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Nothing Here Worth Dying For: Task Force Lion in Iraq
352 pages, Hardcover
Published February 18, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 15, 2025
"Nothing Here Worth Dying For: Task Force Lion in Iraq" by Col. Seth Folsom provides a candid and insightful account of modern military operations, focusing on his leadership of Task Force Lion—a specialized combat advisor team—during their 2017 deployment to Iraq's Al Anbar Province.
The narrative begins with the formation and training of Task Force Lion in the United States, followed by their deployment to Iraq. Folsom meticulously details the challenges of integrating into a complex operational environment, highlighting the intricacies of coordinating intelligence assets and fire support within a coalition and joint-force setting. His vivid descriptions offer readers a clear understanding of the multifaceted nature of modern warfare and the importance of adaptability and collaboration.
A particularly striking aspect of the memoir is Folsom's account of the internal challenges he faced within the U.S. military hierarchy. Despite the deliberate formation and training of his task force, Folsom found himself needing to justify the unit's purpose and relevance to senior military leadership. This internal friction underscores a concerning disconnect between strategic objectives and tactical execution, raising questions about the coherence and vision at higher echelons of command.
Folsom's interactions with senior leaders, including the Commandant of the Marine Corps, further illuminate a pervasive sense of disillusionment regarding the U.S. military's engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan. The memoir's title poignantly reflects this sentiment, encapsulating the profound questioning of the value and outcomes of these prolonged conflicts.
For readers seeking to comprehend the complexities of coalition warfare, intelligence coordination, and the internal dynamics of military leadership, Folsom's memoir serves as an essential resource. His honest portrayal of the challenges faced by combat advisor teams offers valuable insights into the realities of modern military operations.
In a broader context, "Nothing Here Worth Dying For" aligns with other critical examinations of military leadership, such as Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller's "Crisis of Command." Both works delve into the systemic issues within the military hierarchy, emphasizing the need for accountability and strategic clarity to ensure effective mission execution and the well-being of service members.
In summary, Col. Seth Folsom's memoir is a compelling and thought-provoking read that sheds light on the operational and institutional challenges of contemporary military engagements, urging reflection on the efficacy and direction of U.S. military interventions.
The narrative begins with the formation and training of Task Force Lion in the United States, followed by their deployment to Iraq. Folsom meticulously details the challenges of integrating into a complex operational environment, highlighting the intricacies of coordinating intelligence assets and fire support within a coalition and joint-force setting. His vivid descriptions offer readers a clear understanding of the multifaceted nature of modern warfare and the importance of adaptability and collaboration.
A particularly striking aspect of the memoir is Folsom's account of the internal challenges he faced within the U.S. military hierarchy. Despite the deliberate formation and training of his task force, Folsom found himself needing to justify the unit's purpose and relevance to senior military leadership. This internal friction underscores a concerning disconnect between strategic objectives and tactical execution, raising questions about the coherence and vision at higher echelons of command.
Folsom's interactions with senior leaders, including the Commandant of the Marine Corps, further illuminate a pervasive sense of disillusionment regarding the U.S. military's engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan. The memoir's title poignantly reflects this sentiment, encapsulating the profound questioning of the value and outcomes of these prolonged conflicts.
For readers seeking to comprehend the complexities of coalition warfare, intelligence coordination, and the internal dynamics of military leadership, Folsom's memoir serves as an essential resource. His honest portrayal of the challenges faced by combat advisor teams offers valuable insights into the realities of modern military operations.
In a broader context, "Nothing Here Worth Dying For" aligns with other critical examinations of military leadership, such as Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller's "Crisis of Command." Both works delve into the systemic issues within the military hierarchy, emphasizing the need for accountability and strategic clarity to ensure effective mission execution and the well-being of service members.
In summary, Col. Seth Folsom's memoir is a compelling and thought-provoking read that sheds light on the operational and institutional challenges of contemporary military engagements, urging reflection on the efficacy and direction of U.S. military interventions.
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May 30, 2025MWSA Review
Nothing Here Worth Dying For is an impressive, in-depth account of a role of a combined-arms task force supporting Iraqi armed forces in their extended war against the Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq. The author, at the time a US Marine Corps colonel, writes from his perspective as the task force commander.
The narrative covers an eighteen-month period centered around a campaign to liberate a major area of western Iraq from the control of ISIS forces, beginning with the author’s assignment to build a team from scratch and prepare for deployment to Iraq. The team’s mission was explicitly defined—to provide command and logistics support to the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) who would be responsible for engaging and defeating the ISIS enemy. As the author makes clear, the role of the American sailors and Marines was as backup for the native military: “We weren’t there to do the fighting for them.”
