This is not your father's war

This is Iraq, where a soldier's first duty is reinforcing his Humvee with sheet metal and sand bags. Or, in the absence of plumbing, burning barrels of human waste. Where any dead dog on the side of the road might be concealing an insurgent's bomb and anyone could be the enemy.

At age 17, Jason Christopher Hartley joined the Army National Guard. Thirteen years later, he is called to active duty, to serve in Iraq. Sent to a town called Ad Dujayl, made notorious by Saddam Hussein's 1982 massacre, Hartley is thrust into the center of America's war against terrorism. This is his story.

"If you are distrustful of the media and want to know exactly what's going on in Iraq, you'll have to pray for divine enlightenment, because only god knows what the hell is going on over here. However, if you want to know how it feels to be a soldier in Iraq, to hear something honest and raw, that I can help you with."

Sometimes profane, often poignant, and always nakedly candid, Just Another Soldier takes the reader past the images seen on CNN and the nightly news, into the day to day reality of life on the ground as an infantryman, attached to the 1st Division, in the first war of the 21st century. From the adrenaline rush of storming a suspected insurgent's house, to the sheer boredom of down time on the base, to the horror of dead civilians, Hartley examines his role as a man, as a soldier and as an American on foreign soil. His quest to discover the balance between his compassionate side and his baser instincts, results in a searing portrait of today's Army and a remarkable personal narrative written in a fresh and exciting new voice. Just Another Soldier is more than a war story; it delivers an intimate look at a generation of young men and women on the front lines of American policy.

Whether you're for or against the war in Iraq, this is essential reading.

Deployment comes in many forms and serves many purposes. Any separation from loved ones is an emotionally difficult time for all concerned, especially when children are involved - but separation is now a modern day military reality. Those unfamiliar with the military may not understand the nuances of short term versus long-term deployments. Those that do rarely gain exposure to successful strategies for handling deployments when family, such as young children, disabled or other special circumstances, are also involved. As a result, military families must learn to adapt to long-distance relationships, as well as how to adjust and positively cope with separations for various training deployments and real-life exercises. The Deployment Toolkit: Military Families and Solutions for a Successful Long-Distance Relationship covers the basic challenges military families may face before, during, and after deployment. At times the added stresses of military life often make things seem overwhelming. Luckily, the military is a huge family with scores of support groups, both official and unofficial, to help families prepare for separation and the stresses associated with the long absences. Janelle Moore and Don Philpott provide an easily accessible self-help guide to dealing with and understanding deployment. The authors identify the different types of separations and deployments, emotional adjustments involved, and resources available to families in the military. The Deployment Toolkit is essential reading for those families who need a guide through the modern day reality of military deployment and separation.

This book brings a unique perspective to this previously unexplored topic of desert combat uniforms and patches with the authors' extensive knowledge of military history combined with a total of over 50 years of military experience. In this extraordinary comprehensive reference book, they provide a detailed picture of desert uniforms, patches, and insignia worn by the US Armed Forces in combat from Desert Storm, through Somalia and in the more recent hard fought campaigns of Iraq and Afghanistan. The sum of the extensive information gathered here on Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard units that wore the desert uniform is not available anywhere else. Calling upon original source documents and extensive public and private collections, the authors have painstakingly assembled detailed research that will serve veterans, historians, collectors, and reenactors for years to come as the definitive reference on this topic.

The bestselling Sharpe Companion, revised and updated, and made into two handsome volumes. In Richard Sharpe, Bernard Cornwell has created one of the great heros of historical fiction, whose exploits continue to thrill a wide audience. The novels, and the television adaptations starring Sean Bean, have succeeded in whetting the appetite of many readers for one of the most eventful and exciting periods in history. Packed with illustrations, fascinating historical and military background, together with contemporary accounts and anecdotes, The Sharpe Companion provides an indispensable guide to the life and times of Richard Sharpe. Since the original Companion was published five years ago, Sharpe has marched on. His exploits are now too many to fit into a single volume, so this first volume of the revised and expanded Companion focuses on the first thirty years of Sharpe's life: his boyhood in London, his experiences as a recruit, and his rise through the ranks during the Indian campaigns, the special mission that took him to Denmark, and his part in the Battle of Trafalgar. A must for every student of military history and fan of Sharpe.

"Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more. You should never wish to do less." —Robert E. Lee The southern generals of the Civil War spoke of honor, duty, and the courage to fight for one's beliefs. While their cause was trampled on the battlefields of Dixie, their names live on in glory. Robert E. Lee, long regarded as preeminent among the southern generals, has been described as a "wholly human gentleman." His sentiments and those of his fellow generals vividly reveal the gallantry and noble character that made them heroes. This collection of brief quotes from General Lee and comments about him from leaders who knew him well illuminates the convictions of these fighting men. Face with a. war of tragic proportions, they were steadfast in their loyalty to the states they called home. May I Quote You, General Lee? reveals the sprit that elevated General Lee and those who followed him to greatness.

After just four weeks of training, Colonel Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders-a regiment of cowboys recruited into the First U.S. Volunteer Cavalry-fought in Cuba during the Spanish-American War with the skill of seasoned regulars. The unit reflected the future president's character as a wealthy Ivy Leaguer who went west to experience frontier life. Most of the Rough Riders were seasoned cowhands from the Southwest, but Ivy League athletes, sons of millionaires and lawmen filled out the ranks. Roosevelt molded this diverse group into a cohesive, efficient fighting force and led them to victory on San Juan Hill. Told from the perspective of the men in the regiment, this book traces the history of the Rough Riders from conception to disbanding, and Roosevelt's transformation into an American hero.

The Black Watch is one of the finest fighting forces in the world and has been engaged in virtually every worldwide conflict for the last three centuries. Named after the dark tartan of the soldiers' kilts, its unique formation - raised from loyal Scottish clans in the wake of the 1715 Jacobite rebellion - make it the oldest Highland regiment. As part of the British army, their first battle abroad was in Flanders in 1745 but the regiment soon moved to North America to fight the French, and then shared the capture of Montreal, the Windward Islands and Martinique. The American War of Independence saw the regiment once again in America, fighting horrific battles and eventually storming Fort Washington in 1776. Since then the regiment has held its own from Egypt to the Napoleonic Wars, from the Crimea to the Indian mutiny, from both World Wars to Iraq. The Black Watch is the UK's most decorated regiment, combining the proud history and tradition of an organisation that has been soldiering for over 250 years.

A fascinating account of Russia's Five-Day War against Georgia in 2008, notable for its strategic mistakes which prompted President Putin to undertake major military reforms. After Georgia's independence from Russia in 1991, President Saakashvili invited NATO advisers to assist in military reforms. Separatist groups in Georgia's border provinces rebelled which led to fighting in South Ossetia during August 2008. The Russian Army invaded Georgia alongside these forces, stripped it of these rebellious provinces, and garrisoned them to maintain a threat over Georgia. But despite the inevitable outcome of this hugely unbalanced conflict, it revealed serious Russian military weaknesses and incompetence, and the NATO-trained and partly Western-equipped Georgian Army put up a much more successful local resistance than Russia had expected. The conflict also demonstrated the first use of Russian cyber-warfare, and its so-called 'hybrid warfare' doctrine. Author Mark Galeotti is an expert in the field of international relations and a former Foreign Office adviser on Russian security affairs. In this book, he provides a vivid snapshot of the Russian, Georgian, Abkhazian and South Ossetian forces and gives an in-depth analysis of the conflict. Using meticulous color artwork for uniforms, insignia and equipment, rare photographs and detailed 'fact-boxes' for significant units and individuals, this book is a compelling guide to Russia's Five-Day War in Georgia.

Much has been written of the short-term experience of combat trauma. Almost nothing has been documented about how that trauma impacts individuals years after their first conflict experiences and into later life. Here, Johnson relates the stories of fifteen of his combat brothers to share with the world what their terror of four decades ago has done to them and how it affects them to this day. With candor and vivid detail, they reveal how their combat trauma symptoms still infect their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors on a daily basis. Those returning from battle now and their family and friends will find here a roadmap of what to expect from those suffering from PTSD as a result of combat. With this knowledge, today's veterans and those who love and care for them can tackle the issues and challenges so that symptoms may be minimized and addressed. Those who still carry these wounds will find that they are not alone, and that there are ways of dealing with the horror, no matter how long ago it may have been. Johnson concludes the book with resources for obtaining help and mending the spirit in the face of what can be debilitating thoughts and fears.

