Long Rifle: A Sniper's Story in Iraq and Afghanistan
Long Rifleis gripping and moving, but most of all, inspiring. As 9/11 altered the terrain of so many lives, it shaped that of Joe LeBleu: He could only watch as Innocent people died and fires raged in the ruins of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. As a former U.S. Army Ranger, Joe LeBleu knew what he had to do, return to active duty! By the time he received another honorable discharge in 2005 as a Sergeant, paratrooper, and sniper team leader, he had become known as “Long Rifle” for shooting an Iraqi insurgent at 1,100 meters in Fallujah. That single shot remains the farthest in Iraq by any American or British sniper. As 9/11 altered the terrain of so many lives, it shaped that of LeBleu. He takes us with him from that haunting day in New York, to the sweltering heat and ambush-rife conditions of desert and urban combat in Iraq. From here we enter a different world: the mountains of Afghanistan. His accounts of sniper missions against the Taliban and Al Qaeda are riveting. Finally, he trusts his gut and returns to civilian life, settling near Las Vegas and going on to serve as a Firearms Instructor while assisting Pat Garret in training Mark Wahlberg for his role as a Force Recon Marine scout/sniper in the Major motion picture, Shooter. Raw, gritty, passionate, and provocative,Long Rifleis both the first memoir by a U.S. Army sniper from the 9/11 generation and a stirring testament to the core values of American soldiers: integrity, honor, and courage. LeBleu’s journey to war and back also testifies to the enduring power of love: He carried his dream to return to Natalie, his wife for six long years...