Greetings and Salutations my Friends. I have been suffering from what I like to call a mild case of workaholicitis and been neglecting on the site here. I am back logged with reviews and content that probably should get put up and will start working my way through it. My rare moments of spare time have been with kids in front of me instead of this screen so that has been a welcome change.

I have been trying to find pleasure out of the simplest of things and it has been working. The other night while driving around LA trying to find my hotel I saw the largest Raccoon I have ever seen so I stopped to investigate as I thought it might be a rare species of animal and I was going to capture it on film and solidify my families fortune with animal planet or the discovery channel. While staring at this creature I realized that I had just completely side tracked from trying to find a place to rest to trying to find an opportunity out of an animal. So I will chalk that one up to one of my two favorite sayings, "the road to hell is paved with good intentions" or " necessity is the mother of invention" you decide.

I was able to get the little Princess to tag along with me at a work related function yesterday and it was awesome. Almost 3 years old and already doing good deeds, who cares if I bribed her with french fries, she's starting out life with a great example, Patti teaching her to write letters to soldiers! 

Every now and then I get asked to review a book and recently I have had to say no because we have been to busy. So in an effort to share the opportunities with others I have been referring folks to others that might be more interested than I. A couple of weeks ago I was approached about reading and helping the promotion of a book to which I responded with a small dose of false motivation. The book arrived and I looked it over and realized it was about Afghanistan and Marines. The two subjects that are not my forte, however with having a Stud like LT Rice and 1SG(r) Thresher and Sean Grey working closely with me I have been more interested in the Marine Corp and learning more about this proud team I know but don't REALLY know. Troy over at Bouhammer.com is usually my go to guy for A'Stan info but, Why Not read this and see how the other side live.

Well, like all things that has to do with the Marines there is PRIDE and at first I was not sure if I would actually read a USMC Lovefest but I quickly realized that I was not reading this as a former Army NCO but as an interested civilian which put me in an interesting place. I was not going to commentate on my experience or believes but actually learn something. 

The book is Victory Point, by ED DARACK and here are my thoughts but most importantly what follows is an endorsement to which I am not sure I will be able to aptly communicate.

The story is that if the 2/3 Marines out of Hawaii that entered into a rugged and unforgiving countryside and were quickly thrust into harsh combat. The story is a conventional view of the story of Operations Red Wings and Whalers to which some have become aquainted by Marcus Lutrells's Lone Survivor.  Through some experience I have learned that the Conventional Forces of the US Military and the Unconventional Forces (Special Operations) do not always have synergy or hold each other with the same esteem so I was really curious about how this story would be told from a third party versus an intrical participant. SO no ego's just her it is!

I have never professed to be an Afghanistan commentator or participant as my OEF experience is limited so with the start of the book truly painting a picture and creating the backdrop of history and policies that have led to where the actual fighting took place was one of the greatest gifts I have received in some time. I thirst for good information and well researched delivery of it and typically get it from dry hard to read text books and essays. This presentation of history and cultural understanding made the story easy to follow. It was not delivered in a dry terribly verbose format but in a cohesive and captivating manner. I found myself wanting more so when the "boots hit the ground" I was sure I was ready but very thankful I knew why I was ready. The story follows the company and battalion level leadership with the injection of the ground level grunt. This is not an easy task to relate readers to the most austere of dynamics. I found myself instantly endeared to several of the Marines and overall impressed with the profound understanding of these YOUNG leaders. Ed Darack was able to accurately portray the most complex of understandings that within the Counter Insurgency (COIN) fight the actions of a mere individual can have the most dramatic and intense strategic impact and shape the battlefield for time to come. I felt that I was there working along side, humping rough hills with not the ideal equipment but with what would actually work and I felt pride in their accomplishments as they were unselfish in them. With them I  found my heart sink upon misfortune and felt that frog of frustration in my throat when they held answers to problems they were not allowed to address.  This is the best MILITARY NON FICTION I have read in awhile and will be going to get Ed Daracks other offerings ASAP!

NO EFFORT by any player was cheapened by politics or bias which with subject matter of this type it is hard to do so again I found myself compelled to continue and to endorse. I really want everyone interested in the experience of a ground force to consider this offering a must read. I do not want to spoil it with my long winded break down.

I am so motivated by this offering that I am going to pursue Ed Darack and his people to get an interview up on here and I will put his PR stuff up in the Features for everyone to go check out. 

PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT INFORMATION YOU ARE MOST CURIOUS ABOUT SO I CAN AMEND MY INTERVIEW QUESTIONS TO HELP FACILITATE.