dissent, it is not about dissent against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, per se, and it seems as if the inclusion of Hutto’s story is a clumsy way to make the book more racially diverse. I do not want to imply that Hutto’s experiences are unimportant or that the need to examine the Navy’s response to the abject racism in its ranks should not be discussed. But in the context of Bacevich’s stated purpose, it seems disjointed and out of place. Hutto’s narrative deserves to be read and seen – and perhaps more books dealing with the current culture of racism and white supremacy in the armed forces should address those very issues.

Ultimately Bacevich’s book is an important addition to the growing literature on military dissent and opposition to American wars of choice by serving military personnel. It is an easy, but important read. And all of these men and women deserve to be heard.

A book of essays written predominantly about the Afghanistan and Iraq wars by veterans. As with most collections of essays, some are better than others. But this book is an important read. Just because soldiers are no longer drafted against their will does not mean that our military does not have significant issues all around.½

This collection of essays by military dissenters mostly discusses our long occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq. For the most part, the writers were on the ground in those countries. They came from different services--although most were infantry, different backgrounds, and served at different stages of those wars. All agree that our military adventures were misguided, mismanaged and led to needless loss of life. Now, on the first anniversary of our withdrawal from Afghanistan, is an excellent time for this book to appear in print. Anyone concerned about US security, the state of the US armed forces, and the state of our democracy should read this book. The dissenters are compelling people with compelling narratives; most of all, they were eyewitnesses to disastrous actions and reactions, which will be repeated if we do not learn the lessons these men and women learned the hard way, on the ground, in combat.½

This is an excellent anthology of writers who have served in the US military during the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. These male and female soldiers have come to question these wars and the leadership both civilian and military who seem to have gotten a free pass on everything from corruption, and waste, to mismanagement. The essays are all written at a high degree of sophistication which means concise and usually free from ill defined generalizations. I have the intuition that these contributors were sought out because they had already published content elsewhere. These essays are not all anti-war or pacifistic. There is a a wide spectrum of opinions but all bringing crucial questions about how these wars were conceived and promoted and then failed as they were waged. No one is spared blame here, which is a real sign of honesty and truth seeking. Bacevich wrote an Introduction and concluding section which make for a tight read to sum things up. Although there is a tendency by some contributors to assume that the crimes which the CIA committed are the fault of the whole US Government, these testimonials are accurate about the facts of the Wars. The pain which these soldiers feel is real and trauma has injured them all for life. Learning the facts of the political process of waging war is part of the physical healing process. So also is the soul-healing which must be addressed and is partly salved by these essays being written. These two parts go together and it is heartening to read these eloquent soldiers bear some of their pain for the benefit of the rest of the US citizenry so that their experiences will not be wasted in them having remained silent.
This book probably isn't for persons unacquainted with US military such as high schoolers and college students due to the lingo used. This book has no glossary nor bibliography. This seems to have been written for current event enthusiasts and news reporters. This book is informative and balanced.

"Paths of Dissent: Soldiers Speak Out Against America's Misguided Wars" is exactly as the title describes. It is a set of essays from a diverse range of volunteer soldiers who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Almost all the essays have brief biographies that tell why the soldiers volunteered for different branches of the military. Some of them are career soldiers while others enlisted for a brief time. Almost to a tee, when the authors were deployed, they became disillusioned. Many of them saw or heard about their friends and colleagues being killed. Others learned about the wasteful spending that fed antagonists and still others found out that these wars were simply not winnable because they created more enemies. Many of them, having survived the wars, criticized the veneer of patriotism put up by politicians and the American public who supported them with words but failed to truly understand the consequences of war.

The stories that these soldiers tell are important because, as several of them wrote, the public relations departments of the military and the American media in general fail to report the consequences and difficulties of war. In that respect, they fail the soldiers who give their lives to protect the American people.

The essays are all very well-written and easy to read. Hopefully many of these former soldiers are pursuing careers in literature or academics.

This is a substantially important book despite being a collection of short contributions. Andrew Bacevich is one of the most perceptive critics of American foreign policy of the last few decades. Here he and Daniel A. Sjursen have gathered accounts of how Americans who have served in the American wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, usually as young military officers, were disillusioned by the lies put forward by the Pentagon, the State Department, the White House, and other government agencies about what was taking place in those wars. And not just the official lies, but also the incompetent leadership, the arrogance of those who think any problems have military solutions, the mindless careerism, the local corruption, the ignorance concerning the countries involved, the pointless sacrifice of American lives and those of the natives of the Middle East, the destruction of the infrastructure of those countries, and the near impossibility of its replacement. If the reader wants answers as to why the Taliban took over so quickly once the American military left Afghanistan, read this book.

