"The world has failed the Darfur region, but devious politicians and generals have figured a way to polish their ow images with no risk. They are going to use the National Guard. Sergeant Major Lucas Grant should have retired. Instead, he joined the Guard. The National Guard stands ready to provide humanitarian relief wherever they may be sent, but they never expected anything like Darfur. Grant finds himself in another shooting war, worse than anything he has known before. Islamic extremists want the country for Arab Muslims, the Sudanese Liberation Army wants it for African Muslims, and both sides want the Americans out. And there's a problem with one of their own soldiers.
Based on current events in Darfur, American soldiers face the perils of helping the people no one cares about, and keeping each other alive while they do it. "
I don't know anything about war or serving in the military, but I think this is probably a good depiction of what happened in Iraq and after. The short story format made it readable (I don't think I could have read an entire novel--it would have made me too sad.) Compelling.