finances and, xix–xxi, 249
government of, 25, 29, 87, 113, 158, 162, 167, 175, 241, 334
grape drying huts in, 302
injuries and deaths in, xv–xviii, xx, xxii, 159, 170, 176–88, 190n, 195–96, 204–5, 208–12, 222–25, 234, 236, 254, 264–65, 267, 269–70, 272–73, 286, 288, 330–31
insurgency in, 68, 215, 225, 300n, 336
Korengal Valley operations and, 335–36
motives for, xix
and Neff’s assignment to Kilo, 244–49
9/11 retaliatory attacks and, 5–6, 19–20
number of U.S. troops in, 25, 68, 113, 156, 158, 161, 186, 236, 294–96, 297, 304
opium fields and trade of, 238, 241, 250, 253–54, 260–61, 276, 338
and rules governing use of weapons, 211
security forces of, xvii, xix–xxii, 29, 34–38, 113, 162, 167, 186, 196–97, 206, 212–13, 225n, 226, 228–30, 233, 239–40, 249–57, 262–63, 269–71, 273, 275–77, 279, 283–85, 296, 299, 340
Soviet war in, 16, 29–30, 33, 35, 37, 158, 165, 167, 188, 338
surge in, 174, 213, 236, 238, 295, 297–98, 304
U.S. occupation of, 203–4, 339
U.S. offensive operations in, 16–24, 29–30, 34–38, 60, 161, 167, 193–203, 225, 229, 232–33, 238, 245, 247
U.S. withdrawal from, 156, 304, 334
weather in, 164, 167–68, 194, 228, 260, 338
Air Force, U.S., 6–7, 16, 27–30, 194–95, 231
and pursuit of bin Laden, 28–30, 33–37
and U.S. offensive operations in Iraq, 28, 44, 47–49
Alaska, 298–99, 342
Ali, Haji Hazrat, 30, 33–38
Aliabad, 196n, 199, 205, 207, 228–30, 232–33
Alingar River, Alingar Valley, 162, 174, 176
Alishang River, Alishang Valley, 162, 174, 180
Alpha Troop, 90–92, 95–97, 166
and air cavalry war in Iraq, 96, 102, 105, 111
map of area of operations of, 92
and supplying military at MacKenzie, 99–100
and VIP patrols in Iraq, 100–101
and voting in Iraq, 97–98
Ambush Alley, 94–95, 100
Korengal Valley operations and, 204, 206, 209–10
Anaconda, Logistics Support Area, 54–56, 58–60, 65, 102
Anbar, 74, 77, 134, 155, 315, 319, 320
Apache gunships, 43
and air cavalry in eastern Afghan valleys, 162, 164, 167
and air cavalry in Iraq, 105, 111
Korengal Valley operations and, 199, 207–8, 222, 224–25
Archibald, Hayden, 174, 176–77
Arghandab River, Arghandab Valley, 299–300
Armed Forces Foundation, 325
Army, U.S., 54, 59, 65, 71–72, 102, 104, 158, 160, 162–66, 171, 187–236, 242, 299
and air cavalry in eastern Afghan valleys, 162–64, 168, 175–76
and air cavalry in Iraq, 89–91, 96–97, 103–4, 108, 111–12, 158
counterinsurgency and, 213–15
and fighting in and around Fallujah, 74–75
injuries and deaths in, 99–101, 111, 176–85, 331–33, 342
Korengal Valley operations and, 187–90, 194–236
Kryszewski’s enlistment in, 26–27, 29–33
Kryszewski’s retirement and, 343–44
and Kryszewski’s tour in Korea, 31–32
and preparations for Iraq war, 40–41
and rocket attacks at Anaconda, 55–56, 65
Soto’s enlistment in, 192–93
and supplying military at MacKenzie, 94–95, 99–100
and U.S. occupation of Iraq, 74–75, 89–91
and U.S. offensive operations in Afghanistan, 29–30, 162, 164
and U.S. offensive operations in Iraq, 26–29, 42–43, 46–50
see also Special Forces, U.S.
Asadabad, 164, 168, 170, 199, 208
B-52s, 5, 47
Baathist, 74, 101, 116
Babeyal, 196, 206, 228
Bacchus, Akil, 263–64, 287
Baghdad, 6, 54, 93, 128, 161, 343
and U.S. occupation of Iraq, 56–57
and U.S. offensive operations in Iraq, 26, 28, 42–45, 47, 72
Bagram, 30, 195, 203, 212, 332, 335
Slebodnik’s injuries and, 179–81, 184
Baharia, Forward Operating Base, 74–77, 80
Bakim (interpreter), 100
Balad, 54–56, 64, 93–94, 102–4
and air cavalry in Iraq, 103–4, 111
and U.S. offensive operations in Iraq, 343,
Battle (Bravo) Company, 188, 190, 193,195, 197, 200, 202, 211
Bennett, William M., 58, 60
Biggers, Joshua, 337
and Battle of Marja, 253–54, 257–63, 265, 266–67, 270, 273, 274–76, 278–79, 281–83, 289
and Neff’s assignment to Kilo, 244–45, 247
bin Laden, Osama, 53, 125, 127
death of, xix, 293
U.S. pursuit of, 17, 28–30, 33, 35–36, 38, 138, 158
Black Hawk, 96, 101
and air cavalry in eastern Afghan valleys, 162, 178, 180–81, 183–84
and Battle of Marja, xvi–xvii, 273, 276
Korengal Valley operations and, 205, 207
Bradley fighting vehicles (Bradleys), 44, 89, 101
and fighting in and around Muqdadiyah, 106, 108–9
and supplying U.S. military at MacKenzie, 94, 100
Building 187, 237–40
Afghan family residents of, 239–41, 256, 266–67
and Battle of Marja, 239–41, 252, 256, 259, 264–67, 274
Building 284, 240, 259, 264–66, 274, 277–79
Building 316, 252, 256–57, 266, 271, 275, 283
Bush, George W., 76, 156
criticisms and opposition to, 117–18
and end of major combat operations in Iraq, 53, 57
Kirby met by, 305–6, 325–30, 346
Kirby’s mother and, 308, 327–30, 348
and U.S. invasion of Iraq, 25, 116–17
C-130s:
and U.S. offensive operations in Iraq, 26–29, 38–39, 41
Callaway, Joseph, 178–80
Cashe, Alwyn, 100–102
Cela, Sokol, 157–60, 172, 181
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), xx, 27, 41, 60, 158
and U.S. pursuit of bin Laden, 30, 33–35
Charfauros, Ray “Chief,” 251, 254, 256–57, 261, 263, 266, 271–73, 275, 279, 283–85
Charlie Troop, 157, 160–61, 166
and air cavalry in eastern Afghan valleys, 161, 164, 170
map of area of operations of, 163
CH-47s (Chinooks), 195
and air cavalry in eastern Afghan valleys, 159, 162
Korengal Valley operations and, 212
Christmas, Brian, 247–48
and Battle of Marja, 278
and Neff’s assignment to Kilo, 242, 244
Christmas, James, 242
Coalition Provisional Authority, 53, 93
Cold War, 8, 11, 17, 31, 241
Cole, Matt, 180
Colistra, Cory:
and Battle of Marja, 256–57, 259, 265–66, 268–70, 273–74, 281
Building 187 and, 239–41
Neff’s relationship with, 244
Congress, U.S., 125, 156
Conroy, Sean, 232–33
Constantine, Justin, 314–15
Conway, James T., 252
Cooney, Jonathan, 167
Cox, Nathan, 193–94
Korengal Valley operations and, 200, 207, 209–11
Crowder, Darrin, 58–67
injuries of, 61–64, 66–67, 343
Kryszewski’s relationship with, 58–59, 62–64, 66–67
and rocket attacks at Anaconda, 61–66
and U.S. occupation of Iraq, 58–66
Currier, Eric D., 260, 279–82, 285, 288–89, 337, 340
Dallas, Observation Post, 196, 203, 205–6, 208–11, 228, 231
Dalrymple, Matthew, 247, 250
Dawson, Ezra, 212
Defense Department, U.S. (the Pentagon), xvi–xvii, xx, xxii, 9, 15–16, 113, 133, 156, 158, 225n, 298, 304, 336, 342
Afghan war and, 160–61, 165
counterinsurgency and, 127, 284
and injuries and deaths in Afghanistan and Iraq, xxii, 212n
Kiowas and, 91
Korengal Valley operations and, 215
9/11 and, 3–4, 15, 174
and pursuit of bin Laden, 33
and U.S. invasion of Iraq, 25, 72
and U.S. occupation of Iraq, 76, 91, 93
and U.S. withdrawal from Iraq, 293, 296
Delta Force, U.S., 35, 37
Dempsey, Shawn, 132
Route Chicago and, 142–43, 145–47
and violence in and around Karma, 137–38, 140–41
Dewater, Richard:
death of, 235–35, 333–34
Dimaranan, Jeremy, 65