(36) This is a collection of essays from Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans who ultimately became disillusioned with America’s endless wars and have spoken up and written publicly their experiences and opinions. Most of them are educated officers and are now journalists, professors, consultants, authors, etc. One interesting contributor is Kevin Tillman, brother of Pat Tillman. His testimony is powerful and it barely touches on what happened to his brother. One concept that kept coming up again and again was the ‘all volunteer’ military’s culpability in the average Americans indfiference to what has happened in the Middle East. I did not realize that the draft was a thing of the past purposefully.

I have read about the veteran’s jaded perspective in the searing ‘Billy Lynn’s Halftime Walk.’ All a big scheme for corporate war profiteering. Depressing and truly immoral. Thank-You for your service… These essays are all derivative of that sentiment. Many of these essays were engaging and well-written. Perhaps all of them, but the reason for a mediocre rating is that they all essentially said the same thing. I kept thinking I was accidentally reading the same essay again, but no - it’s just almost identical content, theme, narrative arc. I think that is the Achilles Heel here. I think the scope needed to be broadened - include other Wars? Include Veterans of Iraq/Afghanistan that feel differently? Some commentary about why so many ex-soldiers would support the January 6th insurrection? Many of the essays spanned this time frame and only Tillman addressed this head on.

I am very appreciative of being selected as an Early Reviewer. A worthy read but repetitive. So many other interesting avenues to explore through intelligent veteran commentary - a lot to learn about our country.

The title PATHS OF DISSENT bought to mind a classic anti-war film (and the book, by Humphrey Cobb), PATHS OF GLORY, and, as was the case with that film, there's precious little glory to be found in this collection of a dozen-plus essays by various disillusioned veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars of the past couple of decades. I had read Anthony Bacevich's BREACH OF TRUST and Daniel Sjursen's GHOST RIDERS OF BAGHDAD a few years back, so I was familiar with the work and backgrounds of the co-editors. But I only recognized the name of one contributor, Roy Scranton, who was co-editor of another fine collection of military essays, FIRE AND FORGET, and, later, WAR PORN, a novel. The other names were all new to me. But every piece here is good in its own way.

The first essay, Erik Edstrom's "As American as It Gets," details his indoctrination as a West Point cadet though his deployment as a young platoon leader to Afghanistan, where he came to feel "the moral injury of realizing that the War on Terror - the thing I had spent years of my life preparing for - was illegal, immoral, self-perpetuating, and counterproductive."

Then there is Jason Dempsey's "The Accountability Avoidance Two-Step" -

"... that both generals and politicians find advantageous. Political leaders can appear strong by putting the military in charge of even the most inappropriate missions, like nation-building ... And ambitious military leaders can then play the role of soldier-statesmen, basking in public adoration, but with no responsibility for the outcome of their efforts. After all, if a plan does not work out, they were 'just following orders,' and the ultimate fault must lie with elected politicians. Ultimately, no one ends up being held accountable."

In Kevin Tillman's tale of how he left his minor league baseball career to enter the military after 9/11, along with his NFL star brother, Pat, who ended up being killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan, and how the Bush administration lied about it -

"... with a manufactured story about him dying by enemy fire. For maximum effect, they awarded him a Silver Star, one of the highest military honors."

Or Gian Gentile's "What I Learned in Baghdad," about the civil war set off in occupied Iraq, with his horrific memories of a "woman weeping ... holding her dead baby in her arms while her husband lay dead on the street nearby. Her baby had been shot in the head by the same Sunni fighters who killed her husband ..."

Or Gil Barndollar, on the long-lasting effects of war and his acknowledgement, in "My Good War," that "Most veterans I know well have lost more friends and comrades to suicide than they did to the enemy."

Books like PATHS OF DISSENT should be required reading for all members of Congress, which will never happen, of course. These essays leave me feeling angy, frustrated, horrified and, mostly, sad. War sucks, but it appears it will always be a part of the human experience. Those who are ignorant of history are indeed, it seems, doomed to repeat it. A pity so many ignoramuses keep getting elected to the halls of power.

How do I end this? A very good collection of thought-provoking essays about the folly and tragedy of our recent "forever wars." Very highly recommended.

- Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir, BOOKLOVER

Bacevich generally misses the mark with his works and this is no exception. Although his heart is in the right place and honors our soldiers he fails to mention how Obama increased wars dramatically and 45 was the only recent president who curtailed warfare and service to the military-industrial complex. At least he steps aside to let the dissenting troops speak in this volume.