Before he became one of America's most respected statesmen, Bob Dole was an average citizen serving heroically for his country. The bravery he showed after suffering near-fatal injuries in the final days of World War II is the stuff of legend. Now, for the first time in his own words, Dole tells the moving story of his harrowing experience on and off the battlefield, and how it changed his life.

Speaking here not as a politician but as a wounded G.I., Dole recounts his own odyssey of courage and sacrifice, and also honors the fighting spirit of the countless heroes with whom he served. Heartfelt and inspiring, "One Soldier's Story" is the World War II chronicle that America has been waiting for.

Formed in 1936, Panzer Regiment 8 served in both the 10th and 15th Panzer Divisions and saw action in Poland, France, and in May 1941 with the famed German Africa Corps, under the legendary Rommel. The regiment went on to serve with high distinction in every major battle fought in Africa until May 1943, when out of fuel and ammunition, the regiment's ability to fight on came to an end. This book sheds new light on the history of the German panzer arm and gives in depth detail of the lives and battles that were fought by these proud Swabian troops.

General George Smith Patton came to the fore in the fighting in North Africa and Sicily in 1942 and 1943 as a tough and inspirational field commander who drove his army as relentlessly as he did himself. Arrogant, vainglorious and unpopular with his fellow Allied generals, he was nevertheless one of the great land force commanders of the Second World War. Patton inspired an unswerving loyalty in his men, perhaps difficult to understand in the light of his treatment of them, which was often bullying and sometimes cruel. However, when the raw and untested US soldiers came to face the much-feared German panzer divisions in North Africa, he gave his men the self-belief to take them on. He refused to allow his army to think that they were second best. Trevor Royle portrays the real Patton, a man who behind the bluster was thoughtful and deeply religious with wide interests in literature and military history. Patton's fatal car crash in post-war Germany in 1945 meant that Old Blood and Guts never faced the 'horrors of peace' he so feared.

Hundreds of thousands of military members are making the transition to civilian life each year. This transition is a move into unfamiliar territory and can be an extremely uncomfortable process. However, there are resources in place that can relieve much of the stress of the challenging situations that may arise. In Life After the Military: A Handbook for Transitioning Veterans, authors Janelle Hill, Don Philpott, and Cheryl Lawhorne-Scott collect all the information needed to settle into life after the military in one volume. The book discusses the many issues that transitioning veterans are faced with such as finding employment, going back to school, managing finances, special benefits available to veterans, and a host of other issues the transitioning veteran is likely to face when making the move to civilian life. It also discusses the emotional and psychological challenges that come with leaving the military and settling into life as a civilian. This book is essential for all who are transitioning out of the military, as well as their loved ones.

Highly detailed and colourful, this account illustrates the struggle of Indonesian forces in their War of Independence against the Netherlands, following the surrender of occupying Japanese forces in 1945. Following on from MAA 521 Royal Netherlands East Indies Army 1936-42 and completing the coverage of the post-World War II wars of decolonization, The Dutch-Indonesian War 1945-49 describes the Japanese surrender in September 1945 which left a power vacuum in the colonial Dutch East Indies (Indonesia). Using vivid colour illustrations and rare photos, this title depicts the various forces involved in the struggle for Indonesia: the British Indian Army troops sent to key areas to disarm Japanese garrisons, the Indonesian nationalists who immediately proclaimed an independent Republic, remaining Japanese troops, and the Dutch forces which arrived in 1946. The wide dispersion of populations, and their ethnic, religious and political differences ensured that the struggle which followed was complex. Fragmented bands of nationalist permuda insurgents were slowly brought together under command of a republican army (the BKR, later TKR, and finally the TNI, complete with naval and air elements), but stubborn negotiations alternated with bouts of major fighting. This book details how the nationalists were defeated by Dutch and Dutch-led local forces in urban areas (e.g. during Operations Product and Crow, 1947 and 1948), but how their guerrillas evaded Dutch troops in the jungle hills and swamps. Illustrating a wide range of uniforms, insignia, personal weapons and equipment, this study showcases the troops and armour involved in the conflict.

The Essential Guide to Airsoft Gear provides the perfect introduction to assembling some of the most sought-after gear you need to look the part on the skirmish field. Featuring iconic loadouts from units such as 22 SAS at the time of Bravo Two Zero, US Army Rangers and Delta at the Battle of Mogadishu, through to the modern-day Russian Special Forces of the Alpha Group, it covers in detail how to recreate the uniforms and equipment worn by each troop type and explains how to source the different elements from Airsoft kit retailers. Produced in conjunction with Airsoft International, the world's best-selling Airsoft magazine, this is the definitive guide to some of the most popular and distinctive loadouts ever seen on the skirmish fields of the Airsoft world.

Relying on scores of primary source documents, U.S. Army Aviation Color Schemes and Markings, 1942-to the Present focuses exclusively on how Army Aviation's aircraft have been painted and marked during nearly sixty years of service. Official changes in exterior schemes, interior colors, and all forms of markings are covered. Exceptions to "the rules" are also discussed. Of additional interest to the historian and enthusiast will be the wealth of material covering unofficial camouflage patterns, personal markings, and demonstration team aircraft. Complementing the text is a superb visual survey of Army Aviation color schemes and markings. This is comprised of over six hundred photos and drawings taken directly from Army manuals, manufacturers' files, private collections, and the archives of the Army and Air Force.

Military reform has featured prominently on the agenda of many countries since the end of the Cold War necessitated a re-evaluation of the strategic role of the armed forces, and nowhere more publicly than in Russia. Not since the 1920s have the Russian Armed Forces undergone such fundamental change. President Boris Yeltsin and his successor Vladimir Putin have both grappled with the issue, with varying degrees of success. An international team of experts here consider the essential features of Russian military reform in the decade since the disintegration of the USSR. Fluctuations in the purpose and priorities of the reform process are traced, as well as the many factors influencing change. Chapters analyse the development of Russia's security policy, structural reform of the services, the social impact of military service and experience of military conflict in Chechnya. Critical evaluations of the impact of social change on the Russian Armed Forces' capabilities and expectations complement the analysis of the on-going debate. Russian Military Reform, 1992-2002 will prove invaluable to all those interested in civil-military relationships and international security as well as to students of military theory and practice.

From June 1940 to October 1942, Fighth Army was the only Western army facing and fighting the Axis powers, Italian as well as German, on the battlefield. It was a British army, but represented the Free World. Some of the great fighting divisions of the War were part of it - the 9th Australian, the 2nd New Zealand, 1st South African, 4th Indian, 51st Highland and 7th Armoured - the famous Desert Rats - joined by the Free French, the Greek Brigade, and many more from Britain and around the world. Though ultimately triumphant, the Army was not always victorious - it had to fight obsolete equipment, indifferent command and excessive demands as well as the enemy - not forgetting its most admired foe, Rommel, who met his match in Eighth Army's General Sir Bernard Montgomery (Monty). This book is built on the memories of Eighth Army veterans, collected from all over the world. It includes personal accounts of the battles fought at Sidi Rezegh, Alamein, in Sicily and at Cassino - and all the way to the Gothic Line, the end of Eighth Army's 3,000-mile march to victory. It is a story that deserves to be told, about an army that deserves to be remembered.

When four-star general John Rogers Galvin retired from the US Army after forty-four years of distinguished service in 1992, the Washington Post hailed him as a man "without peer among living generals." In Fighting the Cold War: A Soldier's Memoir, the celebrated soldier, scholar, and statesman recounts his active participation in more than sixty years of international history -- from the onset of World War II through the fall of the Berlin Wall and the post--Cold War era. Galvin's illustrious tenure included the rare opportunity to lead two different Department of Defense unified commands: United States Southern Command in Panama from 1985 to 1987 and United States European Command from 1987 to 1992. In his memoir, he recounts fascinating behind-the-scenes anecdotes about his interactions with world leaders, describing encounters such as his experience of watching President Jose Napoleon Duarte argue eloquently against US intervention in El Salvador; a private conversation with Pope John Paul II in which the pontiff spoke to him about what it means to be a man of peace; and his discussion with General William Westmoreland about soldiers' conduct in the jungles of Vietnam and Cambodia. In addition, Galvin recalls his complex negotiations with a number of often difficult foreign heads of state, including Manuel Noriega, Augusto Pinochet, Mikhail Gorbachev, and Ratko Mladic. As NATO Supreme Allied Commander in Europe during the tumultuous five years that ended the Cold War, Galvin played a key role in shaping a new era. Fighting the Cold War illuminates his leadership and service as one of America's premier soldier-statesmen, revealing him to be not only a brilliant strategist and consummate diplomat but also a gifted historian and writer who taught and mentored generations of students.

