It is a wonder it did not drive the troops crazy! The mission kept changing partly due to the constantly changing political situation (local and international), and Afghanistan always seemed to get the short-end of the stick because of Iraq (which also partly influenced the constantly changing mission of the soldiers in the field). The book did show how changes were constantly occurring in the mission in Afghanistan. Once the "government" moved in and the region was declared "safe" or "stabilized" then the poppy fields were allowed to exist because they provided cash and support for the citizens in the region. The fields were initially destroyed because of the money they provided to the Taliban. The "situation" with the poppy fields was crazy. Now, a part of me did wonder if the planes were cleared so that they could get back into their CAS mission, but the pilots and maintenance crew desperately wanted to get back into the fighting so they could support troops who were in danger. Shortly after that, the "problem" was fixed and the squadron could go back to providing the much-needed close air support. One night, several Americans died because of the lack of fire support. They had to listen to cries for help over the radio, as their planes could not fly. Another F-15 had disintegrated in mid-air, grounding this squadron and preventing them from being able to provide much needed fire support. The other "story" involved the maintenance crew for a squadron of F-15s stationed in Afghanistan. It was a tragic moment filled with tragedies. A few days later, the flight crew learned that the party firing the guns was a wedding party over forty members of the wedding party had been killed by their gunfire, and over one hundred had been injured. The gunship opened fire and devastated the party firing the guns. In one "personal story" an officer was relating how they were directed to provide covering fire at night outside of a small village where numerous weapons were being fired. Two elements really stood out to me after I finished. I thought the book was well-written and informative I also think the personal moments were a definite asset to the book. It covers both "positive" moments of the American soldiers and other allied personnel who were in Afghanistan and "negative" moments. Each chapter is intermixed with some historical detail and personal stories of individuals who served in Afghanistan during that extended period of time. Each chapter covers a one-to-two year period. It covers the entry of the United States into Afghanistan in late 2001 and ends with President Obama talking about how American forces would be completely out of Afghanistan by 2016. I used part of it as a source for a paper for a class in college and finished it out of interest. From combat operations to covert ops, infrastructure rebuilding to training the Afghan Army, Michael Walling creates an intriguing narrative that reveals the timeless stories of determination, heroism, sacrifice, and strength that have shaped Operation Enduring Freedom. From senior-level commanders to the view through soldier’s gunsights, out of the supply truck window, or the airman’s target reticule, this new work uncovers the full range of experiences of American armed forces in Afghanistan, providing an honest assessment of the conflict and of individual’s experiences within it. This book documents the history of the US military in Afghanistan through the words of the men and women who have lived it first hand. Franks, Ret.įor 13 years US military personnel have been embroiled in America’s longest sustained combat operation ever in Afghanistan, but while we have seen thousands of hours of coverage of the war, the thoughts and experiences of the men and women on the ground have been hard to come by. This is the war in Afghanistan as experienced by the people who fought it." General Tommy R. "Michael Walling has honored the American men and women who served in Operation Enduring Freedom by helping them tell their own stories.
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