As a civie, having just read both Apache and Apache Dawn, I found both books incredibly eye opening to the difficulties our service personnel face daily in Afghanistan. What struck me was the total dedication, absolute pride and tenacity that our guys and girls show daily, as they approach dangerous and extremely stressful situations. If a fraction of Joe Public went to work with the same attitude for their daily job as these guys do, this country would be a far better place.
The books also highlighted the important need for all our personnel to be given the opportunity to undertake as much training as possible before their deployment (and not get knocked for it by moaning NIMBY’s) and how necessary the provision of suitable and reliable equipment is when fighting a war against scum like the Taliban. Unfortunately our government is failing to supply both of these necessities to our troops and quite honestly, it disgusts me. If the publication of books like these is going to increase public awareness, which in turn will put pressure on the government to better fund and equip our troops, then keep em coming. I thought both were a great read.
I for one would like to thank all of you involved in ops out there, past, present and future. You have my total support and admiration. Keep up the good work and remember you are appreciated back home, no matter what the press say. Keep up the good work and stay safe.
Essexbird.