Compiled by New York Times bestselling author Andrew Bacevich and retired army officer Danny A. Sjursen, Paths of Dissent: Soldiers Speak Out Against America's Long War collects provocative essays from American military veterans who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, offering firsthand testimony that illuminates why the Forever Wars lasted so long while producing so little of value.

In the wake of 9/11, the United States embarked upon a Global War on Terrorism aimed at using American military power to transform the Greater Middle East. Twenty years later, the ensuing forever wars have produced little tangible success while exacting enormous harm. In Iraq and Afghanistan, the United States has sustained tens of thousands of casualties while expending trillions of dollars and inflicting massive suffering on populations that we sought to "liberate."

In Washington and across the nation at large, the inclination to forget these wars and move on is palpable. In fact, there is much to be learned and those who served and fought in these wars are best positioned to teach. The first book of its kind since the Vietnam era, Paths of Dissent gathers original essays from American veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, drawn from all services, ranks, and walks of life, who have come out in opposition to these conflicts. Selected for their honesty and eloquence by fellow veterans Andrew Bacevich and Danny A. Sjursen, these outspoken critics describe not only their motivations for serving, but also for taking the path of dissent--disappointment and disillusionment; the dehumanizing impact of combat; the loss of comrades to friendly fire; the persistence of xenophobia and racism--all of these together exposing the mendacity that has pervaded the Global War on Terrorism from its very outset.

Combining diverse, critical perspectives with powerful personal testimony, Paths of Dissent sheds light on the myriad factors that have made America's post-9/11 wars costly and misguided exercises in futility.

A brief, focused history of USA, warts and all, mainly warts. A pushback against the mythological, more positive, nationalist histories. The subtitle says it all. Informative, devastating and slightly hopeful that a change may come from the grassroots.

Ghost Riders of Baghdad is a book of contradictions, and because of this, I have contradictory feelings about it. On one hand, Sjursen is an intelligent and articulate writer with unique insight regarding the Iraqi War and a proper understanding of middle-eastern history. On the other hand, Sjursen is a soldier who has a jaded perspective and ignores some of the facts. It's likely the author is still working through some of his feelings, still sorting through the emotions and the rationalizations, but this book captures that moment and still does a valid job of shining a spotlight on the US invasion of Iraq.

Sjursen knows history. He knows the players on the field and is able to label their sentiments and objectives in detail. He is articulate and well read (interestingly none of the authors he mentions are female). He is assertive. He is able to admit mistakes. And he is bold in his assertion that the war was full of corruption and lapses of judgment.

Despite attacking the war, Sjursen defends the army tooth and nail. Instead, he largely focuses his attack on the civilians at home. He complains about the passivity of the American populace and their ignorance of the war. And while some of his claims are certainly true, Sjursen overgeneralizes considerably, ignoring the protests that united a world against a war. While millions protested, Sjursen was an enlisted soldier. And perhaps those protests dwindled with time, but only because those who protested knew better. They knew there was no stopping the machine once the cogs began to turn—and Sjursen, despite his eventual position on the war, was one of those cogs.

The majority of the author's complaints are in response to “The Surge” and its ineffectuality. Sjursen argues that despite the assurance of government officials, the surge was a failure. He complains about how the soldiers were bullied, forced to extend their stay, because the numbers simply weren't there. He suggests that a draft should have been utilized. Here is a classic example of how confused the author seems to be about the facts. Despite his disagreement with the war, he proposes implementing a draft. Not only does this not make sense, but it ignores the fact that a draft would've worked counter to the goals of the American government. A draft would have taken the blinders off of the American populace. Concerned for the welfare of their non-combative child, the average citizen suddenly would know exactly what was going on in Iraq. Obviously, a draft would've been the quickest way to shut down the war. It would've been Vietnam Part II. That Sjursen, despite his impressive knowledge of Sunni and Shia relations and the history of Iraqi neighborhoods, does not realize the results of forced conscription on the war seems way off.

In my opinion, Sjursen is spot on when he is not ruled by his emotions. Justifiably, he is upset and angry about the results of his time in Iraq. But he's largely placing blame on the wrong people. We were in the streets. We were arguing against the war. We were making music and lifting our voices in protest. For what it's worth, we were here...

Ghost Rid­ers of Bagh­dad: Sol­diers, Civil­ians, and the Myth of the Surge by Daniel A. Sjursen is a non-fiction book about the author’s expe­ri­ence in Iraq. Mr. Sjursen served as an offi­cer in the US Army dur­ing, what is now known, as “the surge” which has been cred­ited by politi­cians as help­ing turn around the war.

