Ryan Smithson (23 page)

Sector of fire:
A defined area that is required to be covered by the fire of a weapon-carrying individual or crew.

SF
(Special Forces):
Highly trained military units that conduct specialized operations, such as reconnaissance, unconventional warfare, or counterterrorism actions.

Sheik:
“Elder,” in Arabic; used to denote the elder of a tribe, a lord, a revered wise man, or an Islamic scholar

SINCGARS
(Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System):
A reliable, secure, and easily maintained radio.

Smart Book:
Slang for the CTT (Common Tasks and Training) manual issued to recruits in BCT.

SOP
(Standard Operating Procedure):
Set of guidelines to perform a given operation or in response to a given event.

Squad:
A small military unit led by an NCO.

TA
50:
Field clothing and equipment.

Third country national:
An individual of another nationality hired by a government or a government-sanctioned contractor who represent neither the contracting government nor the host country or area of operations.

UA
(Unit Administrator):
Soldier or civilian of a unit responsible for written communications, including memorandums, messages, reports, plans, forms, briefings, alert rosters, and miscellaneous correspondence.

VFW
(Veterans of Foreign Wars):
A congressionally chartered war veterans organization open to current members of the U.S. military or those who have received an honorable discharge.

White Phase:
The second three weeks of BCT, signified by a white guidon.

A
lthough this book is a personal account of one individual, by no means could it have been accomplished without the willed efforts of so many selfless people.

First and foremost, I would like to thank my family and extended family who continue to enthusiastically support my writing and accomplishments. An entire book has been written in honor of my wife, Heather, and her sacrifices; they have allowed me to continue pursuing my dreams. Thank you, Heather, for never giving up, for forgiving me when I couldn’t even begin to forgive myself, and for making me a better man. Thank you Mom and Dad, for your unparalleled belief in me since, well, birth. I wouldn’t be the man I am today without your unconditional love and insightful guidance to support me along the way.

Thank you to my sister, Regan, for your understanding and for always looking up to me, even when you probably shouldn’t have.

Secondly, to the people whom I’ve met along the road who have changed the very nature of that road: Thank you Maria Pollack and family for helping me develop my “therapy” into something more than just words on paper. Thank you to my agent, Jodie Rhodes, for your stroke of genius and to the HarperCollins team of editors, especially Phoebe Yeh and Greg Ferguson, for their expertise and for allowing me to share my generation’s story. Thank you to my coach, Jim McHugh, for seeing potential from the very first takedown. Thank you to my childhood teacher, Tammy Warren, for always challenging me to be more creative. And thank you to all the kids at GCC for being innocent.

Finally, a special thank you to Andy Zeltwanger; your bravery, wisdom, and guidance saved us more times and in more ways than I’ll ever know. And to all the members of EQ platoon: I never will forget your tremendous sacrifices and courage in the face of an evil we couldn’t possibly understand. Thank you for your service and for the amazing impact you’ve had on my life.

General George Patton once said, “Freedom has a taste, and for those who have fought for it the taste is so sweet, the protected will never know.” Thank you, James Conklin, and all soldiers past, present, and future who tasted freedom.

Cover photo courtesy of Ryan Smithson

Jacket design by Jennifer Heuer