Best afghan & iraq war biographies according to redditors
We found 447 Reddit comments discussing the best afghan & iraq war biographies. We ranked the 161 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
16. The Last True Story I'll Ever Tell: An Accidental Soldier's Account of the War in Iraq
4 mentions
There's a book written by the man who this facebook post is to, Marcus Luttrel, who is the sole survivor of Operation Red Wings in which Michael P. Murphy is killed. It's called Lone Survivor and though I don't necessarily agree with all the politics, it's a harrowing account of persistence and survival.
EDIT: Since I'm recommending books, anyone who has read or may be interested in Lone Survivor should read the book Unbroken about Olympic runner and WW2 bombardier Louie Zamperini's struggle for survival after being shot down over the Pacific Ocean.
https://www.amazon.com/Back-Fight-Explosive-Special-Operator-ebook/dp/B009LRWGZU
Sarn't Kap. Good dude.
If you’re at all interested in this case, I highly recommend the book Black Hearts, which investigates the incident and everyone involved in extreme detail. It’s an exhaustive, practically bottomless chronology of military incompetence and inhumanity. Oddly enough I was exposed to it because it was on the official reading list of the Marine Corps a few years ago, ostensibly as a lesson on the consequences of a poor command environment. But anyone who has served can tell you that everything the book catalogued is just business as usual for the military.
Don't forget to also read Fick's One Bullet Away.
Generation Kill was written by the embedded Rolling Stone reporter, but One Bullet Away was written by the officer commanding that platoon.
The meme response is to advise you to apply judicious quantities of alcohol until the feelings subside.
Your feelings sound perfectly rational to me.
Many Commandants as well as Gen Mattis have advocated for learning from those who have gone before us from their teachings recorded in books & stories.
You might find some comfort in the stories of those who have already walked this path.
https://www.amazon.com/Biggest-Brother-Major-Winters-Brothers/dp/0451218396
https://www.amazon.com/One-Bullet-Away-Making-Officer/dp/0618773436/
https://www.amazon.com/Helmet-My-Pillow-Parris-Pacific/dp/1977052304/
https://www.amazon.com/Old-Breed-At-Peleliu-Okinawa/dp/0891419063/
https://www.amazon.com/Im-Staying-My-Boys-Basilone/dp/0312611447/
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Before you engage your chain of command, I encourage you to seek out a more junior combat veteran in your unit and discuss your unease.
I'm not saying "Don't engage your CoC." I'm suggesting you try getting guidance from a pseudo-peer first.
RASP isn't hard. If you can handle a moderate amount of mind fuckery and you're good at pt, you'll make it. As others have said, get your PT up. Make sure that you can run five miles in under forty minutes and ruck twelve miles in under three hours. Google the Ranger creed. Learn it. You'll save yourself a lot of trouble if you learn it now. A lot of people will tell you to read Sua Sponte by Dick Couch. Don't waste your time with it. If you want a book to motivate you, pick up Back in the Fight. It's the story of sfc Kap, a Ranger that lost his leg and still managed to go on combat rotation. He's still in Regiment, you'll see him running around on one leg smoking RASP 2 guys around the compound. His story is inspirational as fuck, and if he can be a Ranger with one leg, you sure as hell can with two. So when you're at Cole Range and you haven't slept in two days and you feel like quitting, get up on your two functioning legs and Ranger the fuck up.
It'll be a bear either way still, arty just denies some strongpoints and thins the enemy ranks a little.
Read House to House by SSG Bellavia about the time the Americans took Fallujah, it was still a bitch even with all that hardware and preparation.
Maybe ISIS is less skilled in guerilla warfare & urban fighting than the insurgents and fedayeen were back then though - let's hope so at least for the Iraqi's sakes.
This is probably up there... Mahmudiyah rape and killings
Black Hearts: One Platoon's Descent into Madness in Iraq's Triangle of Death
I recommend a book called House to House. It goes into great detail about urban combat that U.S. Forces faced in the Battle of Fallujah. A good portion of the book focuses specifically on his breaching of a single house, including how fortified it is.
They usually fly. There's a book called Warthog that talks about flying over in the A-10A during the first Gulf War. One thing to note is the A model didn't have an autopilot, and they followed a tanker for most, if not all, of the way, for navigation, refueling, and the weather radar the tanker had (they encountered a thunderstorm on the way and how that affected the flight).
In Viper Pilot Dan Hampton talks about his time in the air directly after 9/11. He does a good job conveying how much confusion there was. He was actually given the green light from the ground to take out a SEAL team helicopter. Luckily he stayed cool and called everyone off before that chopper was downed.
If you want a no-bullshit amazing book about deployment, check out:
This book.
absolutely amazing and dead on.
Very much so. The reporter was embedded in a truck with a specific Squad Leader. You end up seeing the whole invasion over-the-shoulder of just that Squad Leader. Gen Mattis is just a cameo and the whole US Army doesn't exist except for a brief mention of Jessica Lynch's convoy getting captured. It's a very narrow (albeit uniquely and redeemingly indepth) view of the invasion.
As mentioned elsewhere in the thread, the Platoon Leader, Nathaniel Fick, published his own account if you want to contrast the view from literally just one echelon higher.
https://www.amazon.com/One-Bullet-Away-Making-Officer/dp/0618773436
For what it's worth, the Second Battle of Fallujah was a joint operation between the hooahs and the Marines. The city was cut in half and each half given to one branch.
The best book I've read on it is SSgt Bellavia's novel ["House to House."] (http://www.amazon.com/House-An-Epic-Memoir-War/dp/1416596607) Though it's a personal memoir by a soldier, it still offers some great insight into the battle.
Lots and lots of masturbation.
Speculating if latest teenage pop star is legal yet.
Find dangerous insects. Pick up dangerous insects with crude dangerous insect trapping device. Force dangerous insects to fight to the death. Disregard the fact that you're in a war zone in one of the oldest areas of the World, and that a camel spider and scorpion fighting it out is more exciting.
Masturbate more.
EDIT: I recommend you read Kaboom and/or My War. Both portray a really good, typical combat deployment. Read This Man's Army for the Afghanistan version of those two (be warned - as impressive as Exum's accomplishments are, the guy shows off too much for my taste. Still a good read).
EDIT 2: Also read House-to-House if you want to know what a real major combat operation is like.
I enjoyed it. From what I've heard, it's pretty accurate. However, I did prefer Nathan Fick's One Bullet Away.
Right? I read an excerpt from a book while ago about A-10 pilots during the first Gulf War. Apparently a lot of them flew their own planes from America to the Middle East. Anyways during this long flight one pilot had his instruments freeze up on him and then he rolled his plane while looking over his shoulder but didn't realize any of this. It wasn't until his wingman looked over, saw him upside down, and then he had to figure which one of them was right side up!
Source.
Danny was apart of a 4 man team dropped high into the Hindu Kush Mountain region on a mission to neutralize or capture a HVT (high value target). Said HVT was in the presence of a very large Taliban force. This force was notified of Danny and his team and immediately descended upon them where all but one SEAL were killed. This is the first person account of Operation Red Wing
Thank you for the link.
David Bellavia’s book, House to House , has some great firsthand examples of how armor (both Bradley APC’s and Abrams) were crucial to the survival of their particular infantry unit during the Second Battle of Fallujah for multiple reasons.
On a related note, General Dynamics Griffin APC prototype has a cannon that can elevate 85 degrees, in order to engage rooftop threats in urban terrain - I believe the video references this is due to it being an army requirement.
You're not wrong in these cases.
Pat Tillman had plenty of weird things going on, but I'm of the belief it was friendly fire. It doesn't excuse the fact his leadership's first instinct was to try and cover up their screw-up. But the system did spit out the fact they did and gave the public the 'truth'. I can't say it did/didn't happen like CID stated in their report, but they're pretty good about keeping stuff nuetral and calling it like it is. The situation also has the ring of truth to it in my experience. I'm not saying you couldn't understand because you haven't been there; but many conspiracy folks imagine malfeasance when confusion and stupidity are truly the culprits and tragedy is overwhelming. Our need for logical reasons and want of vengeance for someone to blame is usually the driving force for this and is very understandable.
My Lai is a huge black eye for the Army, and we should be called out on it. We use it as training aids to show how a pilot displayed moral courage and saved those that weren't killed immediately. He's lauded as a hero, but we really don't do the right thing and pile shame on Lt Calley or his commander CPT Medina. Or the sister companies doing the same thing in next sector over under their commander (whose name I couldn't easily find) or roast the BN Commander who set the conditions for the massacre.
We've tried to get past that incident, and use it to tell everyone that comes in about personal courage not necessarily being facing a physical danger.
But we aren't perfect as an organization. Not everyone serves with honor. My Lai was Vietnam, but this happened in 2006. The Soldiers involved tried covering it up, but one of the folks broke down and told a friend about it because he was having issues in dealing with the fact he helped carry it out. PFC Watts did the right thing and turned his fellow Soldiers in.
