In combat, men measure up. Or don’t. There are no second chances.
In this vivid account of the U.S. Army’s legendary 10th Mountain Division’s heroic stand in the mountains of Afghanistan, Captain Sean Parnell shares an action-packed and highly emotional true story of triumph, tragedy, and the extraordinary bonds forged in battle.
At twenty-four years of age, U.S. Army Ranger Sean Parnell was … Sean Parnell was named commander of a forty-man elite infantry platoon—a unit that came to be known as the Outlaws—and was tasked with rooting out Pakistan-based insurgents from a mountain valley along Afghanistan’s eastern frontier. Parnell and his men assumed they would be facing a ragtag bunch of civilians, but in May 2006 what started out as a routine patrol through the lower mountains of the Hindu Kush became a brutal ambush. Barely surviving the attack, Parnell’s men now realized that they faced the most professional and seasoned force of light infantry the U.S. Army had encountered since the end of World War II.
What followed was sixteen months of close combat, over the course of which the platoon became Parnell’s family: from Staff Sergeant Greg Greeson, the wise, chain-smoking veteran who never lost his cool; to Specialist Robert Pinholt, a buttoned-down conservative with the heart of a warrior and the mind of an economist; to Staff Sergeant Phil Baldwin, the platoon’s voice of calm and reason, a man who sacrificed everything following the events of 9/11—career, home, financial stability—to serve his country. But the cost of battle was high for these men: Over 80 percent were wounded in action, putting their casualty rate among the highest since Gettysburg, and not all of them made it home.
A searing and unforgettable story of friendship in battle, Outlaw Platoon brings to life the intensity and raw emotion of those sixteen months, showing how the fight reshaped the lives of Parnell and his men and how the love and faith they found in one another ultimately kept them alive.
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what we do to grunts !
Great book. Frustrating to hear that senior leadership is still making dumb decisions that cause needless deaths, but great first-hand combat stories. Well-written
It shed light on the dedication and sacrifices made by our soldiers attempting to keep peace in Afghanistan. The lack of support by the government and the politically correct rules of engagement cause unnecessary death to our soldiers and civilians. The brutality of the Taliban towards any opposition is unthinkable. One incident involving the …
The authors emotions are plain on every page. I could not stop reading.
Factual, true to life (non fiction), well connected throughout.
Good read, appreciate sacrifice our vets make.
I felt like I was on patrol with the platoon!
Well written and fast paced. Hats off to the servicemen who served here.
Great first=person account of a platoon leader’s war experiences in Afghanistan.
An excellent read and has become a book i reccomend to all my fellow veterans. As an army infantry veteran myself i understand some of the struggles and camaraderie that this book covers and it was such a page turner i just couldn’t seem to put it down. God bless all the soldiers and veterans around the world.
One of the best military books I have read.
Book was excellent!!! I couldn’t put it down. Very honest, easy to read and very well written to feel like you know the characters.