NEXT MISSION: U.S. Defense Attaché to France. A memoir from the days of "Punish France, Ignore Germany, Forgive Russia"

by Ralph R. Steinke

". . . frank, marvelously descriptive, and heart-warming . . . " --Major General (USA, Ret) Gordon B. "Skip" Davis, Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Defense Investment, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

Next Mission provides rare insights, based on four years of military attach� duty, during one of the most troubled periods of relations with America's oldest ally, France. Grounded in reality and personal experience, it opens the world of real-life, high-level diplomatic experiences based on adversarial U.S. policies, personal relationships, and family life in one of the world's most captivating cities and countries. Become Colonel Steinke's personal 'attach�' as you walk with him through events that no international spy novelist could capture, no international fiction writer could develop, and no motion picture producer could film. Nothing beats reality.

288 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 25, 2019

About the author

RALPH R. “RICK” STEINKE is the author of the Jake Fortna novel series, including Jake Fortina and the Roman Conspiracy, Grand Prize Winner, Global Thriller category, Chanticleer International Book Awards (2023), and Major Jake Fortina and the Tier One Threat, a semi-finalist in the Global Thriller category for the 2022 Chanticleer International Book Awards. In 2019, he also published Next Mission: US Defense Attaché to France, a memoir (currently out of print, to be republished in 2025 or 2026). Since Steinke's commissioning from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Steinke has served a lifetime of US national security roles, including twenty-eight years in the US Army and fourteen in the Department of Defense. Official duties have taken him to over thirty countries in Europe and Asia, including Afghanistan and Ukraine. He holds master’s degrees in West European studies and diplomacy from Indiana and Norwich Universities, respectively, as well as post-graduation certificates in national and international security affairs from Harvard and Stanford universities. His passions include faith, family, fly fishing, and travel.

Reviews

[Abe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Steinke had quite a variety of experiences meeting all sorts of people - even getting to meet Tom Hanks at a Normandy event - and it was a pleasure to read about those adventures.

[Alex MacPherson · Rating 5 out of 5]

As my ‘holiday travel’ read this year, I thoroughly enjoyed the clear and flowing narrative of his personal experiences as the US defense attaché to France during a period of heightened tension between the two countries. The insightful and intimate perspective provided details the importance of relationship building, even when political influences are working counter to that effort. The personal-side injects blend well into the overall story, giving us a better understanding of the daily sacrifices these hard working professionals and their families have made. I would definitely recommend this book to understand and appreciate the behind-the-scenes work the military attachés do to smooth over the diplomatic wrinkles caused by others. I am looking forward to more from Colonel Ralph “Rick” Stienke (US Army, Ret)!

[Pushtigban · Rating 5 out of 5]

There aren't very many books- memoirs in particular- on how day to day job of a defense attache look like. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the military to military relationships between allies and partner nations are so professional and that it is not uncommon for our diplomats in uniform to form warm, personal relationships, regardless as political turmoils of the day. We can afford this due to the fact that democracies exert command and control of their nations' military which will insulate military leaders from politics of the day and allow them to think and act with a vision for their country's military and diplomatic interests. I also totally agree with the author that hosting rising stars in other nations' military and networking with them is a great investment; likewise, face to face meetings and parties in this digital age. Having personal relationships and access still matter to get things done in international cooperation projects and crises. Lastly, I thank Colonel Steinke for his service to our nation.

[Rachael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful book. It gave an incredible look into the politics and world of US Defense Attaches. I highly recommend it.