He got an unbelievable amount of shit, and there was a very serious round of discussions about leaving him there with the people he turned in would be killing him by proxy. Eventually he was taken out of the base and told his story to the right folks at CID and the rest is our unfortunate history. Good news is that PFC Watts is alive and well, and that the folks involved are rotting in prison. Bad news is we failed as an organization to stop this from happening and we also pushed PFC Watts out of the Army and he's gotten death threats for years after.
More on the situation is in book Blackhearts.
Mitt was the one who wrote No Easy Day under the pseudonym Mark Owen (obviously because Mark/Mitt, and you owe him more money), and picked Matt Bissonette as his scapegoat! It all makes sense!
I read a book called Viper Pilotby a retired wild weasel pilot. They have the latest in countermeasures and are all extremely well trained, he says most of the guys have their masters degree on top of the Air Force level of special forces intensity training. When those guys hear missile lock they react like someone has a gun to their head- they immediately shit pants and evade, evade, evade. Drop everything and pilot like your mother’s life depends on it. It’s terrifying.
If you liked Generation Kill, read the book "One Bullet Away" written by Nathaniel Fick who was one of the officers covered by Generation Kill (which was started from a Rolling Stone article written by Evan Wright.)
If you want to understand the nature of the war and the strategy used to fight it from the surge (2007) onward I recommend David Petraeus and the Plot to Change the American Way of War by Fred Kaplan. This book will describe all the big names and texts that helped formulate modern counterinsurgency doctrine and will give you plenty of authors and publications to further explore. To further understand counterinsurgency, I recommend The Accidental Guerilla by David Kilcullen (this link downloads the file, it does not open it a new window) that has a great chapter on Iraq since he was the senior COIN advisor for a few months into the surge. You can also read FM3-24 the original 2006 version, but its a dense read and I recommend you familiarize yourself with the doctrine through other publications before tackling the field manual itself.
Fiasco by Thomas Ricks is a decent history of the run up to the Iraq war and the first years, I would say 2002-2005 is where it is strongest although it does discuss important history prior to 9/11 in the containment of Iraq and some detail into 2006.
From the Surge onward I recommend Ricks' follow on book The Gamble, and The Surge by Peter Mansoor. These books will detail the important changes and in strategy and operational practices that characterized the Surge and the post 2006 war effort.
These are the books I have personally read that best address your questions. Books that are more tactically oriented instead of focusing on the big picture include The Forever War by Dexter Filkins, which is a morbid book that does justice to the horror of the Iraq's sectarian civil war. Thunder Run by David Zucchino is worthy of being a masterpiece in terms of how well the author constructed an incredible narrative on the tank forays into the heart of Baghdad in the early weeks of the war. My Share of the Task by Stanley McChrystal is a great read on McChrystal fomented a significant evolution in JSOC's intelligence culture and operational tempo. This book is of value specifically to what you asked because his men were the ones that were tracking Abu Zarqawi, the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq, and was the first iteration of what is now known as ISIS. McChrystal describes the structure of Al Qaeda in Iraq, and much of ISIS's organization and methods can be traced back to Zarqawi's leadership.
I don't think you will find any books that will do justice to your interest in terms of recent events however I have some advice that I feel will help you immensely. Simply type in (topic of interest) and end it with pdf into google. This cuts out brief news articles and wikipedia entries and leaves you with top notch reports published by peer reviewed journals and think tanks. This is all free, and its very well researched work.
A report I'm currently reading that I'm sure you will find interesting is Iraq in Crisis by CSIS. It's of course long for a think tank report, but it has a lot of information and great statistics and charts that help the reader better understand Iraq's trends in violence and other challenges. Here are two more interesting reports by well known think tanks that pertinent to what you are looking for.
On the evolution of Al Qaeda and other salafi jihadists by RAND
Iraqi politics, governance and human rights by the Congressional Research Service
I liked reading Generation Kill too. With that in mind, I would like to add One Bullet Away By Nate Fick.
One Bullet Away
It's actually from the title of the book the series is based on, which is surprisingly as nonpolitical as possible. It's a rather good read, if you've got the time. It's simply a first hand account of the author when he was embedded with one of the first Marine units to enter Iraq. The only social/political commentary in it is from the Marines themselves. In fact the primary focus of the book is the Marines themselves, examining them as real people. Not so much on the war really.
For anyone who would like to know, the following books I've read are my favorite and I'd really recommend them to anyone: The Martian by Andy Weir, Gerald's Game by Stephen King, The Panther by Nelson DeMille, Unflinching by Jodi Mitic, American Sniper by Chris Kyle, and Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
EDIT: Oh, and Blackwater - The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army by Jeremy Scahill.
EDDIT 2: Oh, and Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card which is so much better than the movie. The movie does not do this novel justice. And Killing Lincoln by Bill O'Reilly.
I suppose that depends on when you "don't make it."
If you drop out of OCS, or get injured at PLC/OCS, I'm not sure how willing they are to take a chance on you again, but they might if it's medical.
If you decide the USMC isn't for you, or fail out of school, you have to pay the gov't for the loans. I'm pretty sure they make this very clear when you accept your NROTC scholarship. In fact, I'm extremely sure you have to sign an agreement to pay the loans back, barring any extraneous circumstances.
And I really would like to think that NROTC scholarships are rare and exclusive enough that they are not handed out like candy.
Are you interested in Air, Ground or Law?
Please do yourself a favor and read One Bullet Away.
[Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin] (https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Ownership-U-S-Navy-SEALs/dp/1250067057/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1501607776&sr=8-3&keywords=Jocko+willink)
[Heart for the Fight: A Marine Hero's Journey from the Battlefields of Iraq to Mixed Martial Arts Champion by Brian Stann] ( https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Fight-Journey-Battlefields-Champion/dp/076033899X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1501607842&sr=1-1&keywords=brian+stann+book)
I would also highly recommend subscribing to [Jocko Willink's youtube channel] (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkqcY4CAuBFNFho6JgygCnA)
He has amazing podcasts with combat veterans and it's really interesting to hear the tactics/mindset. On a side note there's not many people that can motivate me like Jocko can. You could send me those pictures of a landscape with inspirational words on them and it wouldn't do shit for me...However there's been many days where I was being lazy/feeling sorry for myself and not wanting to work out...
thats when I watch this video
I shit you not there have been many days where that video alone has gotten me to nut up and grab my bag to go train jiu-jitsu when I didn't feel like it...or go to the range and get some practice in when I would rather stay home get cozy and watch netflix.
They admitted to DNA testing from the get go, it was also mentioned in the books No Easy Day and No Easy Op, also mentioned in the movie Zero Dark Thirty.
Push to/Battle of Badhdad: Generation Kill (The book), written by a reporter assigned to Marine Recon: https://www.amazon.com/Generation-Kill-Captain-America-American/dp/0425224740
Civilian casualties Iraq over 10 years: No less than 200 000
Civilian casualties Afghanistan over 10 years: No less than 60 000
Regardless of what merit Obama may have or may lack, you do not speak the truth.
Judging by your unsupportable opinions I'm going to say whatever Confederate state you hail from is a greater threat to your liberty than the federal government.
Jaeger: At War with Denmark's Elite Special Forces dudes book brought down the head of their ministry of defense and a few other officials.
Also there is a shit ton on individuals/units/battalions on Rhodesia and South Africa.
Portugal’s War in Angola is the best overview of Portugal’s Colonial War in Africa.
Counterinsurgency in Africa: The Portuguese Way of War 1961-74 by John Cann An excellent book on counter insurgency. Cann also has quite a few books on Africa.
On YouTube search for Al J Venter’s South Africa Border War docs, he did quite a few. Venter is probably the best military journalist in regards to all the wars in Africa since the 1960’s. He written like 20 books on the subject.
The Mission, the Men, and Me: Lessons from a Former Delta Force Commander by Pete Blaber
>As a commander of Delta Force-the most elite counter-terrorist organization in the world-Pete Blaber took part in some of the most dangerous, controversial, and significant military and political events of our time. Now he takes his intimate knowledge of warfare-and the heart, mind, and spirit it takes to win-and moves his focus from the combat zone to civilian life.
>As the smoke clears from exciting stories about neverbefore-revealed top-secret missions that were executed all over the globe, readers will emerge wiser, more capable, and more ready for life's personal victories than they ever thought possible.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0425236579/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=81L6TNMLAXFN&coliid=IBUHZCVGIWB98
Critical thinking, small unit leadership,
I just finished reading Warthog - Flying the A-10 in the Gulf War and it was awesome. If you love this plane or are simply interested in the roles of airplanes in the war theatre, the planning that goes into it and the effect pilots have on it, read this book.
I never understood just how powerful this plane was in the Gulf War. By the end, it wasn't just the A-10. It was the OFOA-10G. Yep, it fulfilled so many roles in combat. The book is filled with first person accounts of the pilots, so the combat description is awesome.
If you were given the job because your director thought you were the best for it, then you were the best for it. Proving yourself will happen best with long term consistent results. Don't get caught up on dealing with what doesnt really matter. Stick to impressive everyone with high quality work.
I am curious about where you are located? Could this be a cultural thing?
