Explore this lighthearted look at service in the 3rd United States Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) from 2000 to 2004 as seen through the eyes of a wide-eyed Washingtonian with both a penchant for sarcasm and a firm grasp of history. Beginning with a humorous summary of infantry basic training circa the turn of the century, the story moves steadily on to the 2001 Presidential Inauguration and to the joys and hurdles of a Washington, D.C. summer spent in ceremonial dress blues. The national trauma of September 11th, 2001 is herein explored at some length, as The Old Guard would play a sizable role in the post-attack recovery efforts. Tales depicting the day-to-day challenges and triumphs of life in the Army's oldest and most storied of units keep the material accessible, engaging, and often humorous. Readers who know little or nothing about The Old Guard will glean from these pages a sense of close acquaintanceship by book's end.

For understandable and inevitable reasons, the colloquially termed "9/11" is most symbolically linked to the World Trade Center. The Pentagon's destruction received far less coverage, but those who helped extinguish the fires, tend to the wounded, and clean up the aftermath will never forget such a loss. Thousands took part in the Pentagon recovery effort following 9/11, but few knew exactly what they were signing up for. A nearby Army unit, the 3rd United States Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), sent its soldiers to contribute where they could, as best they could, and in any capacity they could. In this book, soldiers of The Old Guard have elected to share their experiences. Their accounts attest to the honor and camaraderie that were necessary for picking up the pieces, as well as the traumatic effects of being enveloped in the aftermath of tragedy.