Approximately 2.5 million men and women have deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan in the service of the U.S. War on Terror. Marian Eide and Michael Gibler have collected and compiled personal combat accounts from some of these war veterans. In modern warfare no deployment meets the expectations laid down by stories of Appomattox, Ypres, Iwo Jima, or Tet. Stuck behind a desk or the wheel of a truck, many of today's veterans feel they haven't even been to war though they may have listened to mortars in the night or dodged improvised explosive devices during the day. When a drone is needed to verify a target's death or bullets are sprayed like grass seed, military offensives can lack the immediacy that comes with direct contact. After Combat bridges the gap between sensationalized media and reality by telling war's unvarnished stories. Participating soldiers, sailors, marines, and air force personnel (retired, on leave, or at the beginning of military careers) describe combat in the ways they believe it should be understood. In this collection of interviews, veterans speak anonymously with pride about their own strengths and accomplishments, with gratitude for friendships and adventures, and also with shame, regret, and grief, while braving controversy, misunderstanding, and sanction. In the accounts of these veterans, Eide and Gibler seek to present what Vietnam veteran and writer Tim O'Brien calls a "true war story"--one without obvious purpose or moral imputation and independent of civilian logic, propaganda goals, and even peacetime convention.

Back From War: True Accounts told by American Soldiers and their Families is the harrowing narrative of 1st Lt. Lee Alley and his year in the horrors of combat in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam from 1967-1968 and his reflections on the years since. Additionally, it is the true accounts of twelve other contributors, their time at war and stories of their return home. All of them discuss feelings of maladjustment, loneliness, depression, bouts of PTSD and negative family repercussions that are similarly felt by many of our nations veterans of foreign wars. Lee Alley made a life for himself, but never spoke of his war experiences. Thirty-two years later, he and his brothers-in-arms began to reconnect and have recently begun to heal some of their suffering by gathering at veteran reunions. Lee Alleys message is clear: Americas soldiers are forever changed, but they are never alone. Back From War is dedicated to all veterans and their families as a guide for the readjustment to civilian life.

“Illuminating” --General James N. Mattis, USMC (ret.) “Written with the skill and precision of a philosophical sniper…” —Matt Furey, author of The Unbeatable Man Since 9/11 and before, American warriors have faced combat in difficult and adverse theaters with dedication, courage, and remarkable inner fortitude. Our nation supports them during their time in the fight, and “thank you for your service” has become a common civilian affirmation. Marine combat veteran David J. Danelo’s message is simple—those who return to peace after war possess a power that must be discovered, honored, and treasured. The Return: A Field Manual for Life After Combat tells how our military and civilian cultures can protect and nurture this potent gift. “Brilliant, moving and accurate.” —Dr. Edward Tick, author of War and the Soul “U.S. Army Green Berets were the first in and the last out of the longest war in American History. The Return is showing them how to come home and find peace.” —Lieutenant Colonel David Scott Mann (U.S. Army, Ret.), Green Beret Foundation

Looks at the effect of deadly battle on the body and mind and offers new research findings to help prevent lasting adverse effects.

Today, far too many leading Christians water down the robust teachings of our Faith. Ignoring Christ's clear example and constant demand that we boldly confront evils, they preach an amicable, nonconfrontational, feel-good gospel. Instead of teaching the faithful to edify and enjoin the wayward, they urge them to pacify and submit . . . with catastrophic results personally, for the Church, and for society at large. Now comes Fr. Dwight Longenecker with this potent book that shows how, by engaging in the lost art of spiritual warfare, good Christians can cure this trend and repair the extensive damage it has caused. Here, without fear or favor, Longenecker maps out the myriad places where evil lurks in our world, shines a light on its many faces, and details the countless clever tricks it uses to hide. He delineates ten sturdy principles that must motivate all Christian warriors who hope to expunge evil and stop it from returning. And finally, he explains in fascinating detail the art of immortal combat, showing how self-sacrifice and contemplation of the Cross can bring victory over any evil, no matter how hidden or how grave. Be forewarned: this book calls you to sanctity and is not for wimps. For sanctity is impossible apart from heroic virtue, and heroic virtue is impossible apart from spiritual warfare. As Fr. Longenecker puts it, “Find a saint, and you'll find a warrior.” These pages are a mighty guidebook for souls hungry to follow the way of the Christian warrior by taking up their crosses and following into immortal combat the King of the Universe, Jesus Christ, our Lord.