Last, i think that its worth noting that being the new guy coming in and trying to change the status quo is always going to cause friction. This is just a fact. So don't loose sleep over it.
This is the book:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Extreme-Ownership-Jocko-Willink/dp/1250067057/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1458749634&sr=1-1&keywords=extreme+ownership
Of these projects, I most enjoyed The Wire. But it's worth evaluating each of these projects in terms of what they were trying to accomplish, since they all had different goals.
This was adapted from Simon's book Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets, but I don't know how much Simon worked on the show day-to-day.
This show is much more of a crime procedural than any of the other works here. And with a few notable exceptions—e.g., Luther Mahoney or Brodie—the near-exclusive default point-of-view is that of the police.
The show was groundbreaking for network TV at the time. For one thing, at least one of the main-cast characters was a cop who was an asshole and basically corrupt. This show also demonstrated that the bosses and their subordinates do not always see eye-to-eye, and not just in the "crusty-but-benign" way described in the movie Network, either. Most cop shows at the time didn't just show cops, but they identified with the cops' perspective. (This is still pretty common today.) This is legitimate, but showing that cops have human foibles which have on-the-job repercussions was taking a chance, especially for a network show at that time. And, like The Wire, it got critical acclaim but relatively small (but devoted!) audiences.
The show's style was very different from that of, say, The Wire. For example, it had a non-diegetic score and camera moves that were more likely to draw attention to themselves. H:LotS also included collaborations with Baltimore native Barry Levinson and Tom Fontana. The latter went on to create HBO's Oz, and you can see plenty of influence there from Homicide.
H:LotS was also able to attract high-level talent throughout its run. Not only was the regular and recurring cast very strong (as you'd likely expect, even without having seen a single episode), but it attracted a number of actors best known for their film work. As just one example, Robin Williams appeared in the second season premiere, playing the husband of a crime victim. Steve Buscemi played an odious racist. Arguably, though, the most memorable guest appearance was Moses Gunn as Risley Tucker, the sole suspect in the homicide of 11-year old Adena Watson. Gunn may not be a household name, but he's been in projects from the original Shaft to Roots to stage performances.
Homicide was also remarkable, especially at the time, in that it shot on location in Baltimore. (For context, consider that Vancouver (almost) never plays itself; typically, a show at the time would be shot in New York or Los Angeles, even it it's set in another city.) It also helped establish some of the vocabulary familiar to those who've watched The Wire: "the box", "the board", etc.
This was a six-part miniseries for HBO based on David Simon's book about real-life addicts and dealers. If Homicide was primarily a show from the perspective of the cops, The Corner introduced what life was really like for those who lived in places like West Baltimore.
For me, Homicide was always more stylized in its aesthetic, but more traditional in the types of stories it tried to tell. It was groundbreaking relative to other cop shows, but it still chose the cops' vantage points as the default. The Corner inverted this.
A lot of the content from The Corner will be familiar to those who've already seen The Wire. (And, conversely, those who've seen The Corner would have some useful frame of reference for the events depicted in The Wire.) One attribute The Corner clearly focused on was authenticity. Homicide was a solid show, but The Corner felt real. Much of the cast of The Corner reappears in The Wire, too. And some of the real-life people whose lives Simon chronicled in his book played minor characters on The Wire. One of the most notable examples was the late DeAndre McCullough, who played Brother Mouzone's assistant Lamar.
Again: a killer cast. A good story, well-told. And, for a change-of-pace: even some Emmy nominations and wins!
I trust you're all familiar with this, right? :)
I think having laid some groundwork with the reporting which underlay Homicide and The Corner, The Wire had the basis to be incredibly ambitious. It told stories from the perspectives of cops and dealers and dope fiends and stevedores and City Hall and newspaper newsrooms. It also had a definite point-of-view, and it was unafraid to advocate for its argument, but by showing and not merely telling. Yes, it's about all the conflict between characters on all sides of the law. But it's also making some very important arguments: the drug war is unwinnable, and the consequences of that gratuitous futility are disastrous for countless people. Deindustrialization of big cities leaves the corner as the only employer in town. Actual reform that will have any kind of substantive effect will require something other than the standard bromides that have typically gotten politicians elected and re-elected. And so on.
This is a seven-part HBO miniseries based on the book Generation Kill: Devil Dogs, Ice Man, Captain America, and the New Face of American War by Evan Wright, documenting those American Marines who were the tip-of-the-spear in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. As with The Corner and The Wire, this goes out of its way to convey authenticity, especially in the context of the military jargon. Oh, and you get to see Baltimore native James Ransone, who played Ziggy, as a Marine, too.
This is Simon's love letter to the city of New Orleans, set in the immediate aftermath of Hurrican Katrina. Again: a killer cast, including everyone from Clarke Peters (who played Lester) to Khandi Alexander (who played Fran Boyd on The Corner) to New Orleans native Wendell Pierce (Bunk Moreland) to John Goodman (in damn-near EVERY movie) to Stephen Colbert's bandleader Jon Batiste (as himself).
For me, Treme was solid, but it was less compelling than The Wire. A lot of the goal of Treme was to show the importance and centrality of New Orleans to American culture, in everything from music to food. For me, that case seemed secondary to the lives of the characters themselves. Many of the themes from The Wire are familiar: indifferent institutions, crime and violence, etc. But it also has some ferociously good performances, amazing music performed live, and an important reminder that life for so many in New Orleans still wasn't really "after Katrina" yet, even years after the storm, because of just how much destruction was caused all around.
Oh, and like The Wire (among others), Treme cast a lot of local New Orleans natives who lived through the storm, as well as musicians who hadn't grown up with training as actors.
The title comes from an F. Scott Fitzgerald quote: "show me a hero, and I'll write you a tragedy". Like The Corner, this is another six-part HBO miniseries adapted from a nonfiction book. It's about a huge fight that the city of Yonkers, NY had with federal courts by resisting efforts to remedy housing segregation.
Some of the themes should be familiar: a stellar cast including Oscar Isaac, Winona Ryder (in a role I wouldn't have expected for her), Catherine Keener, Alfred Molina, and Clarke Peters (again). As you might have guessed from the quote, this story doesn't have a happy ending for everyone. The main theme is about how to do the right thing, especially as an elected official, in the face of violent opposition from much of the city, and what cost doing the right thing will entail.
This is a forthcoming David Simon series about the world around Times Square in the 1970s: pornography, just as it was becoming legalized, HIV/AIDS, drug use, and the economic conditions of the city at the time. Even if the whole team totally dropped the ball here, I'm sure this will be better than HBO's 1970s music drama Vinyl, at a minimum.
The cast includes James Franco (playing twins), Maggie Gyllenhaal, Anwan Glover (Slim Charles), Lawrence Gilliard, Jr. (D'Angelo Barksdale), Chris Bauer (Frank Sobotka), and Gbenga Akinnagbe (Chris Partlow). Oh, and the pilot is being directed by Michelle MacLaren, whose directing credits include Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, and Westworld, among others.
Did no one read No Easy Day? It was damn near required reading among 80% of the guys I know the first month it was released. It goes over all this shit in incredible detail.
I'll leave the moral judgement to his community; the book is fantastic.
Clarification: the book was not written by O'Neill, but describes, in great detail, the team's perspective on the operations listed by OP.
Bam, hero'd.
It's named after the [autobiography] (http://www.amazon.com/American-Sniper-Autobiography-Military-History/dp/0062238868) he wrote about his experiences.
One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer by Nathaniel Fick
? What? That book is awesome! And so's the one Fick wrote
Edit: Fick's book: https://www.amazon.com/One-Bullet-Away-Making-Officer/dp/0618773436/
The TV show is pretty good too!
It hooked your sucker ass!
Basically they have been around for a while and they train a lot but basically didn't do shit, real-world, until the GWOT.
I think this was it: https://www.amazon.com/Jaeger-Denmarks-Elite-Special-Forces-ebook/dp/B00UPKQGOY
The man on the left is Thomas Rathsack, who wrote a book on his time and experience with the unit.
http://www.amazon.com/Jaeger-Denmarks-Elite-Special-Forces-ebook/dp/B00UPKQGOY
That's just based off of a highly regarded book I enjoyed:
The Mission, the Men, and Me: Lessons from a Former Delta Force Commander
> And I'm actually obese myself, I am not healthy. I own up to that
This is what we lack, as a society; accountability for one's own behaviors. If we owned up to our actions, not even to the degree of Extreme Ownership, we'd be much better off as human beings.
Definitely Generation Kill, to look into the dynamics of modern war. It's a seriously good, impartial, truthful and entertaining account of the first stages of the second Iraq war seen from the eyes of a battalion of first recon marines. Very well written, too.
War Nerd. Gary Brecher is a tongue-in-cheek military amateur analyst. His views on modern and past warfare are very lucid, albeit controversial and leftfield. His writing style is pretty original, kinda like the Hunter Thompson of war pundits. A backlog of his articles is also available online.
Making A Killing. It's the first person account of a British private security contractor in Iraq. I was expecting the worst when I read it, but it's actually very well written, informative and entertaining. Some of the lingo and drills described in the book actually helped me understand a lot of these videos.