Ghost Rid­ers of Bagh­dad: Sol­diers, Civil­ians, and the Myth of the Surge by Daniel A. Sjursen is the author’s account of his time in Iraq. The book really gives a good impres­sion on what it’s like to be “boots on the ground” dur­ing the occupation.

Mr. Sjursen talks about doing the job, how it’s viewed from ground level and what is being sold to the Amer­i­can pub­lic. Lead­ing his men, the author saw the prob­lems that they all faced on the bat­tle­field as well as their own pri­vate hell they faced when return­ing home.

Mr. Sjursen also shares his own per­sonal views about the war, pro­fes­sional sol­der­ing, the ugly busi­ness of man­ag­ing an occu­pa­tion and the even uglier pol­i­tics of insert­ing your­self in the mid­dle of a sec­tar­ian civil war. The author obvi­ously had much love and respect for the men he led and those he served with, he writes beau­ti­fully about each and every one of the, a tes­ta­ment to the his char­ac­ter as well as theirs.

I do agree with the author’s analy­sis that the major­ity of the Amer­i­can peo­ple have no stake in the war, either in blood or trea­sure, which is why there was never major oppo­si­tion to them. While the issues are com­plex and stag­ger­ing, the men on the ground some­times feel, and rightly so, that the Amer­i­can pub­lic is not with them except mean­ing­less faux patri­o­tism gestures.

As well as the per­sonal story, the author does an out­stand­ing job explain­ing the long and com­plex feud between the Sunni and Shia Mus­lims. Any­one who, at least, would like to under­stand this issue and the affect it has on the US troops who are stuck in the mid­dle of it would ben­e­fit from read­ing it.

Above all, this book is unblink­ing and inti­mate, while you might not agree with every­thing the author has to say it is cer­tainly a worth­while read.

Disclaimer: I got this book for free
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Sjursen brings the action in this one. From describing being an accidental soldier to that of dust-filled action of the kill zone, we are able to get the perspective of the inside soldier.

This book is a must read for anyone who wants to know what it is like to be a pair of boots when 'boots are on the ground' in the Middle East. in Ghost Riders of Baghdad, Daniel Sjursen gives a narrative of his life as an officer leading grunts in Baghdad and the surrounding areas during the famous 'surge'. It is gritty, in your face and brilliantly written. I now KNOW the guys he talks about. I know him.
I wish the 2016 presidential candidates were required to read this book. It isn't about: let's shoot 'em up and win this war; it is about doing the job. The job.

Daniel Sjursen, a West Point graduate has written a very personal story about the Iraq war and the Surge. Experiencing it first hand, he brings in the important perspective of the front line soldier, void of the political chaff of politicians and generals and the claims that we avoided defeat in Iraq. The members of the Ghost Riders platoon saw it all during 2006-07 Surge. He writes of the injustice of the all-volunteer Army, the problems that soldiers face both on the battlefield and at home. He tells it with passion and poignancy. The deaths and injuries to several of his platoon make this book therapy for him—he notes that he can’t forget Iraq. This memoir is a good reminder of what happens when we commit ourselves without an initial clear plan and when we are forced to make adjustments to policy with little care to the consequence, both to our soldiers and civilians of Iraq. We see those results 10 years later in the form of continued war and bloodshed.

Ghost Riders of Baghdad (ForeEdge ; imprint of the University Press of New England ; 2015) tracks the "fog of war" trials by fire of the 2nd 'Ghost Rider' Platoon, 'Black Knight' Troop, 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment of the 2nd U.S. Infantry Division during Operation Iraqi Freedom, late 2006-early 2007. The author, Daniel A. Sjursen, served as this unit's Platoon Leader, a Lieutenant and (then) recent (2005) graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, West Point. Sjursen tackles three questions, in his words: "First, who really serves in the all-volunteer military of [America's] ostensible democracy [. . . ]? Second, what did the business of counter-insurgency and refereeing a sectarian civil war actually consist of? And, finally, if most often forgotten, what exactly did all this mean for the Iraqi people?" (p. xvii)

* * * (more about GROB tomorrow)

GHOST RIDERS OF BAGHDAD: SOLDIERS, CIVILIANS, AND THE MYTH OF THE SURGE, by Daniel A. Sjursen.

Add one more highly literate and moving memoir to the ever-growing mountain of books to come out of our current wars. Major Daniel Sjursen, currently a history teacher at West Point, gives us a thoughtful and very personal peek into a three-month period in 2006 that he spent as a platoon leader of a Scout squadron in southern Baghdad. In fact his unit had their year-long tour extended by an additional three months - a direct result of the very controversial "surge" he takes stringently to task in these pages.