While the account provides plenty of details about the daily challenges of modern combined-arms warfare, the author pulls the reader into the intensity of life in a combat zone. He artfully describes the oppressive heat, dust, and other discomforts that defined the warfighters’ daily lives. Interpersonal conflicts and collaboration are often conveyed as dialogue. Key characters are brought to life with descriptive details—physical appearance, behaviors, qualities and faults. Combat action is described vividly.
Three underlying themes dominate throughout the memoir. First, the author points out that traditionally US Marines accept orders with minimum guidance and work to accomplish their mission with a bias for action. The basic priority for this task force, however, was strictly limited to a non-combat support role. Despite the ability to monitor the ISF combat operations from the rear, he and his troops could not take an active part. Second, the incredibly complex international operating environment in Iraq generated multiple, often conflicting sources of guidance. The result was a constant state of shifting priorities and timelines. A third factor was the source of the author’s primary frustration—the pervasive risk-averse policies and directives of his superiors and Iraqi allies. These mindsets were a constant threat to the morale of his troops and his own confidence and determination.
From the outset of his assignment, he sensed that the Marine Corps senior leadership was distancing itself from the conflict in Iraq. He was repeatedly warned about the need for minimizing risk when executing his assignment. A telling blow came when the Commandant of the Marine Corps made a personal tour of the combat zone and expressed his lack of appreciation for the task force’s mission and accomplishments, stating “Nothing we do here is gonna make any difference; nothing is gonna change.”
Despite frustrations and disappointments, however, the author was able to salvage a sense of satisfaction, knowing that he had done his utmost to lead his troops in achieving their mission. His own words belied the negative aspects of his experience: “[T]here are some things worth the risk. There are some things worth dying for.”
Any reader with an interest in the complexity of our nation’s recent military international expeditionary forays will find this book engaging, frustrating, and ultimately rewarding.
Review by Peter Young (May 2025)
Nothing Here Worth Dying For is an impressive, in-depth account of a role of a combined-arms task force supporting Iraqi armed forces in their extended war against the Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq. The author, at the time a US Marine Corps colonel, writes from his perspective as the task force commander.
The narrative covers an eighteen-month period centered around a campaign to liberate a major area of western Iraq from the control of ISIS forces, beginning with the author’s assignment to build a team from scratch and prepare for deployment to Iraq. The team’s mission was explicitly defined—to provide command and logistics support to the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) who would be responsible for engaging and defeating the ISIS enemy. As the author makes clear, the role of the American sailors and Marines was as backup for the native military: “We weren’t there to do the fighting for them.”
While the account provides plenty of details about the daily challenges of modern combined-arms warfare, the author pulls the reader into the intensity of life in a combat zone. He artfully describes the oppressive heat, dust, and other discomforts that defined the warfighters’ daily lives. Interpersonal conflicts and collaboration are often conveyed as dialogue. Key characters are brought to life with descriptive details—physical appearance, behaviors, qualities and faults. Combat action is described vividly.
Three underlying themes dominate throughout the memoir. First, the author points out that traditionally US Marines accept orders with minimum guidance and work to accomplish their mission with a bias for action. The basic priority for this task force, however, was strictly limited to a non-combat support role. Despite the ability to monitor the ISF combat operations from the rear, he and his troops could not take an active part. Second, the incredibly complex international operating environment in Iraq generated multiple, often conflicting sources of guidance. The result was a constant state of shifting priorities and timelines. A third factor was the source of the author’s primary frustration—the pervasive risk-averse policies and directives of his superiors and Iraqi allies. These mindsets were a constant threat to the morale of his troops and his own confidence and determination.
From the outset of his assignment, he sensed that the Marine Corps senior leadership was distancing itself from the conflict in Iraq. He was repeatedly warned about the need for minimizing risk when executing his assignment. A telling blow came when the Commandant of the Marine Corps made a personal tour of the combat zone and expressed his lack of appreciation for the task force’s mission and accomplishments, stating “Nothing we do here is gonna make any difference; nothing is gonna change.”
Despite frustrations and disappointments, however, the author was able to salvage a sense of satisfaction, knowing that he had done his utmost to lead his troops in achieving their mission. His own words belied the negative aspects of his experience: “[T]here are some things worth the risk. There are some things worth dying for.”
Any reader with an interest in the complexity of our nation’s recent military international expeditionary forays will find this book engaging, frustrating, and ultimately rewarding.
Review by Peter Young (May 2025)
May 30, 2025
Pleasantly surprised for a war book. The writing was engaging, and although there was plenty of military jargon (as one would expect), it didn't slow the story. Highly recommend to readers who are curious what it was really like in Iraq.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews