Dogwood A National Guard unit's war in Iraq

<p><b>This is an unsparing account of the sharp end of war written by one of the finest military historians of his generation.</b><br><br> Andrew Wiest, author of the bestselling <i>Boys of ’67</i>, traces the experience of the 150th Combat Engineers of the Mississippi National Guard in their 2005 tour of duty in Iraq, centered on the forward operating base <i>Dogwood</i>. Comprising youth hoping to attain a way out of grinding poverty, women seeking to break barriers, and patriots answering their nation’s call after 9/11, the 150th represented nearly all of what America had to offer in 2005.<br><br> Amid the transformation of the US military in the 21st century, no longer were they destined to be weekend warriors tasked mainly with local disaster relief. The new Guard was a sharp weapon of war. Soldiers grew up in the same communities, played sports and served together. As <i>Dogwood</i> reveals, this provides a singular advantage, but also intensifies loss. Defying poor equipment, lack of specialist training and heart-breaking losses, the 150th endured combat. They also implemented their own homespun counterinsurgency policy that turned an insurgency hotbed into a thriving community – one of the war’s few success stories. But all was forgotten. <br><br> Set within the context of a changing military, an evolving strategic situation and an unpopular war, <i>Dogwood </i>is an unflinching history which lays bare the harsh reality of combat through countless first-hand accounts.</p>