Download or read book Heroes on the Frontline True Stories of the Deadliest Missions Behind the Enemy Lines in Afghanistan and Iraq written by Nigel Cawthorne and published by Kings Road Publishing. This book was released on 2011-01-04 with total page 148 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the current conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan, Britain's Special Forces are on the front line, these heroes are so respected that they are even called upon by the Americans when a particularly difficult and dangerous job has to be done. Time after time they have proved their worth on the battlefield, confirming that their commitment and professionalism are second to none.Military expert Nigel Cawthorne looks at the crucial role the British special forces have played since the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Of course, the circumstances have changed dramatically since the 'War on Terror' began, which has made the task facing these brave soldiers even more complicated than it originally appeared.This insightful book examines how the relationship between our special forces and their American counterparts has developed, as they try to stabilise a volatile region, fighting side-by-side against the ruthless enemies of the West.
Download or read book Heroes Among Us written by Major Chuck Larson and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2008-01-02 with total page 364 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: More than one million Americans have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, but fewer than 500 from this group have earned a Silver Star, Navy Cross, Air Force Cross, Distinguished Service Cross, or the Medal of Honor. These Americans have demonstrated extraordinary courage under fire?in the worst of circumstances. They come from all branches of the military. They also come from all over the country and all walks of life, representing the entire spectrum of races and creeds. But what unites them are their deeds of consummate bravery, beyond the call of duty. Heroes Among Us tells these extraordinary true stories of valor, honor and sacrifice.
Download or read book On the Frontline written by Nigel Cawthorne and published by Blake Publishing. This book was released on 2009-04 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: After the horrors of 9/11, the British armed forces were called upon by the government to engage new enemies in faraway lands. Spearheading the War on Terror, Royal Marines led British troops into Afghanistan in 2002 to oust the Taleban and scatter al-Qaeda. Then in March 2003, again it was the Royal Marines who kicked off the Second Gulf War with an assault into southern Iraq. Since then, the men and women of the British forces have been risking their lives in both theaters, routinely exposed to mortal danger and showing constant courage and fortitude under intense pressure. But their task is not only one of combat and counterinsurgency; many humanitarian acts have been carried out to bring stability and new hope to ravaged peoples, often at great personal risk to servicepeople involved. On the Frontline tells the story of modern bravery and devotion to duty in the great tradition of British men and women at arms.
Download or read book Legend written by Eric Blehm and published by Crown. This book was released on 2016-04-26 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The true story of the U.S. Army’s 240th Assault Helicopter Company and a Green Beret Staff Sergeant's heroic mission to rescue a Special Forces team trapped behind enemy lines during the Vietnam War, from New York Times bestselling author Eric Blehm. On May 2, 1968, a twelve-man Special Forces team covertly infiltrated a small clearing in the jungles of neutral Cambodia—where U.S. forces were forbidden to operate. Their objective, just miles over the Vietnam border, was to collect evidence that proved the North Vietnamese Army was using the Cambodian sanctuary as a major conduit for supplying troops and materiel to the south via the Ho Chi Minh Trail. What the team didn’t know was that they had infiltrated a section of jungle that concealed a major enemy base. Soon they found themselves surrounded by hundreds of NVA, under attack, low on ammunition, stacking the bodies of the dead as cover in a desperate attempt to survive the onslaught. When Special Forces Staff Sergeant Roy Benavidez heard their distress call, he jumped aboard the next helicopter bound for the combat zone. What followed would become legend in the Special Operations community. Flown into the foray of battle by the 240th Assault Helicopter Company, Benavidez jumped from the hovering aircraft, ran nearly 100 yards through withering enemy fire, and--despite being immediately and severely wounded--organized an extraordinary defense and rescue of the Special Forces team. Written with extensive access to family members, surviving members of the 240th Assault Helicopter Company, on-the-ground eye-witness accounts never before published, as well as recently discovered archival, and declassified military records, Blehm has created a riveting narrative both of Roy Benavidez’s life and career, and of the inspiring, almost unbelievable events that defined the brotherhood of the air and ground warriors in an unpopular war halfway around the world. Legend recounts the courage and commitment of those who fought in Vietnam in service of their country, and the story of one of the many unsung heroes of the war.
Download or read book Home of the Brave written by Caspar W. Weinberger and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2006-05-16 with total page 271 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: They are nineteen of the most highly decorated soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines in the United States military, and yet most Americans don't even know their names. In this riveting, intimate account, former Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger and Wynton C. Hall tell stories of jaw-dropping heroism and hope in Afghanistan and Iraq. Home of the Brave takes readers beyond the bullets and battles and into the hearts and minds of the men and women who are fighting terrorists overseas so that America doesn't have to fight them at home. These are the powerful, true-life stories of the hopes, fears, and triumphs these men and women experienced fighting the War on Terror. But more than that, these are the stories of soldiers who risked everything to save lives and defend freedom. Including: *Lieutenant Colonel Mark Mitchell, the Green Beret leader whose 15-man Special Forces team took 500 Al Qaeda and Taliban prisoners, and posthumously repatriated the body of the first American to die in combat in the War on Terror, CIA agent Johnny "Mike" Spann. *Army National Guard Sergeant Leigh Ann Hester, the first woman ever to be awarded the Silver Star for combat, whose sharp-shooting and bravery played an enormous role in fighting off over fifty Iraqi insurgents while her ten-person squad protected a convoy of supplies on the way to fellow soldiers. *Sergeant Rafael Peralta, a Mexican immigrant, enlisted in the Marines the same day he received his green card. Wounded from enemy fire, Peralta used his body to smother the blast of an enemy grenade and gave his life so that his marine brothers could live. These real-life heroes remind us of American history's most enduring lesson: Ours would not be the land of the free if it were not also the home of the brave.
Download or read book Valor written by Mark Lee Greenblatt and published by . This book was released on 2015-10 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Valor is the fruit of Mark Lee Greenblatt's interviews with brave veterans who have incredible stories to tell. Stories that, until now, have largely gone unnoticed by the public. From the close-quarters urban Iraq war to rural Afghanistan and the stormy Atlantic, Greenblatt's...
Download or read book Into the Fire written by Dakota Meyer and published by Random House. This book was released on 2012-09-25 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “The story of what Dakota did . . . will be told for generations.”—President Barack Obama, from remarks given at Meyer’s Medal of Honor ceremony In the fall of 2009, Taliban insurgents ambushed a patrol of Afghan soldiers and Marine advisors in a mountain village called Ganjigal. Firing from entrenched positions, the enemy was positioned to wipe out one hundred men who were pinned down and were repeatedly refused artillery support. Ordered to remain behind with the vehicles, twenty-one year-old Marine corporal Dakota Meyer disobeyed orders and attacked to rescue his comrades. With a brave driver at the wheel, Meyer stood in the gun turret exposed to withering fire, rallying Afghan troops to follow. Over the course of the five hours, he charged into the valley time and again. Employing a variety of machine guns, rifles, grenade launchers, and even a rock, Meyer repeatedly repulsed enemy attackers, carried wounded Afghan soldiers to safety, and provided cover for dozens of others to escape—supreme acts of valor and determination. In the end, Meyer and four stalwart comrades—an Army captain, an Afghan sergeant major, and two Marines—cleared the battlefield and came to grips with a tragedy they knew could have been avoided. For his actions on that day, Meyer became the first living Marine in three decades to be awarded the Medal of Honor. Into the Fire tells the full story of the chaotic battle of Ganjigal for the first time, in a compelling, human way that reveals it as a microcosm of our recent wars. Meyer takes us from his upbringing on a farm in Kentucky, through his Marine and sniper training, onto the battlefield, and into the vexed aftermath of his harrowing exploits in a battle that has become the stuff of legend. Investigations ensued, even as he was pitched back into battle alongside U.S. Army soldiers who embraced him as a fellow grunt. When it was over, he returned to the States to confront living with the loss of his closest friends. This is a tale of American values and upbringing, of stunning heroism, and of adjusting to loss and to civilian life. We see it all through Meyer’s eyes, bullet by bullet, with raw honesty in telling of both the errors that resulted in tragedy and the resolve of American soldiers, U.S. Marines, and Afghan soldiers who’d been abandoned and faced certain death. Meticulously researched and thrillingly told, with nonstop pace and vivid detail, Into the Fire is the unvarnished story of a modern American hero. Praise for Into the Fire “A story of men at their best and at their worst . . . leaves you gaping in admiration at Medal of Honor winner Dakota Meyer’s courage.”—National Review “Meyer’s dazzling bravery wasn’t momentary or impulsive but deliberate and sustained.”—The Wall Street Journal “[A] cathartic, heartfelt account . . . Combat memoirs don’t get any more personal.”—Kirkus Reviews “A great contribution to the discussion of an agonizingly complex subject.”—The Virginian-Pilot “Black Hawk Down meets Lone Survivor.”—Library Journal
Download or read book Bravo Two Zero written by Andy McNab and published by Island Books. This book was released on 2012-12-19 with total page 452 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Their mission: To take out the scuds. Eight went out. Five came back. Their story had been closed in secrecy. Until now. They were British Special Forces, trained to be the best. In January 1991 a squad of eight men went behind the Iraqi lines on a top secret mission. It was called Bravo Two Zero. On command was Sergeant Andy McNab. "They are the true unsung heroes of the war." -- Lt. Col. Steven Turner, American F-15E commander. Dropped into "scud alley" carrying 210-pound packs, McNab and his men found themselves surrounded by Saddam's army. Their radios didn't work. The weather turned cold enough to freeze diesel fuel. And they had been spotted. Their only chance at survival was to fight their way to the Syrian border seventy-five miles to the northwest and swim the Euphrates river to freedom. Eight set out. Five came back. "I'll tell you who destroyed the scuds -- it was the British SAS. They were fabulous." -- John Major, British Prime Minister. This is their story. Filled with no-holds-barred detail about McNab's capture and excruciating torture, it tells of men tested beyond the limits of human endurance... and of the war you didn't see on CNN. Dirty, deadly, and fought outside the rules.
