Enduring Freedom Enduring Voices us Operations in Afghanistan

by Michael G. Walling

"Michael Walling has honored the American men and women who served in Operation Enduring Freedom by helping them tell their own stories. This is the war in Afghanistan as experienced by the people who fought it." General Tommy R. Franks, Ret.

For 13 years US military personnel have been embroiled in America’s longest sustained combat operation ever in Afghanistan, but while we have seen thousands of hours of coverage of the war, the thoughts and experiences of the men and women on the ground have been hard to come by. This book documents the history of the US military in Afghanistan through the words of the men and women who have lived it first hand. From senior-level commanders to the view through soldier’s gunsights, out of the supply truck window, or the airman’s target reticule, this new work uncovers the full range of experiences of American armed forces in Afghanistan, providing an honest assessment of the conflict and of individual’s experiences within it. From combat operations to covert ops, infrastructure rebuilding to training the Afghan Army, Michael Walling creates an intriguing narrative that reveals the timeless stories of determination, heroism, sacrifice, and strength that have shaped Operation Enduring Freedom.

Genres: History

Hardcover

First published June 17, 2014

Reviews

[Laurel M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enduring Freedom honors those who served by letting them tell it in their own words. That respect shines through every page.

[Neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. I used part of it as a source for a paper for a class in college and finished it out of interest. It covers the entry of the United States into Afghanistan in late 2001 and ends with President Obama talking about how American forces would be completely out of Afghanistan by 2016. Each chapter covers a one-to-two year period. Each chapter is intermixed with some historical detail and personal stories of individuals who served in Afghanistan during that extended period of time. It covers both "positive" moments of the American soldiers and other allied personnel who were in Afghanistan and "negative" moments. I thought the book was well-written and informative; I also think the personal moments were a definite asset to the book.

Two elements really stood out to me after I finished.

In one "personal story" an officer was relating how they were directed to provide covering fire at night outside of a small village where numerous weapons were being fired. The gunship opened fire and devastated the party firing the guns. A few days later, the flight crew learned that the party firing the guns was a wedding party; over forty members of the wedding party had been killed by their gunfire, and over one hundred had been injured. It was a tragic moment filled with tragedies.

The other "story" involved the maintenance crew for a squadron of F-15s stationed in Afghanistan. Another F-15 had disintegrated in mid-air, grounding this squadron and preventing them from being able to provide much needed fire support. They had to listen to cries for help over the radio, as their planes could not fly. One night, several Americans died because of the lack of fire support. Shortly after that, the "problem" was fixed and the squadron could go back to providing the much-needed close air support. Now, a part of me did wonder if the planes were cleared so that they could get back into their CAS mission, but the pilots and maintenance crew desperately wanted to get back into the fighting so they could support troops who were in danger.

The "situation" with the poppy fields was crazy. The fields were initially destroyed because of the money they provided to the Taliban. Once the "government" moved in and the region was declared "safe" or "stabilized" then the poppy fields were allowed to exist because they provided cash and support for the citizens in the region.

The book did show how changes were constantly occurring in the mission in Afghanistan. It is a wonder it did not drive the troops crazy! The mission kept changing partly due to the constantly changing political situation (local and international), and Afghanistan always seemed to get the short-end of the stick because of Iraq (which also partly influenced the constantly changing mission of the soldiers in the field).

The book ends with some discussions about Afghanistan and what it will take to "fix" the situation in this war-torn country. It is going to take a long, long time. Americans tend to focus on cycles that follow election years; changes every two-to-four years. The Russians tend to think in terms of decades, and the Chinese in terms of centuries. There is no "similar" concept of time in Afghanistan culture; an offense to a family that occurred several hundred years ago is still fresh in their mind today. It is definitely a different mindset in the country, that is for sure!

Another thing that stood out to me was that an insurgency tends to "always win" because they are in it for the "longer haul" than any invading country. Not saying that the United States invaded; help was offered and accepted; the military levels and numbers increased partly due to request for continued assistance and the perceived need for more boots on the ground. However, after the Americans and coalition forces having been in the country for over a decade, al-Qaeda has not been vanquished and the Taliban has again taken power in the countryside. It does make one wonder what was actually accomplished and if the "foreign" personnel should have been involved for so long in this country. For any further, future changes to occur, they are going to have to come from the Afghanistan people themselves.

They can make the changes if they want to, on they one hand. All but fifteen of their provinces provide most of the heroin sold in the world. If they can do that (become the number one suppliers of heroin) with what is currently available to them, they can do more if more opportunities are provided to them (potentially, I guess). Some of the Americans were quoted as saying they believed the Afghanistan people were capable of doing more, of becoming more; they "just" needed to be pointed in the right direction.

This is not to say the 'situation' in Afghanistan cannot be "fixed," but it is going to take the Afghanistan people wanting to fix things. Some of the soldiers felt that there was more opportunity now for that change to occur, as people had been exposed to the West and to democracy and to a "better life" than what is currently found in Afghanistan. It is going to be the young people who bring about the change, as they mature into adults and continue to have access to the Internet and other ideas that come with this exposure.

I enjoyed reading the book. It was very interesting to read, especially the personal accounts. I thought it gave a fairly balanced account of the time spent in the country by American and coalition personnel (it focuses more in the American personnel). It does not answer if we really needed to be there after Operation Anaconda or what strategic value Afghanistan had or has for so many lives to have been spent in this small country. I am glad that I read it.

[Julie R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raw, real, and unforgettable. These stories put me in the boots of the men and women who served in Afghanistan like no news broadcast ever could

[Marilyn A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Walling doesn’t filter or polish the voices of veterans. he lets them speak. The honesty here is what makes this book so powerful.

[Kelly G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some chapters are difficult to read, not because of the writing but because of the reality of what these soldiers endured. That’s what makes it so important.

[Louis Verdin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I served in Afghanistan, and reading this felt like being back there. Walling gets it right — the dust, the tension, the fear, the camaraderie

[Robert S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book captures not only the battles but the quiet moments training Afghans, rebuilding villages, surviving day by day.

[Carolyn C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The range of voices is impressive. From commanders to truck drivers, each perspective adds a new layer of truth to the war.

[Scott Decoteau · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciated the honesty. There’s no sugarcoating here, just the complexity of America’s longest war told by those who lived it.

[Susan C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating slice of history. I wish it had included more photos, but the storytelling was excellent.

[Jennifer E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a civilian, I’ve always felt disconnected from what really happened in Afghanistan. This book bridges that gap.

[Isabel Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

A valuable book, though at times the transitions between different voices felt abrupt. Still, the authenticity makes it worth it.

[Lisa Denham · Rating 4 out of 5]

A valuable book, though at times the transitions between different voices felt abrupt. Still, the authenticity makes it worth it

[Kenisha D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Walling shows the Afghanistan war from the ground up. You can’t understand the conflict without hearing from the people who actually fought it.

[Veronica S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s like sitting in a room with dozens of veterans, each sharing a story you’ll never forget.

[Shawn A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some stories are repetitive, but war itself is repetitive danger, loss, survival. That makes it even more real.

[Mary Goncalves · Rating 5 out of 5]

A raw, unfiltered window into America’s longest war. Walling hands the microphone to the soldiers, and the result is a deeply human account that blends grit, courage, and heartbreak.

[Tabby Shiflett · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good collection of first-hand accounts and general chronology of the U.S. operation in Afghanistan. There's a lot of information, although at times it can be overwhelming. This book is an excellent choice for students writing about this subject. Get the print copy or the epub version, so you can appreciate all the maps.

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