Danger Close: My Epic Journey as a Combat Helicopter Pilot in Iraq and Afghanistan

by Amber Smith

The inspiring and riveting first-ever memoir of active combat by a female helicopter pilot in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Amber Smith flew into enemy fire in some of the most dangerous combat zones in the world. One of only a few women to fly the Kiowa Warrior helicopter—whose mission, armed reconnaissance, required its pilots to stay low and fly fast, perilously close to the fight—Smith deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan as a member of the elite 2-17 Cavalry Regiment, part of the legendary 101st Airborne Division, the Screaming Eagles. She rose to Pilot-in-Command and Air Mission Commander in the premier Kiowa unit in the Army, repeatedly flying into harm’s way during her 2005 and 2008 deployments.

In Danger Close , Smith takes us into the heat of battle, enabling readers to feel, hear, and smell the experience of serving as a combat pilot in high-intensity warfare. This is an edge-of-the seat story of learning to perform under pressure and persevere under extreme duress—both in action against an implacable enemy and within the elite “boy’s club” of Army aviation. Smith’s unrelenting fight for both mastery and respect delivers universal life-lessons that will be useful to any civilian, from “earning your spurs” as a newbie to “embracing the suck” through setbacks that challenge your self-confidence to learning to trust your gut as a veteran of your profession.

Intensely personal, cinematic, poignant, and inspiring, Danger Close is a war story on one hand, and also the story of a brave pilot who fought for and earned a lifetime membership in the ranks of the best of the best.

Genres: Nonfiction, Military Fiction, Aviation, Biography, History, War, Audiobook

288 pages, Hardcover

First published September 6, 2016

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smith comes from a family of pilots. Her grandparents, parents and two sisters are all pilots. Her grandfather and father flew in the military. Smith tells of growing up in the State of Washington, flying her father’s planes and having a runway on their farm. She was at university on 911. She dropped out of university to join the Army to fly helicopters. She tells of the apprehension of going from a fixed wing pilot to the helicopters. She flew Kiowa Warrior helicopters for the 2-17 Calvary Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division (The Screaming Eagles). She rose to pilot-in-charge and Air Mission Commander. She fought in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2005 and 2008.

The book is well written. Smith provides enough detail to bring the reader into the story without being too technical. She tells of pushing herself to achieve and never giving up. Smith tells of serving with her sisters in Afghanistan. Her older sister is Air Force Captain Kelly Smith, she flies the Lockheed C130 Hercules Military Transport for the 146 Airlift wing. Her younger sister, Lacey, joined the Army to fly helicopters. She flies the Black Hawk Helicopter. Amber Smith went on to obtain her bachelor and master degrees in aeronautics. This would make a good book for a high school student to read. I could not put this book down.

I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is eight hours long. Rachel Fulginiti does a good job narrating the book. Fulginiti is an actress, voice over artist and award-winning audiobook narrator.

[laurel [the suspected bibliophile] · Rating 3 out of 5]

RTC

It shown when she was talking about flying helicopters, it didn't do so hot when she didn't look a little deeper into...any implications.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This first hand account of Ms. Smith's experiences as an Army helicopter pilot is intriguing and extremely well-written. As a reader, you go through training and two year long deployments with Ms. Smith. Her descriptions are vivid - I could feel the sand in my nose and teeth, feel the physical discomfort of sitting in a cramped cockpit for several hours while on a mission, and experience the mental pressures of making quick decisions while flying into dangerous, ever changing situations.

Danger Close was hard to put down, and it will stay with me for a long time. This is a book that I will recommend to others and buy for myself.

I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Gene Saunders · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read. Gives someone an upclose, personal view of what it was like to fly in those areas of operation. Gutsy girl!

[Angus · Rating 2 out of 5]

This author comes across as a horrible person.

While reading, I found myself hoping in vain that the Taliban would shoot her helicopter down.

[Arden Hooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amber Smith’s book Danger Close is a first hand account of a woman in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan as a Kiowa pilot in the U.S. army. It was published on September 6, 2016 by Atria Books. As it was published very recently, there is still a lot of buzz about the book on several radio stations and TV networks. Smith has had some of her articles published in publications such as Forbes, Aviation Week, and The Washington Examiner. She discusses topics such as foreign policy, national security, military operations, and women’s issues.

I was very excited to begin reading the book when I first got it. I generally gravitate towards war stories so this book seemed right up my alley. The full title of the book is Danger Close: My Epic Journey as a Combat Helicopter Pilot in Iraq and Afghanistan and that is exactly what the book is--epic. Initially I was not fond of the narrator, writer, and main character. In the first chapter, Smith dives right into war with a story of being attacked by ground rebels with guns while she was in the air flying a helicopter. After the first round of gunfire, she tells the reader she was not scared. However, a page later she emphasizes how terrifying war can be by saying, “Someone is trying to kill me.” Generally when someone is trying to kill you, you’re scared. At the beginning of the scene, she made it seem as though it was no big deal that the helicopter was receiving gunfire and ended the scene making it seem like it was a big deal which confused me and made me question her credibility.However, this beginning chapter was only about five pages long and after that, she brings the story back to the beginning of her life when she was a kid living on a farm that contained an air landing strip on the property. After pushing through the first chapter, I became very fond of the narrator.
Smith was the underdog for over half the book, whether it was in basic training, Kiowa pilot training, or the first couple of months on her first tour. She was a woman with no military experience entering into a war zone with high tension--it wasn’t the easiest road for her. You just can’t help but root for her success and it is very entertaining and satisfying to read as she grows from a civilian into a soldier and talented helicopter pilot.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys war stories or just a good old success story. Although there was a lot of military terminology, Smith explains the terms throughout the book so you never feel confused or out of the loop. Because of this, the book is very easy to read and comprehend. If you choose to pick up Danger Close, I am confident you will enjoy this thrilling book as much as I did.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The true adventures of a young woman from my home town of White Salmon, WA: her adventures through enlistment, basic training, warrant officer training, flight training, and deployment as a Kiowa helicopter pilot first to Iraq and then to Afghanistan. The dangerous and exciting events of her flights are interspersed with her personal stories of her family, her difficulties in joining a largely-male corps and proving herself, and her grief at losing fellow soldiers. She is only 24 when her enlistment ends and she has earned the respect of everyone around her. Engaging and exciting.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book tells the action-filled tales of an Army pilot flew Kiowa helicopters on combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. The pilot just happens to be a woman. Her experiences include braving the heat of the desert, dodging enemy fire from the ground and dealing with male members of her troop who did not think she belonged with them. I was impressed that her two sisters are also Army pilots.

[Thomas B Tennant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Read

As a Asst. G3 for the TRANSCOM running convoys in and out of Iraq Amber's unique provided our"cover" in some of the most dangerous locations. She gives us another unique perspective of the war.

[Graciela Tiscareno-Sato · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a veteran military aviator and author, I'm always intrigued when a woman writes a memoir about her service while wearing wings and a uniform. These powerful and inspirational stories are few and far between because sadly, most women vets never write their books.

This one however, has totally blown my mind. Amber's tale stands alone.

First, she is from a family in which ALL THREE DAUGHTERS SERVED AS MILITARY AVIATORS in multiple wars. I found that fact fantastic and as a mother, kept thinking about how her parents must have lived during those years of deployments. All three girls were exposed to aviation by their father early in life. Amber's pride in her sisters' service is palpable.

Second, Amber writes in an approachable, personal voice that makes you feel like you're there...in the Kiowa cockpit, in the transient troop tent enroute to the FOB, in the B-hut in Afghanistan, in the Valley of Death being fired upon. Superb storyteller and details abound. The scenes of combat, the air and ground coordination...all are so gripping. Air Cav!

Lastly, there's so much humanity revealed in these pages...the human toll, emotional, physical, psychological....ALL of it...of constant war...the short time home...the second deployment. The highs Amber experienced are phenomenal; the lows rip your heart out.

Have your teen daughters read this, for insight into just how resilient today's women warriors really are; have your sons read it for the same reason.

[KennyO · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amber Smith grew up in an aviation family so it follows logically that she and her two sisters all [separately] joined the armed forces and flew. The writing is quite good. It flows smoothly and never dwells excessively on any topic. Telling it in the first person is never intrusive. Her story of upbringing and family is enough to give a sense of who she is and who she aims to become. She covers thoroughly her experience in Army training, in preparation for combat and in combat operations. She shows how women are often given short shrift in the military but she doesn’t wallow in it; she acknowledges it then carries on, both in the occasion and in her telling about it. I appreciate how she describes that air and ground forces work together, yet are separate except in unexpected meetings. There are spaces in her story where she could have told more but I’d wager that it’s a better story for those openings.

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t like this book.

It lacked that storytelling voice, and came across as somewhat superficial. Not as in her personality being a superficial person, what Amber has accomplished in her military career is amazing, and she is able to transcend in the military as a female pilot. What an incredible role model she is.