Download or read book The Blog of War written by Matthew Currier Burden and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2006-09-12 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Matthew Currier Burden founded www.blackfive.net, one of the most popular military blogs on the Internet. His blog began as an homage to a friend killed on duty in Iraq and quickly became a source of information about what was really happening in Afghanistan and Iraq. In The Blog of War Burden presents selections from some of the best of the military blogs, the purest account of the many voices of this war. This is the first real-time history of a war, a history written even as the war continues. It offers a glimpse into the full range of military experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq, from the decision to enlist right through to homecoming. There are powerful stories of soldiers in combat, touching reflections on helping local victims of terror and war, pulse-racing accounts of med-evac units and hospitals, and heartbreaking chronicles of spouses who must cope when a loved one has paid the ultimate price. The Blog of War provides an uncensored, intimate, and authentic version of life in the war zone. Dozens of voices come together in a wartime choir that conveys better than any second-hand account possibly can what it is like to serve on the front lines.
Download or read book War Heroes written by Allan Zullo and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 145 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Contains ten narratives of real-life war heroes from Iraq!
Download or read book A Few Bad Men written by Major Fred Galvin USMC (Ret.) and published by Post Hill Press. This book was released on 2022-06-07 with total page 303 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ambushed in Afghanistan and betrayed by their own leaders—these elite Marines fought for their lives again, back home. A cross between A Few Good Men and American Sniper, this is the true story of an elite Marine special operations unit bombed by an IED and shot at during an Afghanistan ambush. The Marine Commandos were falsely accused of gunning down innocent Afghan civilians following the ambush. The unit’s leader, Maj. Fred Galvin, was summarily relieved of duty and his unit was booted from the combat zone. They were condemned by everyone, from the Afghan president to American generals. When Fox Company returned to America, Galvin and his captain were the targets of the first Court of Inquiry in the Marines in fifty years. “Fred Galvin is the real deal. His dramatic retelling of his experience as commander of Fox Company reads like a thriller, full of twists and turns, filled with unassuming heroes and deceitful villains.” — Rob Lorenz, Producer/Director, American Sniper, Flags of Our Fathers, Letters from Iwo Jima, Mystic River, The Marksman “Fred Galvin has written a real ‘page turner’ that demonstrates how politics permeates The Pentagon and posts abroad…I highly recommend this book.” — J.D. Hayworth, U.S. House of Representatives (Arizona), TV/Radio Host “This book is a must-read for every American who wants to know why, after twenty long years in Afghanistan, we did not win.” — Jessie Jane Duff, USMC, Analyst, CNN and FOX “A Few Bad Men is a must-read story of valor, betrayal, and keeping the Marines’ honor clean.” — Jed Babbin, USAF Judge Advocate, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense, Journalist, National Review, Washington Post “An incredible account and history of the fighting spirit of the ‘Marine Raiders’ under fire and the relentless fourteen-year campaign by their leader to clear their names.” — Maj. Gen. Paul Vallely, U.S. Army (Ret.), Deputy Commander, U.S. Pacific Command
Download or read book Zero Six Bravo written by Damien Lewis and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: They were branded as cowards and accused of being the British Special Forces Squadron that ran away from the Iraqis, but nothing could be further from the truth In March 2003, M Squadron was sent 1,000 kilometres behind enemy lines on a true 'mission impossible', to capture the 100,000-strong Iraqi Army 5th Corps. From the very start their tasking earned the nickname 'Operation No Return'. Caught in a ferocious ambush and with eight of their vehicles bogged in Iraqi swamps, M Squadron launched a desperate bid to escape. Running low on fuel and ammunition, outnumbered, outmanoeuvred and outgunned, the elite operators destroyed sensitive kit and prepared for death or capture as the Iraqis closed their deadly trap. Zero Six Bravo recounts in vivid and compelling detail the most desperate battle fought by British and allied Special Forces trapped behind enemy lines since World War Two.
