Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview: #1 The chow hall line moved very slowly. Everyone was on edge. The closer to the flagpole, the more little things matter, and Herat was our flagpole. The headquarters culture was very different from the combat culture. #2 Jay was a squared-away Marine. He was highly intelligent and well spoken, and he had a deep voice that could project like a drill instructor's when he got fired up. He made a point of taking care of everyone's crypto changes. #3 The rules of engagement for the NATO forces in Afghanistan had changed under the new commander, General Stanley McChrystal. Where once our troops had flexibility on the battlefield, McChrystal's feel-good tactical directives had clipped the wings of our aggressiveness. #4 The valley's remoteness had shielded it from most of the post-9/11 violence that had engulfed the rest of Afghanistan. The area had not even been patrolled by NATO forces before our arrival

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