Through the course of the book, you read of the exploits of former Navy SEAL and sniper Howard Wasdin, who served during both the Gulf War’s Desert Storm and Operation Restore Hope in Somalia. The reader discovers the intricacies of the SEALs and as well how they operate, the emotional and physical drama they are forced to endure while enlisted in the American military. I believe that the goal of Howard Wasdin in this book is to show the rest of the world just how difficult it is to become an elite warrior and the stress and trauma that accompany it. Throughout the book, Wasdin makes references to the American government, U.S. military command, and other important figures and organizations. He portrays them from an ordinary, if not exceptional, soldier’s point of view and his critique of the Clinton cabinet and the United Nations is evident throughout the chapters that highlight his involvement in Somalia. “In spite of the gains, President Clinton saw our sacrifices as losses. Even though we could have finished the job of taking down Aidid and getting food to the people, Clinton turned tail and ran.” (Wasdin, 257) In this quote Howard critiques how the American government feebly sacrificed eighteen American lives and offended the eighty-four wounded who had fought on orders from Clinton, only to be withdrawn so close to victory. This pro-military and brothers-in-arms camaraderie and bias is seen throughout the novel, and Wasdin does not attempt to hide it. This is not because he wishes to slander the former President or impress his ideals and beliefs on others but rather he wants a truer picture to be seen of what happened throughout his career. This plays into the many arguments Howard Wasdin makes over the course of the text. He insists that the leading officials of the army and the commanders were inactive and soldiers died because of their indecision. He also states that the government invested too much political ‘advice’ and ‘oversight’ into areas where proper military expertise should have been used rather than foreign policy attempts. Although it is a non-fiction read, and therefore focusing mainly on facts and details than actual word craft, the book is fairly well written. It was written from a soldier’s perspective, not a master wordsmith’s. Mr. Wasdin simply wishes to tell the story and although grammar and punctuation are used correctly this book is not a work of art, rather an incredible story of triumph and sorrow. Overall, the book provides an accurate representation on the United States Special Forces community, and should be held in high regard on experts of this topic. The insight and knowledge gained from the text itself or the detailed glossary, the photographic evidence or the real-world quotes is information that gives this book substance. This book was one of the best non-fiction reads I have had the pleasure of studying and it applies directly to people who are interested in this field, or wish to learn more about it.
The book is a behind the scenes look at SEAL Team Six, a unit which specialized in counterterrorism, hostage rescue, and counterinsurgency. Howard Wasdin writes about the grueling selection process, Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) and sniper school.
After going through the selection process, Mr. Wasdin faced combat operations in Desert Storm as a member of SEAL Team Two and got selected for SEAL Team Six. He was sent to Somalia on a mission to capture or kill Somalian warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid.
Through the course of the book, you read of the exploits of former Navy SEAL and sniper Howard Wasdin, who served during both the Gulf War’s Desert Storm and Operation Restore Hope in Somalia. The reader discovers the intricacies of the SEALs and as well how they operate, the emotional and physical drama they are forced to endure while enlisted in the American military. I believe that the goal of Howard Wasdin in this book is to show the rest of the world just how difficult it is to become an elite warrior and the stress and trauma that accompany it. Throughout the book, Wasdin makes references to the American government, U.S. military command, and other important figures and organizations. He portrays them from an ordinary, if not exceptional, soldier’s point of view and his critique of the Clinton cabinet and the United Nations is evident throughout the chapters that highlight his involvement in Somalia. “In spite of the gains, President Clinton saw our sacrifices as losses. Even though we could have finished the job of taking down Aidid and getting food to the people, Clinton turned tail and ran.” (Wasdin, 257) In this quote Howard critiques how the American government feebly sacrificed eighteen American lives and offended the eighty-four wounded who had fought on orders from Clinton, only to be withdrawn so close to victory. This pro-military and brothers-in-arms camaraderie and bias is seen throughout the novel, and Wasdin does not attempt to hide it. This is not because he wishes to slander the former President or impress his ideals and beliefs on others but rather he wants a truer picture to be seen of what happened throughout his career. This plays into the many arguments Howard Wasdin makes over the course of the text. He insists that the leading officials of the army and the commanders were inactive and soldiers died because of their indecision. He also states that the government invested too much political ‘advice’ and ‘oversight’ into areas where proper military expertise should have been used rather than foreign policy attempts. Although it is a non-fiction read, and therefore focusing mainly on facts and details than actual word craft, the book is fairly well written. It was written from a soldier’s perspective, not a master wordsmith’s. Mr. Wasdin simply wishes to tell the story and although grammar and punctuation are used correctly this book is not a work of art, rather an incredible story of triumph and sorrow. Overall, the book provides an accurate representation on the United States Special Forces community, and should be held in high regard on experts of this topic. The insight and knowledge gained from the text itself or the detailed glossary, the photographic evidence or the real-world quotes is information that gives this book substance. This book was one of the best non-fiction reads I have had the pleasure of studying and it applies directly to people who are interested in this field, or wish to learn more about it.
ReplyDeleteThe book is a behind the scenes look at SEAL Team Six, a unit which specialized in counterterrorism, hostage rescue, and counterinsurgency. Howard Wasdin writes about the grueling selection process, Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) and sniper school.
ReplyDeleteAfter going through the selection process, Mr. Wasdin faced combat operations in Desert Storm as a member of SEAL Team Two and got selected for SEAL Team Six. He was sent to Somalia on a mission to capture or kill Somalian warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid.