In the gray area
Subtitle: a Marine advisor team in Iraq
By: Seth W. B. Folsom
Publisher: Naval Institute Press
Published: 2010
Place of publication: Annapolis, MD
Language: eng
Number of pages: 196
ISBN-13: 9781591142812
Description: This is the memoir of the leader of a U.S. Marine advisor team embedded with an Iraqi army infantry battalion in 2008. He addresses the realities of the Marines' mission as he reflects on challenges they and their Iraqi counterparts faced in their struggle to gain control of al-Anbar province. He explores the bonds he formed with his men, the "Outlanders" and the tenuous relationships forged between the American and Iraqi soldiers whose cultures were so vastly different. Reflections on the difficulties are posed by a possibly premature American departure from Iraq and questions if the advisor mission is really the key to an American exit of Iraq are asked.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Prologue : nightmare; title: Advisor duty; title: Contractors; title: Training; title: Gear; title: Transit; title: Cop south; title: Arrival; title: Humvees; title: Introductions; title: IAs; title: Growing pains; title: Storms; title: Outside the wire; title: Matters of importance; title: Backing the wrong horse; title: Al Gabaa; title: Mistakes and mistrust; title: Eye-opening reality; title: Jibab Peninsula; title: Personalities and paradigms; title: Terps and tensions; title: Uglat il Bushab; title: Fear and paranoia; title: Gifts and free lunches; title: Abandonment issues; title: Running out of patience; title: Holding down the spring; title: Critters; title: A change of plans; title: Leaving; title: Dogs; title: A way forward.