Download or read book Blood Sweat and Steel written by Peter Darman and published by IMM Lifestyle Books. This book was released on 2010 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many hundreds of thousands of individuals have now fought in Iraq and Afghanistan since the First Gulf War was triggered by Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait 20 years ago. Thousands of soldiers and civilians have lost their lives in the ensuing conflicts and the War on Terror, and many more have been wounded, their lives changed forever by combat. Behind every statistic and headline is an individual whose response to conflict is unique. Blood, Sweat and Steel goes behind the headlines to present personal stories from a cross-section of nationalities and services-- from British Infantry and US Marines to Canadian doctors and former Iraqi captains. These eye-witness accounts shine a light on some of the big questions, provoked by the complexities and hardships of modern warfare, and also reveal the human side of soldiering. Blood, Sweat and Steel is a testament to the bravery and heroism of those who serve in these campaigns. IT is also a reflection on the cost of war in human terms, and the profound long-term effects that conflict has on combatants. Author Peter Darman draws together the personal accounts of soldiers while providing background to the major campaigns; each conflict is set within its political context and timelines supply a narrative backdrop to the individual stories.
Download or read book Zero Six Bravo written by Damien Lewis and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 318 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In February 2003, sixty elite operators from the SBS with SAS and Delta Force embeds were sent 1000km behind enemy lines to take the surrender of a 120000 strong Iraqi army in a mission that seemed lunatic from the start. Caught in a ambush by vastly superior forces the unit launched an epic bid to escape inflicting carnage on their enemies.
Download or read book Frontline written by David Loyn and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 504 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Part Bang Bang Club, part Flashman, Frontline is the gripping story of lives lived to the full in some of the worst places on earth.
Download or read book Real Heroes written by Harperpress and published by HarperCollins UK. This book was released on 2010 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "True stories of bravery. Whether winning vital victories, saving lives or patrolling perilous battlefronts, these British heroes have been through it all. Their blazingly exciting true stories are brought to life with state-of-the-art graphic storytelling." --Back cover.
Download or read book U S Marines in Afghanistan 2001 2009 written by U S Marine Corps History Division and published by St, John's Press. This book was released on 2017-02-05 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume presents a collection of 38 articles, interviews, and speeches describing many aspects of the U.S. Marine Corps' participation in Operation Enduring Freedom from 2001 to 2009. This work is intended to serve as a general overview and provisional reference to inform both Marines and the general public until the History Division completes monographs dealing with major Marine Corps operations during the campaign. The accompanying annotated bibliography provides a detailed look at selected sources that currently exist until new scholarship and archival materials become available. From the Preface - From the outset, some experts doubted that the U.S. Marines Corps would play a major role in Afghanistan given the landlocked nature of the battlefield. Naval expeditionary Task Force 58 (TF-58) commanded by then-Brigadier General James N. Mattis silenced naysayers with the farthest ranging amphibious assault in Marine Corps/Navy history. In late November 2001, Mattis' force seized what became Forward Operating Base Rhino, Afghanistan, from naval shipping some 400 miles away. The historic assault not only blazed a path for follow-on forces, it also cut off fleeing al-Qaeda and Taliban elements and aided in the seizure of Kandahar. While Corps doctrine and culture advocates Marine employment as a fully integrated Marine air-ground task force (MAGTF), deployments to Afghanistan often reflected what former Commandant General Charles C. Krulak coined as the "three-block war." Following TF-58's deployment during the initial take down of the Taliban regime, the MAGTF made few appearances in Afghanistan until 2008. Before then, subsequent Marine units often deployed as a single battalion under the command of the U.S. Army Combined Joint Task Force (CJTF) to provide security for provincial reconstruction teams. The Marine Corps also provided embedded training teams to train and mentor the fledgling Afghan National Army and Police. Aviation assets sporadically deployed to support the U.S.-led coalition mostly to conduct a specific mission or to bridge a gap in capability, such as close air support or electronic warfare to counter the improvised explosive device threat. From 2003 to late 2007, the national preoccupation with stabilizing Iraq focused most Marine Corps assets on stemming the insurgency, largely centered in the restive al-Anbar Province. As a result of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) taking over command of Afghan operations and Marine Corps' commitments in Iraq, relatively few Marine units operated in Afghanistan from late 2006 to 2007. Although Marines first advocated shifting resources from al-Anbar to southern Afghanistan in early 2007, the George W. Bush administration delayed the Marine proposal for fear of losing the gains made as a result of Army General David H. Petraeus' "surge strategy" in Iraq. By late 2007, the situation in Afghanistan had deteriorated to the point that it inspired Rolling Stone to later publish the story "How We Lost the War We Won." In recognition of the shifting tides in both Iraq and Afghanistan, the Bush administration began to transfer additional resources to Afghanistan in early 2008. The shift prompted senior Marines to again push for a more prominent role in the Afghan campaign, even proposing to take over the Afghan mission from the Army. . . .
