The slosh of water in a canteen, the rustle of a uniform, the jangle of extra clips of ammo, all the clinks and clanks of jostling packs of equipment—this is the soundtrack that accompanies fully loaded soldiers humping through the bush to their next assignment. Battle rattle is the stuff a soldier carries to get through the day, from mission-specific gear to general supplies. In short, what the soldiers on the ground affectionately call “our crap.” This book takes a close look at the commercial revolution in military clothing, packs, and equipment—soldiers buying from civilian companies instead of settling for government issue, customizing their gear to perfectly fit their needs and preferences. From boots and gloves to helmets and eyewear, from ponchos and packs to knives and rifles, Battle Rattle shows what the modern warfighter is using to fight the fight.

"Master Sergeant Changiz Lahidji served on Special Forces A teams longer than anyone in history, completing over a hundred combat missions in Afghanistan. Changiz is a Special Forces legend. He also happens to be the first Muslim Green Beret. Along the way, Changiz earned numerous commendations, including the Special Forces Legion of Merit, Purple Hearts, and many others. His story is an amazing tale of perseverance and courage, of combat and one man's love of his adopted country."--

We all must admit that during these last and evil days, perilous times are upon us, but with faith in God, we can conquer every obstacles and seize every opportunity that God brings our way. In the military, when we go to battle we are fully equipped and ready to engage the enemy. We cannot allow the enemy to cause us to shrink back, run and tuck, our tails in fear, frustration and because of failure. "God has not given us the spirit of fear, but power love and a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). Nothing takes God by surprise, because we are on the winning side. We must hold of the blood stain banner and declare what thus says the Lord, over our life, situation and circumstances. Life and death is in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21) and we can activated and shift things with the word of God. So, If you feel like you’re at your wits end, come on a journey with me as we unlock the hidden treasures of the word of God!

"The war has changed me in ways that will take the better part of my life to understand, let alone make peace with," begins Roger Boas in his thoughtful, compelling account of World War II. As part of the Fourth Armored Division, he found himself at the spearhead of the Allied thrust into Europe. His memoir re-creates both the tension of the battlefield and the camaraderie behind the front line. It also relates his harrowing experience as a Jew of being one of the first American soldiers to discover a Nazi concentration camp. Boas reveals the powerful impact of war on those who fight.

Battle Rattle and Other Stories combines the grittiness of Dennis Johnson's Jesus' Son with the deep meditation on war and memory found in Tim O'Brien's The Things They carried. Derrick Vezchek joined the USAF to escape a dead end life with his listless friends in the Mojave Desert. What he couldn't predict was that he was signing up for a life in Special Operations that would leave him the sole survivor of his original squad. Can telling his story save him, his wife and his daughter, or is the truth so ugly that he cannot be redeemed? High Desert Rats: In the summer of 2000, Sean doesn't want Derrick to join the USAF and leave him in the Mojave Desert. But it seems there's nothing Sean can do to change Derrick's mind, and what's worse, is that the one thing Sean desperately wants to tell Derrick is exactly the thing that Sean fears will end their friendship forever.

Reverand Wallace Hale was a chaplain for 30 years in the U.S. Army, including 5 years in Italy during World War II. His words explain the horrors and thoughts of his men during their training, their excursions. and their actual combat times. He also witnessed the strife of the men brought on by the war.