Dinterman, Michael R., 208–9
Dixie Chicks, 117–18
Diyala River, 106, 112
Djakovica, 10–11
Donga, 199, 202, 207, 228, 230
Doyle, Jack, 347–48
Duluiyah, 90, 93–94, 98, 101
Durbin, Daniel, 263–66
Emmanuel, Gordon, 259
Enterprise, USS, 3–5
McDowell and, 4, 14–16, 18–23, 114
9/11 and, 4–5, 14–15, 19
and U.S. offensive operations in Afghanistan, 16–23
Euphrates River, 26, 43, 46–47, 49, 76
F-14 Tomcats, 114–15, 119
and action in Serbia and Kosovo, 6, 10–14, 16–17
in-flight refueling of, 5–6, 15, 22
McDowell and, 4–17, 19–23, 115, 117, 121
9/11 retaliatory attacks and, 5–6, 15, 19
and real-time visibility of air strikes, 8–9, 12–13
targeting pods and precision munitions of, 8–9, 11–13, 16, 19
and U.S. offensive operations in Afghanistan, 16–17, 19–23
F-15, 101, 199, 224
F/A-18 Hornets and Super Hornets, 22, 114–15, 199, 340, 354
and armed overwatch in Afghanistan, 296, 300–302, 340–41
McDowell and, 11–12, 18, 22, 115, 119, 294–96, 299–303, 340–41
Fallujah, 127–29, 140
fighting in and around, 68, 70, 74–86, 127
and U.S. occupation of Iraq, 74–85
Fallujah, Camp, 78, 84, 127–28, 135, 150–53, 309
attacks on, 152–53
Kirby’s injuries and, 147–48, 150, 153–55
roof bunker post at, 151–52
Fenty, Forward Operating Base, 157–60
Fenty, Joseph J., 159n
Ferderer, Dennis J., Jr., 101
50 Cent, 201
Five Points, 339–40
Fox, Mark, 18n
Furner, Emmitt, II, 184–85
Al-Furqan Foundation for Media Production, 150n
Gamsharik, Haji Mohammad Zaman, 37–38
GBU-12, 11, 13
GBU-24, 17–18
Gonzales, Joseph F., 210–11
Greene, Patrick, 4
Haiti, 32, 336
Halase, Steven, 190–91, 214, 217, 219, 222, 225, 227
al-Hamdani, Ra’ad, 44
Hanson, Forward Operating Base, 337–38
Hanson, Matthias, 337, 340
Harger, Edwin, 252, 273
Hathaway, Jimmy, 101
Hekmatyar, Gulbuddin, 167
Helmand, Helmand Province, 238, 241, 247–48, 251, 254, 337–38
Herr, Christopher, 263
Hezb-i-Islami Gulbuddin, 167
High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), xvi–xvii, 263–69, 273, 287, 337, 339
Hill, Lori:
and air cavalry in Iraq, 106–12
and fighting in and around Muqdadiyah, 106–10, 112
injury, 110–11
Hirlston, J. D., 134–36, 138–39, 150
Hirsch, David L., 348
Hollins, Sean, 210
Honduras, 31
Horne, Joshua D., 260, 280
Howell, Jimmy, 222, 224–25, 227–28, 233–34, 333
Hue City, Battle of, 242, 340
Huey gunship, 143
Hume, Chris, 109, 111–12
Hummel, Mark, 252, 267, 280, 286–89
Humvee, 40, 98
and fighting at al-Kaed Bridge, 49–50
and fighting in and around Fallujah, 75–76, 78, 84–85
Kirby’s lost rifle and, 150–51
Korengal Valley operations and, 200, 202, 204, 207, 210–11
Route Chicago and, 136, 141, 145–47, 149–50
and U.S. occupation of Iraq, 75–78, 81, 83–85
and U.S. offensive operations in Iraq, 26–27, 44–45, 48–49
and VIP patrols in Iraq, 101
Hussein, Saddam, 27, 40, 53, 56, 88, 90, 120
fall of, 74, 93, 116
and U.S. invasion of Iraq, 25, 116
and U.S. offensive operations in Iraq, 28, 45
improvised explosive devices (IEDs), 74, 81, 113, 165, 251, 320, 337, 339n, 341
and Battle of Marja, 254, 259
counter-IED (CIED) missions and, 109, 206–7, 209–10
Karma and, 133, 316
Korengal Valley operations and, 204, 206–7, 209–10, 230
Route Chicago and, 136, 140, 146, 149–50
Al Imran 103, 131, 145
Iran, 5–6, 15, 33, 125, 301, 343
Iran–Iraq War, 88, 116
Iraqis, Iraq, Iraq war, xvii, 6, 70–72, 91, 93, 115–20, 126, 158–59, 161, 192–93, 241, 243–47, 317–19, 327, 348
air cavalry war in, 90–92, 95–112
chemical weapons and, 41, 116
constitution of, 57, 87, 93, 97, 127
counterinsurgency in, 125, 127–34, 136–39, 161
criticisms and opposition to, 117–18
end of major combat operations in, 53, 57
equipment of U.S. troops in, 87, 89–91
and fighting at al-Kaed Bridge, 44–46
government of, 93, 97–98, 125, 127