Rather, her writing style is superficial. It doesn’t evoke emotions on a deep level. It feels very much like someone putting on a mask of bravado that is stereotypically seen among military people, and I can’t see past that. I keep on wanting to delve deeper beyond that facade; what is it like *really* to be a female pilot, what feelings did she encounter, and what obstacles did she overcome as a woman in a male dominant field? I want to read that. I want to see her perspective as a female pilot, instead of reading chronicle of what has happened to her.

Her service to our country is admirable. Her writing style? Not so much.

[Lisa Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Ms. Smith was able to capture the emotional roller coaster of entering the military as a woman soon after the Twin Towers came down. Her experiences rang true to the ups and downs of basic training, Warrant Officer Training and flight training in the Army. She was able to explain the hazing rituals of being a new Warrant Officer in a male dominated field without making me feel sorry for her. She wrote convincingly of serving in both theaters of war and the trials and tribulations that go with being in the military at war.

[Medusa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. As much military history as I’ve studied over a lifetime , this was the first memoir of a female combat helicopter pilot I’ve ever read. As such it was a window into a world I wanted to but couldn’t experience this lifetime - dadt etc being what it was when I was young enough to serve - that of a proud, capable, warrior woman serving the United States armed forces. I’m grateful she told her story and for her service, too. If I sound like a fan girl, I can live with it.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amber Smith flew the Kiowa Warrior helicopter, the cavalry of the air; small, fast who support the ground troops. She served in Iraq and Afghanistan. This is her story, of learning to fly and her two combat deployments.

Why I started this book: I've read a lot of combat memoirs and I was eager to read Smith's to get a female perspective.

Why I finished it: Very interesting, Smith is clear and direct author.

[Lovely Rita · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved this book. One of my best friends is a female Marine Corps pilot, who has been deployed 3 times. She flies Hercs, not helicopters, so I appreciated Amber’s story both for its different perspective on similar experiences as my friend has had. The book is well-written, exciting, inspiring, and I couldn’t put it down. I don’t know Amber but I greatly admire her for her skill, smarts, and service. I’m so glad she told her story.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like to read about women who kick butt, pick up this book. If you ever dreamed of being a pilot in the military, pick up this book. If you can read period, pick up this book. You won't be disappointed. I laughed, I cried, I gasped, and I cheered her on as she fought to do something that most women will never do. As someone who could only dream of being a pilot in the military, I absolutely lived vicariously through Amber Smith.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amber Smith wrote a very nice book about her experiences in Army Aviation. She was very fortunate to have lucked into flying the Kiowa when originally meant for the Blackhawk, and considering how few books are out there about Army Aviation much less the Kiowa scout when deployed to Iraq & Afghanistan - so too are fans of Army Aviation like I. Well recommend the book.

[Michelle Tejada · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story about a female helicopter pilot who flew in combat in the army. It was an interesting story of her family (which also included many pilots), decision to join the military, her training, and her experiences in war. The book was well-written and helped me learn more about military life.

[jazz weisman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book overall. It was great to see the world of being an army helicopter pilot up close and in so much detail. It was also really interesting to see it through the eyes of one of the rare female army helicopter pilots. There was definitely a lot of killing and war without much introspection or consideration about it, but that often comes with the territory for this kind of book.

[Adam James · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started this one for research purposes, but was immediately drawn in by Amber's entire experience in the military. Thanks so much for your service to the nation, Amber. RED CON ONE! Won't tell y'all what that means. You gotta read the book to find out.

Cheers!
Jim in MT

[karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amber is an amazing women. An in depth story of what war is really like. The sacrifices for our freedom. Thank you for your service. A must read. A women in today’s service can be very successful, but still it is a fight to be accepted. You go girl.

[Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a lot about how the US Army uses Kiowa helicopters, something that I was not so aware of before. It was also interesting how Amber's two sisters also were (are?) military pilots.

[Casey R Sutherland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Outstanding story!

I appreciated the perspective provided in Amber’s book but most importantly I am grateful for her service and those she served with.

[RaymondABennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read about helo war 2006-8

Easy to read, woman’s early combat in Army helicopters , women wanting to fly in Army would find this very informative!

[William Alexander Cleaver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gripping

I read Amber's story in about three days. It was a captivating tale and her vivid descriptions made me feel I was there with her.

[Connie Vitiello · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read! I am so impressed by what a wonderful person you are and the love you have for your country! Standing by...waiting for your next book.

[Marcie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was just ok. The epic journey hype was over rated. A lot of background and her training back ground. She believed she was discriminated against for being a woman. Interesting insight.

[Carlos Del Valle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that people should put their daughters to read. As a matter of fact all teenagers should read this.

[terrance K. richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome read. No BS.