Das Boot is my favourite war book, and it's an embedded reporter's account of a year in a german U-boat during the second world war.
If you found these helpful, I'd definitely recommend checking out the source. I'm mostly parroting what Jocko's described or explained in his book/podcasts.
https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Ownership-U-S-Navy-SEALs/dp/1250067057
Check out the Commandant's Reading list recommendations for Officer Candidates. I'd add One Bullet Away and What it's Like to go to War to that list as well.
How is your general knowledge? Do you know all of your Troop Leading Steps, Leadership Traits, General Orders, and Operational Order sub-paragraphs?
I just got done reading this book Warthog: Flying the A10 in the Gulf War and I highly, highly recommend it. Great book and gives a lot of insight into what the A10 was tasked to do.
Interesting looking book.
https://www.amazon.ca/Extreme-Ownership-U-S-Navy-SEALs/dp/1250067057
Yeah.
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Not going to lie, I didn't really read a whole lot but the title says it all and /u/cyanocobalamin sums it up.
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Circumstances suck but happiness is really condensed to taking ownership of those circumstances. Sometimes things are beyond our control but overall they are a byproduct of what situations we allow ourselves to get into.
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I recently read a book called Extreme Ownership - Jocko Willink. It's about how you pretty much need to take responsibility for everything in your life even when you think it has nothing to do with you. I'm also reading Everything is Fucked: A Book About Hope - Mark Manson right now. I'm about 4 chapters in and it talks a lot about having something to really believe in even though everything in the world is fucked.
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Don't overthink it. Things are only as good as you let them appear to be.
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Comparison is the thief of joy, but it is also a humbling endeavour.
Some really great choices, but I'd also suggest https://www.amazon.com/Art-Intelligence-Lessons-Clandestine-Service/dp/0143123378
Henry was state Dept ambassador in charge of countering terrorism which is a big deal geopolitically
I was going to say "this happened again!?" But then saw that this article was from 2006. If you want to read a book about this, as well as the general mess that their platoon went through, read The Black Hearts.
Read this: https://www.amazon.com/Warthog-Flying-10-Potomac-Warriors/dp/1574888862
"You feel a wild, irrational fear clawing at you as everything in your lizard hindbrain screams at you to run." Then let them play out their character's "better judgment" struggling to deal with it.
There's a book called House to House about the US invasion of Fallujah, written by a sergeant who was there. At one point he describes an incident where he was absolutely unable to move for a minute because of fear or adrenaline or something. Despite desperately wanting to run forward, he found that his legs simply would not obey him. He recovered a few moments later, but he was quite frustrated by the experience.
You can read it on amazon as a preview.
http://www.amazon.com/American-Sniper-Autobiography-Military-History-ebook/dp/B005GFPZYK/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=#reader_B005GFPZYK
I just read the opening passage on Amazon and yeah... I agree with you. I'd have stopped reading too.
>
> IT WAS MY DUTY TO SHOOT, AND I DON'T REGRET IT. THE woman was already dead. I was just
> making sure she didn't take any Marines with her.
> It was clear that not only did she want to kill them, but she didn't care about anybody else
> nearby who would have been blown up by the grenade or killed in the firelight. Children on the
> street, people in the houses, maybe her child ...
> She was too blinded by evil to consider them. She just wanted Americans dead, no matter
> what.
> My shots saved several Americans, whose lives were clearly worth more than that
> woman's twisted soul. I can stand before God with a clear conscience about doing my job. But > I truly, deeply hated the evil that woman possessed. I hate it to this day.
> SAVAGE, DESPICABLE EVIL. THAT'S WHAT WE WERE FIGHTING in Iraq. That's why a lot of people, myself included, called the enemy "savages." There really was no other way to describe what we encountered there.
>
> People ask me all the time, "How many people have you killed?" My standard response is,
> "Does the answer make me less, or more, of a man?" The number is not important to me. I only wish I had killed more. Not for bragging rights, but because I believe the world is a better place without savages out there taking American lives. Everyone I shot in Iraq was trying to harm Americans or Iraqis loyal to the new government.
I'm out
> brought up my a single mother for the most part.
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I'm a victim. It's my mom's fault.
​
>An on off relationship with my father for the past 25 years majority off/zero contact.
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I'm a victim. It's my dad's fault.
​
>because I resented her for keeping me In a relationship I didn’t want
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I'm a victim. It's my plate's fault.
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>(long story short she trapped me)
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I'm a victim. It's my LTR's fault.
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>always thought I was just a good dad but now realise I was trying to be the opposite of my dad
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I'm a victim. It's my dad's fault.
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>Feel free to abuse me where ever necessary I know I deserve it
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I'm a victim. It's my fault.
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Dude, look at what you wrote here. The first step is working to erase this victim mentality. Go read Extreme Ownership. Accept that it's all your fault. Only then can you move forward.
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>no map or long term plan I’m going to set some short term goals
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If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Here's a good post to get you started.
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>Me and LTR spend the weekend together atm as things were rocky there but since starting to unplug I feel like I want to see how things are with a new RP mindset.
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And for now, when you meet up with her just STFU and dive into the Sidebar like your life depends on it.
Please don't treat this as if the west was not capable of the same crimes. It's quite the opposite and a lie.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haditha_massacre
There, brave US serviceman killed 24 civilians. All murderers of the Haditha massacre walked. None were convicted. If the US is any good at anything, it is at covering up war crimes. And if you could stomach that, have a look at the next one:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahmudiyah_rape_and_killings
And if you want to find people justifying this rape and killing of a 14y old girl by talking about how stressful these poor soldiers were, just have a look at the comments of this book on amazon, :
https://www.amazon.com/Black-Hearts-Platoons-Descent-Triangle/dp/0307450767
Black Hearts: One Platoon's Descent into Madness in Iraq's Triangle of Death
It's not a culinary book, but I am almost finished with Exctreme Ownership which gives some great insight on team building and leadership.
Since you asked, I read a book on the raid, and I recommend you read up too before spouting bullshit. It's public information, that's how I know.
The bestselling book: http://www.amazon.com/No-Easy-Day-Autobiography-Firsthand/dp/0525953728/ref=la_B0099F6QS2_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1395642062&sr=1-1
I find it hilarious that your only rebuttal to my arguments is that I am employed by the government; even if I was, your arguments have no merit, and my points have yet to be refuted.
Generation Kill. Its an HBO mini-series based on the book by Evan Wright.
I highly recommend it.
That looks like something out of Blood Makes the Grass Grow Green. In the book, they were under heavy fire in the middle of the night and their CO was walking around yelling at people to be in proper uniform.
If you've never heard of it, the book is hilarious.
Yeah it's pretty good.
Here's the Rolling Stone article by Evan Wright that started it all.
Here's the book Wright wrote.
FYI, the guy that plays Rudy, is the actual Rudy in real life. Other core members of the story also worked as consultants on the TV series. There was also some controversy later as several other people involved wrote of their own experiences and points of view.
Also a vet:
If you want to at least get an idea of what these wars have been like..I suggest you read The Last True Story Ill Ever Tell.
http://www.amazon.com/Last-True-Story-Ever-Tell/dp/157322314X
After loads of reading on the bus to work every day, here follows my reading list for military aviation:
Modern
Vietnam
WWII
Overall/Other
Bonus non-military aviation
I highly second the recommendations of Snow Crash, Cryptonomicon, and Diamond Age. I would also recommend:
Marine Corps != Army, agreed with you though.
Likely why he visited so many countries, Marines deploy and sail around the world (like aircraft carriers) as a force ready to fight or render aid wherever needed (Afghanistan after 9/11, Japan to help with humanitarian aid) when they aren't actively fighting a war (or in between deployments). At least, that's my understanding of it (mostly based on this book).
The Mission, The Men, and Me -Pete Blaber
Plenty. Check this book out. Also, this. You just need to look for them. There are plenty out there.
his autobiography
Blood Makes the Grass Grow Green.
It's a true story, but it's not as serious as the title makes it sound. A skinny nerd with dual Masters degrees changes his name to Johnny Rico and joins the Army as a grunt. There's a scene where he talks about unplugging the incoming fire RADAR so he can heat up a Hot Pocket. It's just that absurd.
Extreme Ownership - Navy SEAL officers who led a special operations unit demonstrate how to apply war-related leadership principles from the battlefield to business and life
Avoid treadmills. If you haven't already, read Nate Fick's book 'One bullet away'.
From memory he scored well on the 3 mile run but had to give it 100%.
Maybe they just got finished with Lone Survivor
Band of Brothers and Generation Kill were both good books that made for great mini series, I'd check them out.
Thank you for doing this AMA.
Earlier this year I had the pleasure to read Lone Survivor by former SEAL Marcus Luttrell. Throughout his book he reflects on their decision [to not kill the shepherd boy who stumbled upon their position, who in turn revealed their position to the Taliban that wiped out the rest of his team.](/spoiler "their decision"), wrestling with the idea that ROE, hamstrung by politics, and fear of backlash back home were major deciding factors.
I keep finding myself contrasting Luttrell's book with comments by Admiral Mullen in an interview about the OBL op - that politics were the last thing on the operators minds.
Throughout your experience did the opinion of the media, politicians and general population play a role in tactical decision making? What are your thoughts on the perception of these groups of SEALs and other special operation teams?
Bro,
I don't know much but I know this.
Leadership is service.
It's not about you.
Real leadership looks like this:
Read this book
http://www.amazon.com/One-Bullet-Away-Making-Officer/dp/0618773436
I'm a 19-year-old boy from Ottawa, Canada (you may have heard of our little country :P ). While I was not homeschooled per se during my public school years (I went to regular English schools), I definitely learned more quickly, more thoroughly and more widely due to my parents' constant efforts to teach me things that went way above and beyond what I was "learning" at my high school.
My parents are both high school teachers, and have each spent roughly 30 years teaching their respective subjects.
My dad actually just retired last year, but he taught most of the Social Studies curriculum during the course of his career (History, Philosophy, Psychology, World Religions, etc.). He is a bilingual Francophone from Ottawa, so he taught at one of the French Catholic high schools in our area. He also happens to be somewhat skeptical of religion (not an atheist, but damned close). Odd combination, yes, but it has resulted in him introducing me to
military history, everything from the Roman legions to the Knights Templar to the Taliban.
My mother was born in Ottawa, to Greek parents who had left Greece after the Second World War; my grandparents are from a village about 20 minutes away from the modern city of Sparti (Sparta). During the war, the village was at some point occupied by Axis forces (I'm not sure when or to what extent, because my grandparents' English is not great and only my mother speaks Greek).
I decided to include a list (below) of works that I've found particularly interesting (I've never actually written down a list of my favs before, so this may be somewhat... sprawling and will be in no particular order :P ). Depending on the ages of your kids, some of this stuff might be inappropriate for them right now, but they can always check it out when they're older. It's mostly military/wartime history that interests me (it's what I plan on studying in university), but I've learned so many little tidbits about other things as well from having access to these works. Since your kids are all boys, I hope they'll find at least some of this stuff to be interesting :) .
Books
Movies and TV
This is all non-fiction. If you like this list, let me know, and I can expand on it further, and also include my favourite works from other genres, as well as my favourite fiction books as well :) . I left out tons of stuff that I'm too much of a lazy teenager to type in here, lol.
And centipedes, I'd like to plug Jocko's book Extreme Ownership. I HIGHLY recommend it to all centipedes. Excellent lessons on leadership, toughness, self reliance, and taking ownership in life and business.
> From personal experience military intelligence is an oxymoron.
Unfortunately, anecdotally this is too true for most military's. Information in the modern world changes so rapidly that the military bureaucracy and chain of command tend's to do nothing more then to just slow down the rate at which accurate info is provided to front line troops.
A great example is in the now famous Generation Kill and One Bullet Away. The unit is constantly supplied with FRAGO's and new mission objectives based on faulty and outdated information that time and time again places them in ambushes, traps, and situations where the only reason they leave alive is because of the ineptitude of the enemy, not their own skill.
I read this book a while back. It's got a ton of information about being a good military leader. I highly recommend it if you are interesting in learning some leadership skills.
The Mission, The Men, and Me
Not specifically tailored to divorce, but were helpful to me in general reorientation of approaches to life:
"Extreme Ownership" by Jocko Willink
"A Guide to the Good Life" by William Irvine
I can think of a few off the top of my head but in the interest of keeping this short:
Generation Kill by Evan Wright. If you're even remotely interested in military-type things, this is a really great read.
My Favorite Book! ... is the Steve Jobs biography. I'm sure you have already heard about it and maybe you have already read it. But if you are into Apple products or technology at all, I highly recommend it. It's pretty long, but I was surprised how quickly I read through it and I am not that much of a reader. The book makes you appreciate technology on a whole new level. Nevertheless, hope you find a good book to read next!
And I am a non-fiction kinda person so here is a book I would like.
Even Wright, an embedded combat reporter during Operation Iraqi Freedom and author of Generation Kill brandished a rifle while on patrol at the request of the marines he was riding with.
It is mentioned in a Huffington Post interview:
>Did you feel useless because you couldn't fire a gun?
EW: On a human level it would have been really exciting to shoot a gun over there. I can hit a target with a rifle generally but that very different from what they do.
There's one moment that's not in the show where they handed me a weapon in the vehicle. We were rolling through a sketchy town. Everyone was like, "You're occupying a seat; you're useless, take a gun." The enormity of the responsibility you have -- it sounds corny here back home -- but if you're really out there with these Marines and you're holding a weapon ... I was like, what if I hear an engine backfire and I pull the trigger? It wasn't [so much the fear] that I'd kill an innocent Iraqi -- that was a problem -- but if I fuck up, I'll get kicked out of the embed. That was my practical reason. When Geraldo was in Afghanistan and he was like, "I'm packing a .45," I was like, "C'mon dude."
I read his book and if I remember correctly it was a short lived occurrence as the author did not maintain proper gun discipline. He unintentionally swept the barrel of the rifle at the marines which is a big no no. The author never fired a weapon while embedded, but I don't recall if the gun was loaded or not. I don't think that it was.
http://www.amazon.com/Warthog-Flying-Potomac-Books-Warriors/dp/1574888862/
In the Gulf war, they had to fly them. It wasn't a pleasant experience apparently.
Black Hearts: One Platoon's Descent into Madness in Iraq's Triangle of Death was written about those murders. I got it after Justin Watt did an AMA. I couldn't get past the first chapter, it was so brutal. I think the media that shows as honest a rendition of what's going on is out there, it's (the honesty) just not in the forefront that it was during the Vietnam war.
No worries, man. Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods were both major studs that disobeyed orders to do the right thing... Saving dozens of lives. May they rest in peace... Anyways I recommend everyone to check out Jocko's book called Extreme Ownership. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1250067057/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1464285041&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=extreme+ownership&dpPl=1&dpID=41cmM6UedGL&ref=plSrch
It is a great read and I got a LOT out of it. The podcasts where he was a guest on the Joe Rogan show and on the Tim Ferriss show are also definitely worth checking out. He has his own podcast now too and so far I've also gotten a lot of value from that as well.
I want this man to become President someday. Cannot speak highly enough about him. His experience and leadership... And perspective, is quite humbling to say the least.
Well, there are two problems here, and both relate to the terms ninjutsu and taijutsu, and both are due to people inferring more than what is actually said.
Both are just general terms, and people misuse both. So, ninjutsu is just intelligence gathering techniques. I mean the CIA technically practices ninjutsu, but no one calls it ninjutsu. The English term used most is "Spycraft." During WWII, the Japanese taught indivduals ninjutsu. It was called the Nakano School.
Now, to be a good spy, one should know some hand to hand in case things go really bad. This is where taijutsu comes in. But taijutsu just means "body techniques." Technically, every martial art is this, and it's the equivalent of "fighting method." Nothing special. The Bujinkan has taken the 6 samurai arts that it teaches and called those "ninpo taijutsu" or "Bujinkan Budo taijutsu", which is just their form of arts, no different from saying something like Gracie Jujutsu. Most of the modern school stuff comes from Kukishinden ryu, which stems from a koryu, Kukishin Ryu. TEchnically, you could be a ninja and learn any fighting method you wanted.
The last thing is that none of the modern schools actually state that they teach ninjutsu. They say things like "ninpo taijutsu" or "the fighting art of the ninja." Scrub their websites and you will find that you won't find them saying that they teach ninjutsu. Even Stephen K. Hayes's most well know book, The Ninja and Their Secret Fighting Art, only talks about "ninjutsu" for 31 of its 156 pages, and even then, it's mostly from a historical perspective. The other books do so in a similar fashion.
In reality, there are better methods today than there were back then. Camouflage used to be a secret technique, but now there are books on it everywhere, and you can learn it from different sources.
+1 to the GAP-10. It became one of Chris Kyle (America's most deadly sniper) mentioned in his autobiography that after shooting it after coming back from oversees, he considered it one of his favorite weapons.
At 2,750, it is surprisingly affordable for the level of accuracy.
Check out this vid of a 5" group at 1000 yards.
Requisite, The book is amazing.
I've been looking for a good series like this too.
The best option I've found so far was autobiographical books about real operators and their stories. The comic I link to below is pretty good too.
This is the comic, obviously it isn't a true novel, but it's still a good series.
https://www.amazon.com/Activity-1-Tp/dp/1607065614
The series focuses on the Intelligence Support Activity and their covert ops, but there's some joint Delta, SAS, CIA, etc stories in there too.
As for more proper novels, 'No Easy Day' has some good stories in it. It's an autobiography though.
https://www.amazon.com/No-Easy-Day-Autobiography-Firsthand/dp/0525953728
Not trying to sell anything here but read this book. One of the most amazing pilots and warriors in the US Military ever. He gives you great insights into taking out air defenses.
http://www.amazon.com/Viper-Pilot-Memoir-Air-Combat/dp/006213034X
Great feedback from /u/volci - I would take heed.
