Tip of the Spear: U.S. Army Small-Unit Actions in Iraq, 2004-2007(Global War on Terrorism Occasional Paper)

NOTE: NO FURTHER DISCOUNT FOR THIS PRINT PRODUCT -- OVERSTOCK SALE -- Significantly reduced list price while supplies last The lightning campaign that toppled the Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq in the spring of 2003 at first seemed to herald the arrival of a new way of war, as Germany's blitzkrieg had done at the beginning of World War II. But the initial victory in Iraq soon devolved into a persistent counterinsurgency conflict reminiscent of the long U.S. effort to pacify the Philippines after the quick defeat of Spain in 1898. In Iraq, American soldiers and their Coalition partners had merely traded one fairly weak and generally conventional opponent for a much more durable, diverse, and determined foe relying on the tactics of the guerilla and the terrorist. This volume focuses on that second and longer campaign of the war in Iraq, but it is not a narrative of the overall course of the conflict. Instead, it provides a soldier's-eye view of the war in the form of detailed accounts of a handful of battles.Each one illustrates the everyday challenges that America's soldiers face in a difficult struggle against an inventive and often elusive enemy. Weapons, doctrine, and procedures developed to fight a conventional campaign against a similar opposing force had to be adapted to fit a different type of conflict. The U.S. Army's combat and support forces have shown both resourcefulness and resilience, while leaders and soldiers in the field have demonstrated the same courage as previous generations called upon to sacrifice in the name of freedom. These stories not only symbolize the tip of the spear formed by units in contact, but they also represent the contributions of all American men and women who have served their country in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Taken together, these accounts will provide our deploying leaders and soldiers a better understanding of the environment that they will encounter and prepare them for the work that must be done. Current members of the military and those who are considering a military career path would benefit from this publication to learn about the work they may encounter in the future. Students and teachers would find this helpful for educational purposes. Other related products: Small Unit Actions is available here: https: //bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/008-029-00141-1 Iraq & Persian Gulf Wars collection can be found here: https: //bookstore.gpo.gov/catalog/us-military-history/battles-wars/iraq-persian-gulf-wars Global War on Terror collection can be found here: https: //bookstore.gpo.gov/catalog/us-military-history/battles-wars/global-war-terror Other products produced by the U.S. Army, Center of Military History can be found here: https: //bookstore.gpo.gov/agency/1061

About the Author :
Jon T. Hoffman is chief of the Contemporary Studies Branch of the Histories Division at the Center of Military History. A retired Marine Corps Reserve officer, he has an M.A. in military history from Ohio State University and is the author of "Chesty: The Story of Lieutenant General Lewis B. Puller" and "Once a Legend: "Red Mike" Edson of the Marine Raiders."