Long hard road : NCO experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq

Shipping list no.: 2008-0072-P. "October 2007." Afghanistan timeline -- NCO stories from Afghanistan -- Iraq timeline -- NCO stories from Iraq -- Fighting the Iraqi Army -- Fighting insurgents -- Iraqi forces trained -- Conclusion -- Glossary. "The call to war is often met by young soldiers who lack an understanding of what they are about to encounter. These young soldiers must be trained, prepared, and then led in battle by those with experience and understanding--the Noncommissioned Officer Corps. In an effort to preserve the history of the US Army Noncommissioned Officer and to provide future noncommissioned officers with an understanding of the actions necessary to prepare soldiers and to lead them in war, the US Army Sergeants Major Academy undertook a program to gather and publish the stories of NCOs who had served in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Most of the papers received were from students of the US Army Sergeants Major Course who had already deployed to either Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom. This work highlights a few of those stories. A wide range of topics have been chosen to allow the reader to understand the preparations, training, and actions needed for NCOs to accomplish their missions... Many of the selected stories were shortened and edited for clarity; however, every attempt was made to remain true to the author's original intent"--Forward.