Although Sjursen tries to think of himself as a street-smart kid from Staten Island (in order, I suspect, to more closely bond with the men in his platoon), he reveals early on that in reality he was "A soft kid who liked hanging out with his mother more than most." Which is understandable, given that his parents divorced when he was seven. But he bears them no ill will, thanking them both (in his Acknowledgments) for how they raised him, and his dad in particular for pointing him toward the USMA.

It's not surprising that the emphasis here is about soldiers and soldiering, and Sjursen's story is one of the very close and special bond formed between a small group of young men who went through training together and then faced down their own separate fears on daily patrols in the mean streets of Salman Pak and Baghdad. He introduces us to his men: Fuller, Ford, DeJane, South, Gass, Duzinskas, Faulkner and Smith; and they become real breathing human beings as he tells their stories, and his own. Some survive, some do not.

Sjursen is something of a paradox. A career officer who has served in both Iraq and Afghanistan, he hates these wars, and strongly criticizes the policies and the people in power who have caused them. He is very much aware of his situation, noting, that while still a lieutenant in 2006, he wrote in his journal: "... how does an officer balance personal opposition to a war with his duty to serve and lead a combat platoon? ... I'm not sure I've yet found the answer."

Sjursen has made a careful study of the age-old feud between Sunni and Shia, and sees no easy answers to resolving the bitter and bloody civil wars between these factions that have now spread beyond Iraq into the entire Middle East, a direct result, he feels, of Bush's ill-advised invasion of Iraq and the toppling of Saddam Hussein's regime. His frustration with our own administration's cluelessness is obvious, for example -

"Cultural ignorance got a lot of people killed. Several accounts indicate that President Bush himself was unaware of the divide between Iraq's Sunni and Shia communities. 'I thought they were all Muslims,' he'd supposedly said during a Cabinet meeting."

In that respect, of course, Bush is probably no different than our general populace, but he is the PRESIDENT, for God's sake! He SHOULD know! Yeah, Danny. I get your frustration and anger.

In a narrative that walks us through the deaths and mutilations of some of the men he loves most, Sjursen gives us some excruciatingly concrete examples of just a few of the people killed by that casual ignorance. Some of these stories may bring you to tears. The waste of human lives, both soldier and civilian, is simply horrifying.

One of the things that sets Sjursen's story apart - and I found personally intriguing - is his inquiring mind and his voracious reading. The text is sprinkled throughout with quotes and references to authors he has read. Some are obvious: Heller, Tim O'Brien, Graham Greene, Vonnegut; the WWI writers Owen, Sassoon, Blunden and Graves. But there are also song lyrics here and there, from Steve Earle, Linkin Park, and Springsteen. There are verses from A.E. Housman and Dylan Thomas, mixed in with script lines from TV's THE WIRE and the film, THE CRYING GAME. More than once he quotes lines from Anton Myrer's 1968 bestselling novel, ONCE AN EAGLE - which is certainly appropriate, spanning as it did, both World Wars, Korea and Vietnam.
In his musings on the wisdom of the all-volunteer army and how it is often abused and stretched too thin, Sjursen seems in sympathy with retired Army Colonel Andrew Bacevich, and even quotes from his recent book, BREACH OF TRUST: HOW AMERICANS FAILED THEIR SOLDIERS AND THEIR COUNTRY. I mean this is a guy who reads widely, absorbs and remembers - and is still trying valiantly to sort it all out and make sense of the mess - the upheaval - of today's world at war. He makes a very cogent case for connecting the current ISIS problems directly to America's ill-advised invasion of Iraq and subsequent mistakes made in its aftermath. And he is extremely critical of the so-called successes of the "Surge" both in Afghanistan and in Iraq.

But at the heart of this memoir are the stark and intimate portraits Sjursen gives us of the men he fought with, both those who survived and those who did not. He takes a close unblinking look at the lives of these young men post-deployment - at the divorces, the drinking, the addictions, the suicides. And he does not exclude himself either, telling of his own binges, sudden inexplicable rages, and divorce.

GHOST RIDERS OF BAGHDAD is a book that members of Congress should be forced to read. Perhaps if they did they would not be so quick and casual with their "boots on the ground" recommendations. In fact I will recommend it highly to anyone who wants a better understanding of what our beleaguered all-volunteer military faces on a daily basis, and how it impacts not just their own lives, but also their families. This is a very good book, one that deserves a wide readership. Bravo, Major Sjursen. Be well.½