So This is War

"So This is War" is a finalist for the Foreword Magazine Book of the Year Award. The book also received Excellent ratings by Writer'sDigest in the Life Stories Category, with the following comment: "The author's candid and uncompromising descriptions of his service in the military and in Iraq present a well-balanced, intimate, and insightful portrait of a conflict still bedeviling the U.S. One gets a vivid picture of the American presence in Iraq with pro and con elements. Experiences of his work in Intel assignments are particularly interesting...the dangers of his stint of duty are made vivid...the military ditties are fun to read...the photos embellish the lucid text..."

Excerpt from "May 11, 2005: It’s a Mad, Mad World"

      While most of our time off the FOB is fairly miserable with the stifling heat and bugs, there are still some good times. Most of them are so subtle that you don’t realize that they’re the good times until you’re back telling stories about them over hot chow in the rear. One day, we stumbled upon the burned-out, melted carcass of a vehicle bomb on the canal road next to one of our positions and one of the tankers jumped in the driver’s seat, atop the springs, and shot some poses in the sedan to submit to MTV’s “Pimp My Ride”. Then he followed up with a couple of shots in a vacant straw and mud hut for Extreme Home Makeover. Comparing sand flea bites and heat rashes became a popular pastime, but paled in comparison to the excitement created each time a helicopter would land amongst the fiberglass waste. That situation was treated like an incoming mortar round as tiny strands of fiberglass became airborne and stuck to our hair and sweaty skin under the body armor. Each morning we’d get a kick out of the Iraqis sneaking onto the supply pad and making off with loaves of stale white bread and hot individual milk containers. They’d leave the MRE’s alone, which says a lot coming from a group of men who eat just about anything placed in front of them. Then there’s listening to the stories coming from one energetic, affable, and very outspoken Platoon Sergeant nicknamed Super Dave (after the character of the same name) as he attempts to befriend locals and collect intelligence everywhere he goes. An excerpt of his conversation with one Sunni elder, a man who had eight wives, went something like this:

            Super Dave: “Did you vote?”

Sunni Man: “No, I refused. And I don’t like the new government. Never should a Kurd be President and lead the Sunni people.”

Super Dave: “Hey, welcome to democracy, buddy. We elect people we hate every day. Next time get all your women together and go vote.”

Excerpt from "December 13, 2005: Thanksgiving in the Desert"

     It’s been pleasant to travel around to the villages and see some sense of peace returning, at least to our little area of Iraq. The activity on Thursday evenings, when all of the weddings are celebrated, is especially enjoyable. It seems like everyone in town is out on the streets and in the markets wearing their best silk clothing and guns and firecrackers are popping off at parties across the desert (nothing compared to the amount of gunfire that went off two nights ago when Iraq beat Syria in a televised soccer game for the West Asian championship—46 people in Baghdad were injured from celebratory fire). Even the smallest towns are plastered with campaign posters that brighten the atmosphere. I always like to chat up the locals when we’re out. I asked some people on the street in Sinjar what their favorite shows are now that everyone is allowed to have satellite TV. The three shows that they agreed were the best are Friends, Dr. Phil, and Desperate Housewives. No more “all Sadaam, all the time” TV on the four state-controlled channels. The best line that an Arab told me is that t