What next? The Colonel asked. Chief Master Sergeant George T. Graham, Jr. stood beside the Colonel. This will not be good, he thought. What next? The Colonel asked, noting no one had heard him the first time. He shot her. Sergeant Lucas confessed, abruptly, interrupting the Colonel as if he anticipated the question. He did. He had witnessed the event. Its that simple. He shot hershe was.veryshe was verypretty. Sergeant Lucas collected himself. Or so we thought. His eyes welled up with emotion. He glanced at Chief Graham. .and then heafter a very brief andvery.. quiet.argument, Sergeant Lucas continued in an uncollected tone. There was an argument. An argument that nearly nobody - nobody - witnessed or in any way took seriously. Why would we? The young sergeant took another breath and pressed ahead with his story. He stood there. Diego Gianelli stood there. He pulled out a large pistol. A LARGE pistol, Lucas emphasized. And he shot her..point blankwhat a mess! What next? The Colonel asked again. What next? Lucas repeated. Chief Graham nodded toward Lucas to continue. Lucas continued as ordered.

"Pete’s vivid personal accounts in TDY in the dark world of Black Operations quickly morph from mysterious suspense to a dangerous, terrifying adventure... This compelling story will keep you on edge throughout....” S. BRIAN WILLSON, author, Don't Thank Me For My Service This novel by Douglas Valentine, author of the nonfiction bestseller The CIA as Organized Crime, is based on a true story, one told to him by a Vietnam veteran and barely, yet grippingly, fictionalized here. In early 1967, a bored, adventurous photojournalist on an Air Force base in Texas is offered a Temporary Duty (TDY) assignment somewhere overseas. The mission is steeped in secrecy, but Pete is promised a large bonus and hazardous duty pay. So he agrees. He and a small group of photojournalists, each with a special skill, are isolated on a Special Forces base where they are kept under constant surveillance by a group of highly trained and menacing soldiers. The small band of twelve men is flown overseas on a transport plane large enough for 120 men. They are never told where they are going, until they arrive. And when they finally reach their destination, the mission that unfolds is terrifying beyond anything Pete ever imagined. The secret would haunt him for the rest of his life. TDY shows how “black operations” are organized and conducted. Meticulous in detail, and accurate in every aspect of “over the fence” missions deep into enemy territory, it reveals for the uninitiated the skill, determination, and self-sacrifice of American soldiers. In stark contrast to the honor and commitment of these soldiers, TDY reveals the unimaginable duplicity and corruption of powerful men for whom American soldiers and civilians are pawns in a ruthless game. Written in sparing prose, TDY is a story of Pete’s journey through the underworld and his awakening to the reality of the Vietnam War and the CIA role in Southeast Asia

The U.S. military has been continuously engaged in foreign conflicts for over two decades. The strains that these deployments, the associated increases in operational tempo, and the general challenges of military life affect not only service members but also the people who depend on them and who support them as they support the nation â€" their families. Family members provide support to service members while they serve or when they have difficulties; family problems can interfere with the ability of service members to deploy or remain in theater; and family members are central influences on whether members continue to serve. In addition, rising family diversity and complexity will likely increase the difficulty of creating military policies, programs and practices that adequately support families in the performance of military duties. Strengthening the Military Family Readiness System for a Changing American Society examines the challenges and opportunities facing military families and what is known about effective strategies for supporting and protecting military children and families, as well as lessons to be learned from these experiences. This report offers recommendations regarding what is needed to strengthen the support system for military families.