Along with that, buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Ownership-U-S-Navy-SEALs/dp/1250067057/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469622981&sr=8-1&keywords=extreme+ownership
Listen to these podcasts:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/jocko-podcast/id1070322219?mt=2
I usually don't say "buy a book and do X" but these two things have given me more insight on leadership than anything else in my 30 years on earth. I have a management degree that cant hold a candle to this stuff.
If you're the reading type, check out Dan Hampton's "Viper Pilot." He flew the F-16C/J in both Gulf Wars, which is the Air Force's dedicated SEAD/DEAD airframe. He talks at length about the Wild Weasel mission, and emphatically states his disdain for the AGM-88. Their Pk is very low in real life (not quite the death laser that BMS makes it out to be...although that's probably more on BMS' unrealistic SAM radar behaviors more than anything else) and the author much preferred going in with CBU's or dumb iron and making sure the threat was really dead and no longer a threat.
Lone Survivor http://www.amazon.com/Lone-Survivor-Eyewitness-Account-Operation/dp/0316067598
The book
The Wikipedia entry with SPOILERS
Viper Pilot by Dan Hampton is a great read about F-16s on Wild Weasel missions in both Iraq Wars. These guys had balls of steel.
Check out the book Viper Pilot by Dan Hampton. Story of F-16 Wild Weasels in Iraq in 2000s.
Read Dan Hampton's Viper Pilot: http://www.amazon.com/Viper-Pilot-Memoir-Air-Combat/dp/006213034X/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1462823120&sr=8-5&keywords=dan+hampton
Awesome book. 10% of what is written here is folksy bullshit.
Viper Pilot is a great read about the Wild Weasels. http://www.amazon.com/Viper-Pilot-Memoir-Air-Combat/dp/006213034X
I'm surprised no one has mentioned the book Viper Pilot by Dan Hampton. An amazing book by a Wild Weasel pilot who flew the F-16CJ. Although it is packed full of information from how one becomes a pilot in the Air Force, the Wild Weasel mission, to fighter pilot culture, it reads just like a novel. The audiobook is also excellent - the recitation of some of the comms on the 1st night of the Gulf War is alone worth the price of admission. I can't recommend either highly enough.
While looking up the book again, I discovered that the author also released a new book, The Hunter Killers, last year about the original Wild Weasels in Vietnam. I obviously have not read it yet, but I bet it is excellent if you want to dive into the history of the mission.
Blood Makes the Grass Grow Green
The Last True Story I'll Ever Tell
Dexter Series
Dark Elf Trilogy and then all of the subsequent books in the Drizzt line, there are like 14 or so maybe
With Liberty and Justice for Some
and always some green reading
Cannabis A History
Why Marijuana Should be Legal
The Last True Story I'll Ever Tell
> A tremendous book ... incredibly gripping and incredibly well-written... It's a remarkable story... I urge everyone to go...grab it. -- Jon Stewart, The Daily Show
Its a very short, very illuminating insight into one soldier's experience in Iraq.
EDIT: Fixed link
Marcus Luttrell
No doubt. It's rare that I hardly have to think about something, but when I read this this ask, I knew instantly that this dude was my answer.
His book about Operation Redwing
Hey punk, 25M / 6'2 / 247.6lbs here and you're about to lose.
I'm looking to end up at a solid 200lbs, so I've 47.6 pounds to lose. Close enough, right?
Download MFP and add me : Tychapman. Track everything you eat and every exercise you make and you better look forward to me talking mad shit when you sneak a cinnabon you pathetic land whale.
My weight loss frenzy is fueled by 2 part competition and 1 part accountability (also I'm out of college and have a little extra disposable income), so I'm not okay with buying you a 13 dollar book (not that you're going to win anyway). It's just not going to cut it.
What about this?
Or some of these?
Hell if you win (which you wont) I'll throw in your book, too.
If I win you better buy me THIS
(in fact, just go ahead and get it to save yourself the time).
PM me if you want to do a virtual shake-shake-shake and we'll exchange info. Lets get the fuck in shape!
Now available in paperback at Amazon!
I just googled the title; apparently this is a work of dark humor fiction.
With no oversight whatsoever by any elected legislature or executive. There's so much misinformation about the IC it's not even funny. Go read http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-Intelligence-Lessons-Clandestine/dp/0143123378 or similar work. Or just any authoritative history.
Did you read this book: Lone Survivor? Any thoughts about it?
Do you recall which one it was?
These are some of my favorites...
https://smile.amazon.com/Magnum-Weasels-Desert-Elimination-Defence-ebook/dp/B005D7FLL8/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1517679129&sr=1-3&keywords=wild+weasel
https://smile.amazon.com/F-105-Wild-Weasel-SA-2-Guideline-ebook/dp/B01BY34K9I/ref=sr_1_12?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1517679129&sr=1-12&keywords=wild+weasel
https://smile.amazon.com/Viper-Pilot-Memoir-Air-Combat/dp/006213034X/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=006213034X&pd_rd_r=8WMAQ52QBK32SPHVQN6S&pd_rd_w=p2r2i&pd_rd_wg=efvEa&psc=1&refRID=8WMAQ52QBK32SPHVQN6S
and this one is on my wish list...
https://smile.amazon.com/Hunter-Killers-Extraordinary-Maverick-Dangerous/dp/0062375121/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0062375121&pd_rd_r=0MV8ENFG0Q747QE4WRAJ&pd_rd_w=d7Byq&pd_rd_wg=NA79Y&psc=1&refRID=0MV8ENFG0Q747QE4WRAJ
This is a great book. http://www.amazon.com/Lone-Survivor-Eyewitness-Account-Operation/dp/0316067598
I doubt any Navy Seal would regret joining. The camaraderie is intense within the Seals.
When I was in Fallujah with the Marines, the Seals were high-speed no joke good guys.
Chris Kyle goes into some detail about his training in his book .
Basically its constant running, swimming and push ups. Endurance cardio seems to be far more important than strength and quick recovery is crucial.
The book he mentions in his AMA, Black Hearts, shines some light on the subject. It was in one of /r/army's professional development threads a few months ago.
Things to Buy
http://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Years-Hanna-Schissler/dp/0691058202
http://www.amazon.com/Redneck-Manifesto-Hillbillies-Americas-Scapegoats/dp/0684838648
http://www.amazon.com/review/product/039332169X/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?%5Fencoding=UTF8&showViewpoints=1
http://www.amazon.com/Evolution-Everyone-Darwins-Theory-Change/dp/0385340214
http://www.amazon.com/Andromeda-Strain-Michael-Crichton/dp/006170315X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1225932164&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/Primates-Classroom-Evolutionary-Perspective-Childrens/dp/0870236113/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261589323&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/Paleolithic-Prescription-Program-Exercise-Design/dp/0060916354/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261589224&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/Exiles-Eden-Psychotherapy-Evolutionary-Perspective/dp/0393700739/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261589294&sr=1-2
http://www.amazon.com/Chimpanzee-Politics-Power-among-Apes/dp/0801886562/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261589183&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/YOU-Updated-Expanded-Insiders-Healthier/dp/0061473677/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263303625&sr=1-5
http://www.amazon.com/YOU-Updated-Expanded-Insiders-Healthier/dp/0061473677/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263303625&sr=1-5
http://www.amazon.com/Good-Calories-Bad-Controversial-Science/dp/1400033462/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1297305735&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/New-Sugar-Busters-Cut-Trim/dp/0345469585/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1297305615&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Omnivores-Dilemma-Natural-History-Meals/dp/0143038583/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1297305420&sr=8-2
http://www.amazon.com/Skinny-Bastard-Kick-Ass-Getting/product-reviews/0762435402/ref=cm_cr_dp_all_helpful?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending
http://www.amazon.com/Evolution-Everyone-Darwins-Theory-Change/dp/0385340214
http://www.amazon.com/Food-Rules-Eaters-Michael-Pollan/dp/014311638X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1297305420&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Primates-Classroom-Evolutionary-Perspective-Childrens/dp/0870236113/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261589323&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/Exiles-Eden-Psychotherapy-Evolutionary-Perspective/dp/0393700739/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261589294&sr=1-2
http://www.amazon.com/Paleolithic-Prescription-Program-Exercise-Design/dp/0060916354/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261589224&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/Chimpanzee-Politics-Power-among-Apes/dp/0801886562/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261589183&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Stranger-Strange-Land-Robert-Heinlein/dp/0441788386/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258348123&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Full-Plate-Diet-Great-Healthy/dp/1885167717/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266199288&sr=1-13
http://www.amazon.com/Religion-War-Scott-Adams/dp/0740747886/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_9
http://www.amazon.com/Full-Plate-Diet-Great-Healthy/dp/1885167717/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266199288&sr=1-13
http://www.amazon.com/Blindsight-Peter-Watts/dp/0765319640/
http://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Years-Hanna-Schissler/dp/0691058202
http://www.amazon.com/Redneck-Manifesto-Hillbillies-Americas-Scapegoats/dp/0684838648
http://www.amazon.com/review/product/039332169X/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?%5Fencoding=UTF8&showViewpoints=1
http://www.amazon.com/Andromeda-Strain-Michael-Crichton/dp/006170315X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1225932164&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/Atheist-Manifesto-Against-Christianity-Judaism/dp/1559708204
