“In
his detailed narrative, Proctor, an Army lieutenant colonel, is not afraid to
admit a 'fatal assumption' or a 'serious flaw' that leads to his unit’s
realization that 'it was time to start from scratch,' again and again.
Frustrations with local politicians, State Department representatives and local
business practices get in the Army’s way, but the officer is persuasive.”
J. Ford Huffman
Military Times
To read the entire review,
click here
(*no longer available*).
“Task
Force Patriot is not a tedious recitation of counterinsurgency operations in
Iraq. Proctor weaves intrigue into his matter-of-fact reportage and composes
descriptive prose, both of which add a dash of artistry...Accessible to a
general readership and technical enough to satisfy a military-minded audience,
Proctor's book is instructive, candid, and thought-provoking.”
Amy O'Loghlin
Foreword
To read the entire review,
click here.
“Every officer
and NCO in the US Army charged with countering an insurgency should study this
richly-researched account of the realities of nation-building. American money
does not create decent host-nation leaders; it does place American military
leaders in impossible situations.”
Bing West
Author of The Village, The Strongest Tribe, and
The Wrong
War
“Traditionally
regarded as a squad leader’s fight, counterinsurgency in Iraq was often more of
a Battalion commander’s war. Colonel Proctor’s excellent account of his
experiences as a Battalion S3 should be required reading for military or
civilian students, for leaders seeking to master this complex art, and for
anyone interested in how Americans handled the critical transition from combat
operations in Iraq.”
Lt.Col.(res.) David Kilcullen, PhD.
Author of The Accidental Guerilla and
Counterinsurgency
“As we approach
the twilight of the war in Iraq, it is widely acknowledged that the public
understands too little about the experience of soldiers who have been engaged in
that conflict over the past eight years. In Task Force Patriot and the End of
Combat Operations in Iraq, Pat Proctor sheds light on the political, human,
and psychological dimension of that experience, recounting how he and his
soldiers fought across an area the size of New Jersey to achieve an outcome
consistent with our interests and worthy of the sacrifices so many have made.
This is a compelling account not only because it helps explain the American
military experience in Iraq, but also because it reveals the difficulties that
our soldiers are likely to confront in future conflicts.”
Brig.Gen. H.R. McMaster, PhD.
Author of Dereliction of Duty: Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara, the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, and the Lies that Led to Vietnam
“Lieutenant Colonel Pat Proctor provides
valuable insight into the adaptability of the American Soldier and the
versatility of tactical leaders in war. His compelling narrative provides an
in-depth account of how his battalion implemented counterinsurgency theory in
one corner of Iraq.”
Lt.Gen. William B. Caldwell, IV.
United States Army
Commander, NATO Training Mission, Afghanistan
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