[Adm.Lee]

This is about 3rd platoon, Kilo Company, 3/5 Marines, during their Oct 2010-Mar 2011 deployment to Sangin in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. The reinforced platoon deployed to a patrol base separate from their parent company. They sent out two or three squad patrols per day to harass the Taliban. (They soon received two squads of reservists to hold down their patrol base, and there was a platoon of Afghans there, too.) Snipers, mortars, and engineers were attached, rounding the platoon up to 50 members.

Strong leadership, esprit de corps and cohesion are the themes that run through the whole account. The Marines patrolled daily, pushing back the Taliban despite IEDs and ambushes. In retrospect, I am surprised to not see bombardment by rockets or mortars, as one reads about in similar positions in Iraq or Vietnam. Their post seemed to be relatively untouched.

West is a Marine veteran of the Vietnam War, author of several books, including The Village, which detailed the Combined Action Platoon concept as it developed during that war.

West has harsh words for SecDef Gates and Pres. Obama, who made noises about the surge, but put a short time limit on the war. Generals McChrystal and Petraeus get praise for understanding how a counter-insurgency campaign needed to be fought, and mild criticism for not recognizing (publicly) that Afghanistan and especially Helmand were too broken for such a system to work, and for accepting a too-low force level. The Marine leadership (division, brigade, regiment) he praises for seeing that the province was too far gone for hearts and minds, it needed clearing of Taliban pure and simple. The Marines' ability to create cohesive and experienced combat teams and leaders is the real praise from the author, as well as the dedication of the individual grunts.

It read very well to me, I had trouble putting it down and burned through it in about 3 days. I've liked West's other books, I think I've read all but 1 or 2 of his works by now.