http://www.amazon.com/Mayo-Clinic-Family-Health-Book/dp/1603200770/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267299889&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/Body-Sculpting-Bible-Men-Revised/dp/1578262380/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1298573232&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Mens-Health-Big-Book-Exercises/dp/1605295507
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1594866279/ref=asc_df_15948662791442125?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=pg-1583-01-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395093&creativeASIN=1594866279
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0345498461/ref=asc_df_03454984611442018?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=pg-1583-01-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395093&creativeASIN=0345498461
http://www.amazon.com/Beginning-Runners-Handbook-13-Week-Walk-Run/dp/1553650875/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1298575384&sr=8-1
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703558004574581891694514228.html
http://www.amazon.com/Edible-Wild-Plants-Foods-Adventure/dp/1423601505
http://www.amazon.com/Shoppers-Guide-Organic-Food/dp/1857028406/ref=sr_1_16?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1308213453&sr=1-16
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Portrait_of_the_Artist_as_a_Young_Man
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stream_of_consciousness_writing
http://entertainment.time.com/2011/08/30/all-time-100-best-nonfiction-books/#fast-food-nation-by-eric-schlosser
http://www.amazon.com/Stranger-Strange-Land-Robert-Heinlein/dp/0441788386/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258348123&sr=8-1
http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/sleep-apnea/continuous-positive-airway-pressure-cpap-for-obstructive-sleep-apnea
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Catcher_in_the_Rye
http://www.amazon.com/Catch-22-Joseph-Heller/dp/0684833395
http://www.amazon.com/Starting-Strength-2nd-Mark-Rippetoe/dp/0976805421/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1253993543&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Aero-Speed-Hyperformance-Jump-Rope/dp/B00017XHO8
http://www.invisibleshoe.com/#ecwid:category=135066&mode=product&product=278983
http://view.exacttarget.com/?j=fe621670756c0575741d&m=fe7215707561047d7315&ls=fde817797d6d037977177974&l=fe9215717260007a70&s=fe2d13707d600478751c72&jb=ffcf14&ju=fe2e167375640d75711576&r=0
http://www.amazon.com/Element-Surprise-Navy-Seals-Vietnam/dp/0804105812/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1304634342&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Lone-Survivor-Eyewitness-Account-Operation/dp/0316067598
http://www.amazon.com/Diving-Bell-Butterfly-Memoir-Death/dp/0375701214/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312848167&sr=8-1
Political
Iraq Research
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Tawhid_Wal-Jihad
http://www.ontheissues.org/Drugs.htm#Barack_Obama
Congress Related
http://thomas.loc.gov/home/r110query.html
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/vote_menu_110_1.htm
http://www.usdoj.gov/
http://www.issuedictionary.com/Barack_Obama.cgi
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?r110:75:./temp/~r110y7HfAa::
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists
/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=107&session=2&vote=00237
http://allafrica.com/
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/??
Health & Exercise
Green Tea
http://www.teatrekker.com/store/tea/green/green+-+japan.php
http://www.o-cha.com/brew.htm
http://www.ehow.com/how_2080066_steep-loose-leaf-tea.html
http://cooksshophere.com/products/tea/green_tea.htm
http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=146
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_effects_of_tea
http://blackdragonteabar.blogspot.com/2008_09_01_archive.html
http://blackdragonteabar.blogspot.com/
https://www.itoen.com/leaf/index.cfm
http://www.maiko.ne.jp/english/
http://www.mellowmonk.com/buyGreenTea.htm
http://www.o-cha.com/home.php
http://www.denstea.com/
http://www.theteaavenue.com/chgrtea.html
http://www.teafrog.com/teas/finum-tea-brewing-basket.html
I am reading American Sniper (which has a movie adaptation coming out). It is the autobiography of Chris Kyle, a sniper with the most confirmed kills in US Military history (150), he talks about his childhood, and his missions in Iraq. He shots he has had to take, the friends he's lost...
I read and definitely recommend A Brief History of Time: The Updated and Expanded Tenth Anniversary Edition by Stephen Hawkings. As you can tell by the name of the book it talks about the universe, black holes, the possibility of worm holes/white holes. Stephen Hawking really knows how to write a book.
I have yet to get to it, but I recommend The Divine Comedy (written in the 1300s). It is an Epic Poem about Dante Alighieri travels through Hell (Inferno), Purgatory (Purgatorio), and Heaven (Paradiso).
Edit: Does someone hate these books?
Extreme Ownership
This one or this one?
Yup -- > HERE
If you are looking for a book without the wandering, check out House to House.
This will tell you everything you want to know.
http://www.amazon.com/American-Sniper-Autobiography-Military-History-ebook/dp/B005GFPZYK
Yes, it's called American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History. Amazon are selling a trade paperback for $6.45, and the Kindle version for $4.10.
You know a different guy. SFC Kapacziewski is an Army Ranger:
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/military/2011-06-19-Afghanistan-Iraq-Army-Rangers-amputee-Purple-Heart_n.htm
https://www.amazon.com/Back-Fight-Explosive-Special-Operator-ebook/dp/B009LRWGZU
This is starting to make sense. You aren't willing to hold Baker more accountable for his poor play in much the same way that you refuse to hold yourself accountable for your own poor spelling and grammar.
You say that Baker's focus can't be taken away by external factors like his tweeting and at the end of the day he is just a bad QB.
At the same time, your grammar and spelling can't be controlled by you because it's an autocorrect problem.
I am reading a book right now I think might benefit you, cheers!
It's either in "The Art of Intelligence", or "The Great War of Our Time where the author states that every country will place a spy in certain diplomatic positions. He mentions that the CIA places case officers in certain Secretary of State positions at certain embassies/consulates.
But that Russia is notorious and much more aggresive for doing such. So much so that if you are talking to a Russian diplomat or Ambassador you can almost be certain he/she is a spy.
Heck, if you watch the documentary Icarus about Russian doping, they mention agents from the FSB security service positioned at sites around Sochi to facilitate there doping program.
Not a novel but "Lone Survivor" is a great book. As is "Into the Wild"
Viper Pilot: A Memoir of Air Combat
by Dan Hampton
https://www.amazon.com/dp/006213034X
not an English written book but I also like this...
https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/4871493911
http://www.amazon.com/Lone-Survivor-Eyewitness-Account-Operation/dp/0316067598
Very good read, once I started I couldn't put it down.
I have a few books collecting dust if you're interested...
Hunting the Jackal
http://www.amazon.com/Hunting-Jackal-Soldiers-Frontlines-Terrorism/dp/0060564105/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1293764592&sr=8-1
Brotherhood of Warriors
http://www.amazon.com/Brotherhood-Warriors-Behind-Commando-Counterterrorism/dp/0061236160/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1293764614&sr=1-1
Generation Kill
http://www.amazon.com/Generation-Kill-Evan-Wright/dp/0425224740/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1293764637&sr=1-1
Legion of the Lost
http://www.amazon.com/Legion-Lost-Experience-American-Foreign/dp/0425210154/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1293764668&sr=1-1
I'll mail em to you if you want em... I didn't participate in the secret santa so think of it as a late gift. Let me know if you want any of em.
They didn't "come to America," but yes of course the conflict between the United States and the Islamic world started before the events you outlined. I'll outline the relevant points as summarily as I can. For brevity, I will include history only related to the United States and not broader Western civilization. The case of the United States is salient and representative.
History of Islam: Muhammad to 1776
Muhammad first began teaching among Pagan Arabs who were more or less friendly until he began to teach that there is only one God and all other religions' followers shall burn in hell. When they began to threaten him and his people, he fled to Mecca and Medina, subsequently taking over the western half of Saudi Arabia along with the eastern tip (Oman). Almost all secular scholars of the Qur'an agree that it is as much a political guidebook (how to run a society) as a religious text (how to be a good person). Upon his death in 632, his followers interpreted the book as they did, and a system of Caliphates began to rule the Islamic world. By 661, all of what we call the Middle East and northeastern Africa was under the Caliphate. By the 8th century, the Caliphate had extended to include land from Spain to Pakistan. This was unsustainable militarily (given few people liked being ruled under Islamic law), so it was pulled back. The Turkish peoples were to become the new military force of the Caliphate, and took Constantinople just before Columbus "found" the "New World." When the United States declared independence, Abdul Hamid I was sultan, with even Baghdad under his rule (that article makes him sound friendlier than he actually was -- he was compelled to sign treaties after military defeats).
Barbary Slaves and Pirating
Before the United States had first elected Washington as President, the Congress found itself at odds with the Caliphate controlled lands. At this time, the Muslim world was taking Europeans and Americans as slaves, estimates are that as many as 1.25 million slaves were taken from the Western world (source: Robert Davis). John Adams, America's London ambassador, was sent to the Tripoli ambassador to discuss the matter, and was met with a demand of money for various levels of peace. Terms were set for the release of slaves, short term peace, and even a price for long term peace. The United States argued that it was a new nation. If their military had previously quarreled with Europe, that was of no concern to the United States. Could not peace with a new nation be had?
