The central role which the noncommissioned officer (NCO) plays in shaping the U.S. Army in peace and war has long been recognized. During times of peace, NCOs train, discipline, and develop those entrusted to their leadership. In wartime, the NCO assumes even greater responsibility for the soldiers he leads in battle.Throughout our nation's history, talented, dedicated NCOs have served bravely, effectively, and with quiet professionalism. They have carried out their demanding missions with minimal fanfare. The Army and the nation are eternally in their debt. The creation of the Office of the Sergeant Major of the Army in 1966 officially acknowledged two trends: the expanding nature of the NCO's duties and responsibilities and the increasing importance of NCO professionalism. The superb noncommissioned officers selected for service as the Sergeant Major of the Army (SMA) did not simply appear overnight. They were selected from among a corps of professional soldiers who had extraordinary records of service and unlimited potential for growth.This firsthand account of our changing Army and of NCOs adapting as we transitioned from a conscript force to the all-volunteer Army underscores the ability and dedication to duty that have been the hallmarks of their careers. At the pinnacle of his profession, each SMA also influenced the development of the Office of the Sergeant Major of the Army. Their stories collectively reflect the course of the U.S. Army from World War II through the challenges of today. Their careers exemplify the enhanced quality, education, and professionalism of the NCO corps.
The Ultimate Interactive Basic Training Workbook is a comprehensive interactive guide crafted especially for today's computer-savvy recruit. When used together with Volkin's original guidebook, the Workbook provides every recruit with the inside knowledge of basic training he/she needs to not only survive, but thrive in the military. This remarkabl
From the Introduction:"Look around," the drill sergeant said. "In a few years, or even a few months, several of you will be dead. Some of you will be severely wounded or so badly mutilated that your own mother can't stand the sight of you. And for the real unlucky ones, you will come home so emotionally disfigured that you wish you had died over there." It was Week 7 of Basic Training . . . 18 years old and I was preparing myself to die. They say the Army makes a man out of you - but for 18-year-old SPC Michael Anthony, that fabled rite of passage proved a very dark journey. After soliciting his parents’ approval to enlist at only 17, Anthony began his journey with an unshakeable faith in the military born of his family's long tradition of service. But when thrust into a medical unit of misfits as lost as he was, SPC Anthony not only witnessed the unspeakable horror of war—but the undeniable misconduct of the military—firsthand. Everything he ever believed in dissolved, forcing Anthony to rethink his loyalties, and ultimately risk his career—and his freedom—to challenge the military he had so firmly believed in. This searing memoir chronicles the iconic experiences that changed one young soldier forever. A seasoned veteran before the age of twenty-one, he faced the truth about the war - and himself - in this shocking and unprecedented eyewitness account.
This unique anthology collects personal stories and leadership lessons from six highly-ranked officers across all branches of service. In Breaching the Summit, six senior enlisted advisors to the joint chiefs of staff share their stories, experiences, and lessons learned from a lifetime of military service. In their own words, each tells how they got their start, how mentors encouraged them along the way, and how they eventually became the highest-ranking enlisted member in their respective services. Their personal stories illustrate battle-tested principles of successful leadership that are applicable in all walks of life. The authors include Ken Preston, 13th Sergeant Major of the Army (retired); Mike Barrett, 17th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps (retired); Rick West, 12th Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (retired); James Roy, 16th Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force (retired); Denise Jelinski-Hall, Senior Enlisted Advisor to the National Guard Bureau (retired); and Skip Bowen, 10th Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard (retired). “Books on leadership are many, but none are as practical, clear, and proven as Breaching the Summit.” —Adm. Gary Roughead, US Navy (retired)
Just before the dawn of the Global War on Terror, Kieran Michael Lalor left his career as a high school social studies teacher, endeavoring to fulfill his lifelong dream. Lalor followed his father and brothers footsteps into the United States Marine Corps. This Recruit presents Lalors nightly journal entries, beginning with the uneasy trip to the recruiters office and the eerily quiet midnight bus ride to Parris Island. Lalor describes the wicked combination of fatigue, nerves, disorientation, misery, loneliness, and homesickness that conspire to keep him from his goalalong with the hours of close order drill, push-ups, hand-to-hand combat training, the pit, and the unrelenting mind games. Witness the nasty recruit-on-recruit infighting that results when young men struggle to survive while being pushed past their limits physically, mentally, and emotionally. Gaze at the target from the five hundred yard line on Qualification Day, when failure means at least an extra two weeks on the island and the added humiliation of failing the quintessential test of a Marine. Experience the rappel tower, night firing, the infiltration courses, and long, back-crushing humps. Struggle with Lalor and his platoon as they try to overcome the Crucible, the final obstacle before claiming the title of United States Marine.