injuries and deaths in, xvii–xviii, xxii, 53, 56–58, 60–67, 76, 78–86, 94, 97, 99–102, 104–5, 111, 125, 129, 134–37, 139, 141–56, 161, 236, 307–8, 311–14, 316–18, 320–21, 326, 341
insurgency in, 55–56, 68, 74–77, 89, 92–94, 98–112, 125, 127, 134, 136, 138–40, 156, 161, 300–301, 334, 336, 342
ISIS (also Islamic State; Islamic State of Iraq) and, xix, 125, 150n, 296, 304, 341–42
motives for, xix–xxii
number of U.S. troops in, 25, 113, 156, 161, 236
prisoners in, 43, 49, 68, 112, 139, 144
rocket attacks in, 49, 55–56, 61–66, 75–76, 93, 101, 107, 133
Route Chicago (Chicago 500) and, 126–27, 129, 131, 134–36, 140, 145–47, 149–50, 154, 309
sectarian tension in, xix, 53, 87, 113, 119, 161, 296
security forces of, xx–xxii, 53, 77–78, 108, 127, 129–31, 138–39, 296, 343
suicide attacks in, 78–80
surge in, 156, 161, 192
U.S. invasion of, 25, 38–39, 41–46, 71–72, 74–75, 128–29, 342
U.S. occupation of, 53–66, 74–112, 139, 203–4, 342–43
U.S. offensive operations in, 26–29, 38–40, 42–50, 56, 72, 74–76, 88, 342–43
U.S. preparations for, 25, 38–41
U.S. VIP patrols in, 100–101
U.S. withdrawal from, 236, 293, 295–96, 336
violence in, 53, 56–58, 60–66, 68, 74, 78–86, 94, 98–99, 119, 127, 129, 133–36, 139, 163–64, 186, 304, 306, 344
voting in, 87, 97–99, 127–28
weather in, 133, 151
Islamic State of Iraq, xix, 125, 150n, 296, 304
Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), 150n, 304, 341–42
Jalalabad, 157–59, 161, 164, 205, 212
and air cavalry in eastern Afghan valleys, 159, 161, 164, 170, 172,
174, 182, 184
and pursuit of bin Laden, 29–30, 34–35
Slebodnik’s injuries and, 178–80, 182, 184
Japan, 114
see also Okinawa
Jaysh al-Mahdi, 343
jihadists, xxi, 30, 93, 343–44
Joker Platoon, 174, 176–77, 181, 183
Kabul, 25, 29–30, 34, 189, 195–96, 238, 249, 251, 334
al-Kaed Bridge, 43–50
Kandahar, 267n, 341
Arghandab River valley operations and, 299, 301
and U.S. offensive operations in Afghanistan, 17, 21–22
Kandlay, 205
Karbala, 26, 28, 41–45, 47
Karim, Haji Mohammad, 240, 268–69, 271, 278–79, 337
Karma, 126–31, 149–50, 316–18, 326, 330
counterinsurgency in, 127–31, 133, 137–39
fighting and violence in and around, 133–41
injuries and deaths in, 135–38, 320
Route Chicago and, 126–27, 129, 134–35
Karzai, Hamid, 29, 87
KBR, 77, 94, 99
Kearsarge, USS, 133
Kelly, John F., xviii
Khan, Haji Zalwar, 197
Kilo Company, 337–40
and Battle of Marja, xv, 237, 248–90, 337
bridge assault and, 252, 257–63, 274, 276–78, 337
Building 187 and, 237–41, 252, 257, 274–75
injuries and deaths in, 262, 264, 272–73, 281, 288
map of area of operations of, 258
Neff’s assignment to, 244–45, 252
King (Afghan rifleman), 277
Kiowa Warriors, 157, 173
and air cavalry in eastern Afghan valleys, 159, 161–65, 167–71, 174–78
and air cavalry in Iraq, 90–91, 95–97, 100–112
and fighting in and around Muqdadiyah, 106–12
Slebodnik’s injuries and, 177–78, 181–82
and supplying military at MacKenzie, 94–95
and violence in Duluiyah, 98–99
and VIP patrols in Iraq, 100–101
Kirby, Daniel, 70, 85–86, 310, 326, 330
Kirby, Destiny, 310, 326, 330
Kirby, Dustin E. “Doc,” 127–55, 306–30
awards and honors of, 306
car accident of, 322–24
counterinsurgency and, 128, 131–33, 139
education and training of, 72–74
emotional problems of, 313, 317–25, 327–28, 347
family of, 69–72, 133, 306, 310–12, 318–21, 325, 346–49
finances of, 321–22
Hirlston’s relationship with, 134–36
hospitalization of, 307–10, 312–15
injuries of, 152–55, 306–18, 324–25
Karma and, 128–31, 133, 136–38, 140–41, 149, 316–18, 326
legal problems of, 322–25
noncombat positions of, 317
retirement of, 308, 320–24, 326
rifle lost by, 150–51, 153, 318, 346
Route Chicago and, 127, 129–31, 139, 141–47, 149, 154
The Fighters Page 41