When Jefferson took the Presidency in 1801, he was immediately met with a demand of $4,000,000 (adjusted for inflation but not %GDP or federal budget) to be paid to the Muslim lands. Jefferson demanded repeatedly to know by what right these demands were made. By what right did they capture Americans as slaves, seize her ships, take her property, and demand payment in exchange?
> The Ambassador answered us that it was founded on the Laws of their Prophet, that it was written in their Koran, that all nations who should not have acknowledged their authority were sinners, that it was their right and duty to make war upon them wherever they could be found, and to make slaves of all they could take as Prisoners.
Thomas Jefferson to Congress and the State Department
Barbary Wars to Usama bin Laden
President Jefferson found himself in the fortunate position of having a capable Navy that he, ironically enough, had fought against funding before being elected. With it, he began the first conflict between the United States and the Caliphate. The second line of the Marine Anthem (To the shores of Tripoli) celebrates the result even today. Congress authorized Jefferson to use the full might of the United States Navy to suppress the military aggression, with permission to seize and destroy property as the Navy was able. The language was quite strong and general.
The modern Islamic revival that began in the 1970s has seen a large surge in the total Muslim population, which we must admit is in some sense responsible for the recent surge of the lower jihad as well (this being the military jihad as opposed to the higher jihad meaning an inner struggle). Al Qaeda's number one demand was restoration of the Caliphate. The crime for which America has been subject to the violence from the radical Islamists was committed after approval by the Saudi royal family to use American troops to free Kuwait from Iraq rather than using their own, limited resources and relying heavily on the local mujahidin. In other words, Usama bin Laden was angry with America because he thought that local insurgents could fight Saddam the same way they had in Afghanistan against the Soviets rather than relying on smart bombs to do the same. (He forgot, or perhaps never knew, that Afghanistan was liberated only through American assistance. People who assert the unsophisticated non-distinction between Al Qaeda and the Taliban forget this. America gave aid to the Taliban, not The Base.)
Also central to crimes committed by the United States in Bin Laden's mind was our admission that we had begun to support the right of East Timor to self determination of government. Here is one of his first speeches after the 2001 attacks.. Ctrl+f "east timor" to see that his complaint is that the Caliphate's maximum extent is no longer in effect, with the world recognizing that the military devastation committed by Indonesia was invalid.
Specific Points: Iran in WWII, The Taliban, Gulf War vs. bin Laden, and Diplomacy
So, yes, the Barbary wars happened before the Iranian coup. Keep in mind also that 1953 is also after 1945 when Nazi Germany surrendered. At that time, Iran was already under the full control of Britain and Russia (mostly the British), essentially a colony like India was. This invasion was necessary because Reza Shah was attempting to play neutral while supplying the Nazi war machine with crude oil necessary for its logistical world domination. "Iran" in Persian means "The Land of the Aryans," which Persia abruptly changed its name to in 1935, just as it was becoming friendly toward the Germans. After the war was over, Britain had a number of privately owned fields, purchased legally from the owners of the land. When Iran elected Mosaddegh to nationalize the oilfields, they did so illegally. Their country or not, the heart of libertarianism is the right to free exchange and free markets. Unless you agree that the United States can simply seize the property of any foreign corporation who operates in any way through the United States, you cannot support the right of anyone, anywhere to loot by law. The course of action taken by the West was perhaps morally wrong. But it was in response to a moral wrong, not the initiation of one. I find that very few internet historians know the history of Iran before 1953. This has always seemed odd to me -- where are you all getting your similarly edited information?
The military bases in Islamic lands were widely supported at the time by both governments and peoples. They still celebrate it as a national day of pride. Again, bin Laden considers this the great evil of America because he wanted the local mujahidin to fight Saddam rather than bringing in any Western aid. You may freely be against the Gulf War, but you cannot rationalize that the intervention was innately immoral since the United States determined that losing control of the Kuwait and Saudi oilfields would have been damaging to her interests. In other words, the United States did not initiate force but responded to the initiation of force upon a friend.
The United States used the Taliban to fight the Soviet Empire. I fail to see this as a moral evil.
The United States necessarily has diplomatic relations with all countries who are willing, including bad guys. Egyptians and Tunisians far and away have more warm feelings for the United States than ill-feelings. Only with sources such as Russia Today can you attempt to support the notion that we stood between these leaders and their people. The West was crucial to their overthrow, including freezing of their foreign assets.
Recommended Reading
Islamic Radicalism and Global Jihad History of radical Islam and current resurgence. Takes a look at the old scholars and new.
The Looming Tower Everything leading up to 9/11
Christian Slaves, Muslim Masters Details the Barbary coast slave trade
The Trial of Henry Kissinger Outlines US war crimes
Qur'an My English translation.
Instructions for American Servicemen in Iran During World War II Self explanatory.
The Forever War Solidly good book.
The Rape of Kuwait Iraq war crimes in Kuwait
Edits
Came here to suggest Dan Hampton. Ive read and loved all his books. His newest one, The Hunter Killers, was a great read.
Viper Pilot, is a great account of his time in the F-16.
Targets of opportunity (i.e. helicopters). The Warthog actually got a couple of kills during the Gulf War. I'd definitely suggest this book if you're interested in learning more.
I don't think he specifically wrote it for Amazon, but my cousin has a couple books for sale.
Book 1
Book 2
Into the Fire is a good book, I recommend Generation Kill as well if you haven't read it, I liked it more than the HBO miniseries.
If you liked the series read the related books:
https://www.amazon.com/Generation-Kill-Captain-America-American/dp/0425224740
https://www.amazon.com/One-Bullet-Away-Making-Officer/dp/0618773436/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=9REQB2ZFA33Y0R7C9F58
I read this for the first time today, in this book. Weird coincidence...
Highly recommend the book by the way, it's written by the Lieutenant from the TV series Generation Kill.
Also, most senior officers put out public reading lists every year - so you might try searching that way too.
I guess more than that. Sadly my kindle isn't charged at the moment, but If you're interested you might want to have a look at this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Warthog-Flying-Potomac-Books-Warriors/dp/1574888862/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1349002853&sr=8-1&keywords=warthog+flying+a10
They're flying the A-10A (which makes crossing the Atlantic even harder) but the first Chapter describes the ordeal pretty detailed. Including refueling during a Thunderstorm. At night. Under time pressure.
It's a miniseries by HBO IMDb here it based on a real story about a Rolling Stone Magazine reporter who goes with the First Reconnaissance Battalion of the US Marines while they invade Iraq.
And it is one of my favourite TV series. I hope you have fun watching it.
Not so much an infantry memoir, but the men, the mission, and me is something every leader should read.
Blood Makes the Grass Grow Green by Johnny Rico.
If I Die in a Combat Zone, Box Me Up and Ship Me Home by Tim O'Brien
I also liked Going After Cacciato, by O'Brien.
Check out "House to House," I think you will really enjoy that book as well. It captures the essence of Iraq war and the Battle of Fallujah. This book made my heart race and palms sweat while I read it. Here is a link
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1416596607/ref=mw_dp_mdsc/188-8511672-5783613?dsc=1
I'd like to see an AMA from Chris Kyle who has killed the most men in US armed forces history and also has the record for longest kill (2100 yards).
OP, here's a book you may enjoy and benefit from: https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Ownership-U-S-Navy-SEALs/dp/1250067057/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486323161&sr=8-1&keywords=extreme+ownership
Here is a real military book:
http://www.amazon.com/Black-Hearts-Platoons-Descent-Triangle/dp/0307450767/ref=asap_B001JSD6SK_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417309637&sr=1-1
Start with these two:
https://www.amazon.com/Afghanistan-Graveyard-Empires-History-Borderland/dp/1605981893/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1496177236&sr=8-5
https://www.amazon.com/Forever-War-Dexter-Filkins/dp/0307279448/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1496177260&sr=8-3
Read this one to understand America's behavior: https://www.amazon.com/Tragedy-Great-Power-Politics-Updated/dp/0393349276/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496177330&sr=8-1
Update with a simple read: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_in_Afghanistan_(2015%E2%80%93present)
End with this: https://www.amazon.com/Our-Latest-Longest-War-Afghanistan/dp/022626565X (on my kindle TBR list, but it's gotten good reviews from reputable publications, which is key when reading any sort of history, unless you're interested in becoming one of those looney right-wingers or bat-shit lefties).
Looking at other options after the corporate world. I was surprised at the number of Ivy league graduates in the US military (check out http://www.amazon.com/One-Bullet-Away-Making-Officer/dp/0618773436, great read).
I get the whole IBD circlejerk, but there are definitely a host of options after HBA, or down the road as an aspect of your career.
She did cry though. What Happened -- $14.99 on Amazon.
Complainers don't make effective leaders, by the way. Extreme Ownership -- also $14.99 on Amazon.