Paratrooper is the autobiography of a young man’s time with the famed 101st Airborne Division “Screaming Eagles.” With not the finances to finish his senior year in college and a looming draft, it leads to his enlisting in the U.S. Army. With thoughts of Officer’s Candidate School, Private Michael B. Kitz-Miller heads for a newly designed Basic Training course for soldiers planning to attend Airborne School. High performance results in Leadership School and Acting Sergeant in Advanced Infantry School. At Airborne School he is a runner-up for Honor Graduate from his original class of 1,000 soldiers. Finally, the new paratrooper boards a bus for Ft. Campbell and the 101st. His first job is as an M-60 machine gunner, scoring expert his first time on the weapons range. Numerous operations follow – Cold Eagle, Swift Strike II, Desert Strike and the surprise Operation Delawar, jumping into Iran in 1964 as part of the U.S. STRIKE Command. All produce commendations and after winning the Division Soldier-of-the-Month competition a promotion to Sergeant. He soon becomes part of the Battalion Mountaineering cadre. The rigors of Recondo School and its incredible 35 percent graduation rate follow, offering a shot at Honor Graduate. Having won Battalion and Brigade competitions, the young paratrooper enters and finds himself a finalist in the Division’s Soldier-of-the-Year competition. Tough career decisions follow. The story ends with Sergeant Kitz-Miller’s opportunity, 50 years later to compare key issues that confronted him as a soldier with those of today. The evaluation of Officers and NCOs, leadership and mentoring are but a few. His final chapters on Just War Theory and current Rules of Engagement provide provocative ideas about how to address our current policies on terrorist states. Above all, it is the story of a very successful Paratrooper that loved the Airborne Infantry.
ÿPierre Naya was awarded the Military Medal for his extraordinary bravery and courage while serving as a medic in the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) in the Falklands War in 1982, when he worked heroically to help critically-injured soldiers, despite his own severe injuries, after the devastating bombing of the Sir Galahad. Pierre was a larger-than-life character, a ?brave, charismatic, popular, yet humble man? who was revered as an iconic figure within our regiment?s history? in the words of Colonel Jim Ryan. One of a large and close family, Pierre was brought up in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, before politics intervened and the family emigrated to England. He became an accomplished guitarist in a series of rock bands, and was later a loving husband to his wife Nina and the father of their four daughters. When he died in 2012, he left an aching gap in all their lives. This is Pierre?s story, written by his brother Michael.
Changes to the work on construction projects are a common cause of dispute. Such variations lead to thousands of claims in the UK every year and many more internationally. Liability for variations is not only relevant to claims for sums due for extra work but this is also an important underlying factor in many other construction disputes, such as delay, disruption, defects and project termination. This is the first book to deal exclusively with variations in construction contracts and provide the detailed and comprehensive coverage that it demands. Construction Contract Variations analyses the issues that arise in determining whether certain work is a variation, the contractor’s obligation to undertake such work as well as its right to be paid. It deals with the employer’s power to vary and the extent of its duties to approve changes. The book also analyses the role of the consultant in the process and the valuation of variations. It reviews these topics by reference to a range of construction contracts. This is an essential guide for practitioners and industry professionals who advise on these issues and have a role in managing, directing and compensating change. Participants in the construction industry will find this book an invaluable guide, as will specialists and students of construction law, project management and quantity surveying.
Once again, Michael Thoreau is sent to London to diffuse a possible embarrassment to the British and US governments. His brothers wife arrived from Kenya, along with their six brothers, to avenge the death of Kenga Mackenami. They are convinced that Mike is responsible and have no qualms in performing a transgression in public. One of the brothers has sacrificed himself to conduct the ultimate.
Staff Sergeant Ryan M. Pitts enlisted in the Army when he was seventeen, and was just twenty-two years old when he fought at the Battle of Wanat in Afghanistan, where his heroic actions earned him the Congressional Medal of Honor. On July 13, 2008, Staff Sergeant Pitts was trapped and badly wounded at an elevated outpost, but helped turn back a brutal attack by 200 insurgents and save many of his company in one of the bloodiest battles of the war with Afghanistan. The Medal of Honor series profiles recipients of the highest and most prestigious personal military decoration, awarded to recognize U.S. military service members who have distinguished themselves through extraordinary acts of valor.
To Lead by the Unknowing, To Do the Unthinkable tells the story of a squad of marines on the front line of the war in Iraq. It tells of the battles the marines were in and how they had to improvise, adapt, and overcome to complete their missions, as well as the personal struggles they endured and their thoughts while the war was unfolding right in front of them. From Marine Corps boot camp to life out of the marines, To Lead by the Unknowing, To Do the Unthinkable is a must read.
This artfully crafted saga depicts in vivid detail, the arduous journey of a young, impressionable patriot yearning to fulfill his destiny in the turmoil of the 1960's. The author draws you close to him as he encounters stiff challenges to his basic values, his character, as well as his faith in his fellow man. You'll taste the bitter prop blast as you stand in the open door beside him, holding your breath while he soars through the icy sky to the mountainous drop zone below. Discover the true nature of this Nation's most valiant fighting men as he progressively learns what it takes to lead Green Berets into battle. Share the distinct smell of death while he clutches on to the remnants of his tattered soul, constantly violated while he processes the tragedy of life unfolding before him. Witness the sheer resolve he and his men display in their commitment to their country, despite the disrespect and utter contempt shown to them by their own countrymen. This factual rendering allows you to eavesdrop on the innermost workings of a Special Forces A-Team as they train and ultimately prepare for battle. You'll be sprinting with a SOG Recon Team as they desperately work to elude the hordes of NVA soldiers, feeling the impact of explosions and the crackling of rifle fire along the way. This read will provide you with a renewed appreciation of what men endure when they make the commitment to defend their country and their way of life; despite the intimate danger and life-long consequences that accompany that decision. With dialogue that keeps the pages turning, Michael O'Shea transports us directly back to the real American experience in Vietnam. It's been nearly fifty years since the US inserted troops into jungles and villages more than 8,000 miles away. Stories such as Blood on the Risers are important and necessary for today's readers and future generations; veterans like O'Shea are prized for sharing them. Chris Henning - Clarion Review
A military adventure that puts you at the scene of some of the most intense covert action—from an Air Force combat crewmember who’s experienced what it’s like to fall from heaven armed for hell… The War Angel As a member of the Air Force’s elite pararescue team, Senior Master Sergeant Jason Johnson has been dropped into some of the hottest spots in the world. But this time the mission Johnson has been assigned is the last one he wants to accept. He will be dropped alone into an Afghan war zone and will assume the identity of a rogue drug lord. Once in place, he’ll have to lead a convoy of super opium and weapons across a brutal landscape—straight into the arms of some of the world’s most infamous terrorists. It’s a trap, of course, but who is the bait and who is the victim? Miles inside enemy territory, marked as an international criminal, Johnson is fighting not only for survival but to avenge a past score—and hoping to stay alive for just one more shot at taking his target down for good.
Sergeant Kendra Pacelli is innocent, but that doesn't matter to the repressive government pursuing her. Mistakes might be made, but they are never acknowledged, especially when billions of embezzled dollars earned from illegal weapons sales are at stake. But where does one run when all Earth and most settled planets are under the aegis of one government? Answer: The Freehold of Grainne. There, one may seek asylum and build a new life in a society that doesn't track its residents every move, which is just what Pacelli has done. But now things are about to go royally to hell. Because Earth's government has found out where she is, and they want her back. Or dead. This all-new offering contains Michael Z. Williamsons brilliant novel Freehold plus three new stories along with a complete new novella¾each set within the legendary Freehold series universe. Contains these additional stories: "Humans Call It Duty," "The Price,Ó "Soft Casualty," and novella _The Brute Force Approach." At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management). About Michael Z. Williamson: _A fast-paced, compulsive readãwill appeal to fans of John Ringo, David Drake, Lois McMaster Bujold, and David Weber.Ó _ Kliatt _Williamson's military expertise is impressive.Ó _SF Reviews
They knew it was the end. Weakened by four years of war, the reality had finally dawned on the Germans that their armies could never stop the combined might of the Allied forces, now bolstered by the fresh, enthusiastic Americans, who were now determined to be involved in the conflict that had engulfed the world.The US effort in 1918, in what became known as the Hundred Days Offensive, was focused on the Argonne Forest. It was there that 1,200,000 men were deployed in what was to be the largest offensive in the United States military history.It was in the fighting in the Argonne Forest that one of the most remarkable incidents in the entire First World War took place. In October 1918, Corporal Alvin Cullum York single-handedly captured 132 Germans and killed twenty-one in a desperate fire-fight.Yorks battalion of the 328th Infantry Regiment had become pinned down by heavy machine-gun and artillery fire. Its commander sent Sergeant Bernard Early, four non-commissioned officers, including the recently promoted Corporal York, and thirteen privates to infiltrate the German positions and neutralise the machine-guns.The small American force came upon a large group of enemy troops having breakfast, and these were taken prisoner. They then came under fire from German machine-guns which left eight men were killed or wounded and York as the senior NCO. York and the survivors returned fire and silenced the enemy, allowing the Americans to rejoin their battalion with the 132 prisoners in tow.York was promoted to Sergeant and he received the Congressional Medal of Honor.The site of this famous action was believed to have been identified in 2009 and a memorial erected by the French authorities. However, a team of archaeologists, with help from the French Department of Archaeology and the use of modern day Geographic Information Science, believe that the memorial is incorrectly situated, and have uncovered thousands of exhibits to support their claim.Complete with detailed plans and diagrams, and a rich variety of photographs of locations and artefacts, Michael Kelly presents not only a fascinating account of Yorks determined courage, but also a detective story as the team unravels the evidence to reveal the exact ravine where the most famous US military action of the First World War took place.
My day began fairly well and I was just returning from a good run. I had jogged for fourteen miles and the sweat ring on my shirt was all white with salt loss. The spring heat had been unrelenting. May is supposed to bring rain; yet the grass fires were constant from the lightning storms, and Farmers and Ranchers were selling their stocks in order to save their livestock while some were resorting to auction sales in mass to save homes and families. As I ran alongside the ranch land, the poor critters seem to be begging me to save them with a low moo; there was no drooling, because, the little bit of fodder that was dropped for them was too dry. The creek bed was so dry, even the red dirt had turned into a white sandy trail. I thought of my yard which had turned brown and kept me on guard always; because, reckless drivers flick cigarette butts out their windows could easily start a grass fire. Our Fire Department had been busy lately, and there was nothing I could do to help but adhere to the strict rules. I kept on going till I rounded the street-corner to my house and saw my wife standing at the door waving me on.
Steel Fortress is a story of survival, about a flyboy aboard a B-17 bomber who is catapulted into the extraordinary experience of flying the heavies in the never to be replicated arena of World War II air combat. He flies the gauntlet of Germanys defensive network in 1944, battling the demons of war in the European Theater and also in his mind. It is a commentary on the totality of the human experience of war, from the brutal realities of combat to the internal battle that goes on within each individual survivor. On a cold February morning in 1944, Harold leaves his new bride at an Iowa train platform and embarks on a stark and riveting journey, where camaraderie is the key to survival, and loss is the lesson learned. Heroism combined with humanism drives this compelling saga of the human spirit at its most triumphant and most vulnerable. Steel Fortress joins ranks with the most poignant of commentaries on war; it is a story for the ages, and evidence of the universal spirit of man.
THE UPDATED BESTSELLER Sergeant Maurice McCabe never set out to be a whistleblower. When, in 2008, he complained of shoddy investigations into serious crime in County Cavan, nothing could have prepared him for what was in store. For exposing gross incompetence and corruption within An Garda Síochána, he endured vilification, bullying and harassment by forces who wanted to bury him and his inconvenient truths. Worse still were the vicious rumours and falsehoods, which had a devastating effect on his whole family. Their painful journey to vindication was only completed in October 2018, with the publication of the Disclosures Tribunal report, which revealed how ex-Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan and Superintendent Dave Taylor had conducted a campaign of 'calumny' against 'an officer of exemplary character'. From the award-winning journalist who first broke the story, A Force for Justice is the definitive account of the greatest scandal ever to emerge from the Irish police force, and the personal price paid by Maurice McCabe in pursuit of his duty to serve the state.
This book will prepare a recruit, mentally and physically, for basic training in the U.S. Army. It offers practical and unique solutions to challenges encountered by new recruits. Inside you'll find an 8-week fitness program specifically designed to improve your fitness test scores, study guides, an instructional "How to ..." chapter, a list of what to bring (and not to bring) to basic training, tips for success, and much more.
Melanie and Nina, facing important decisions at the end of their senior year in high school, become romantically involved with two basic trainees at a nearby Army camp.
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