Military reform has featured prominently on the agenda of many countries since the end of the Cold War necessitated a re-evaluation of the strategic role of the armed forces, and nowhere more publicly than in Russia. Not since the 1920s have the Russian Armed Forces undergone such fundamental change. President Boris Yeltsin and his successor Vladimir Putin have both grappled with the issue, with varying degrees of success. An international team of experts here consider the essential features of Russian military reform in the decade since the disintegration of the USSR. Fluctuations in the purpose and priorities of the reform process are traced, as well as the many factors influencing change. Chapters analyse the development of Russia's security policy, structural reform of the services, the social impact of military service and experience of military conflict in Chechnya. Critical evaluations of the impact of social change on the Russian Armed Forces' capabilities and expectations complement the analysis of the on-going debate. Russian Military Reform, 1992-2002 will prove invaluable to all those interested in civil-military relationships and international security as well as to students of military theory and practice.

In Richard Sharpe, Bernard Cornwell has created one of the great heros historical fiction, whose exploits continue to thrill a wide audience. The novels, and the television adaptations starring Sean Bean, have succeeded in whetting the appetite of many readers for one of the most eventful and exciting periods in history. Packed with illustrations, fascinating historical and military background, together with contemporary accounts and anecdotes, The Sharpe Companion provides an indispensable guide to the life and times of Richard Sharpe.

Since the original Companion was published five years ago, Sharpe has marched on. His exploits are now too many to fit into a single volume, so this first volume of the revised and expanded Companion focuses on the first thirty years of Sharpe?s life: his boyhood in London, his experiences as a recruit, and his rise through the ranks during the Indian campaigns, the special mission that took him to Denmark, and his part in the Battle of Trafalgar. A must for every student of military history and fan of Sharpe.

In this new book, Spencer Coil examines various models of uniforms and equipment used by the multiethnic French armed forces in the First World War. A carefully chosen and researched selection of period photographs enables the reader to visualize a climactic era in history, as experienced by the poilus (French soldiers) serving in the trenches and on the battlefields. There are detailed chapters covering French machineguns, medical, artillery, motor corps, infantry, chasseur, armored car and tank units as well as the air service and the cavalry's hussars, dragoons and cuirassiers. Other chapters examine the French foreign legion, Zouaves, and Tirailleurs. A full color section shows heretofore unpublished photos of headdress, uniforms, equipment, and accoutrements used by the French armed forces in the First World War. This work is a must for all serious historians, collectors, wargamers, model builders, and re-enactors.

As a teenager in Atlantic City in the 1960s, John O'Neill dreamed of becoming an FBI agent. Over the next four decades, his charisma, talent, and dedication catapulted him to the top echelons of the FBI in its fight against terrorism and drew him into a world of glamour, intrigue, and power.

Driven by an all-consuming desire to protect Americans, O'Neill rose through the FBI's ranks and played important roles in every major terrorism investigation of the 1990s, including the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah building in Oklahoma City, the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia, and the USS Cole in Yemen; the twin embassy attacks in Africa; and the capture of Ramzi Yousef, who masterminded the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. O'Neill's larger-than-life personality, hard-charging style, and insistent warnings against complacency won him both fervent admirers and bitter enemies among government officials and his crime-fighting colleagues.

In 1995, O'Neill became the first agent to recognize Osama bin Laden and his Al Qaeda network as the single greatest terrorist threat to America. He campaigned relentlessly for increased cooperation between the CIA, the FBI, and U.S. and foreign governments, and made decisions that would change the face of counterterrorism. O'Neill won the respect of many powerful figures around the world and earned a legendary reputation as a bon vivant, an innovative leader, and a bridge builder of important alliances. But O'Neill's confident, charming public persona belied several professional disappointments and the growing strain of secretly maintaining a complex web of romantic relationships. When the FBI and the U.S. government continued to disregard his calls to connect the terror trail to bin Laden and his associates, O'Neill became even more disillusioned and ultimately resigned his post at the FBI. Just days later, John O'Neill perished helping others to safety on September 11, 2001, while on his new job as director of security at the World Trade Center. Ironically, as Louis Napoli of the joint terrorist task force said, "[O'Neill] chased bin Laden all over the world and bin Laden caught up with him." In The Man Who Warned America, Murray Weiss weaves groundbreaking insider insight and hundreds of hardhitting interviews into a masterful tale of John O'Neill's quest to save America.