Osprey- Dogwood: A National Guard Unit's War in Iraq

Book Specifics

Author: Andrew Wiest

Price: $21.00

ISBN: 978-1-4728-6318-8

Hardcover, 336 pages with a center glossy insert with 39 color photos

What's Inside

This is one of the first true accounts of a National Guard unit serving in Iraq post-9/11. It follows the exploits of the 150th Combat Engineers of the Mississippi National Guard in their 2005 tour of duty in Iraq, centered on the forward operating base Dogwood. These were folks who were looking to serve their country after the wrenching events of the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Some were kids looking for ways to escape poverty or pay for college when there were no other options, and who sought adventure out of high school. These were also older men who had served in the Persian Gulf who became like father figures to those youths. Some were women who were among the first to cross over from traditional non-combat roles straight into danger and peril.

The books addresses the divide between National Guard units who were so long considered "weekend warriors" and regular Army soldiers. This conflict really brought the Guard soldiers out of the roles of traditional disaster relief into real treacherous combat conditions. The book covers their origins and training post-9/11 and eventual deployment to Iraq. You get a sense of how close-knit they were-- often families tied to their communities through school and sporting events and becoming like family to each other. 

They were sent to a remote outpost that was in rough shape- Dogwood. Who better to take a place in such decrepit shape and eventually mold it into an effective bastion than a set of combat engineers? The book takes you through their daily patrols- often in unarmored Humvees and M113s- escorted by Abrams tanks as they tried to fight constant insurgent threats. IEDs were a constant stressor- and each loss they encounter really hits home to the reader. These soldiers were constantly battling insurgents in neighboring villages as they scrounged for materials to upgrade Dogwood and uparmor their vehicles. You share in their victories as tactics improve their effectiveness in counterinsurgency and their relations with those Iraqis trying to escape the throes of the insurgents who had infiltrated their villages by working with villagers and offering medical aid in MEDCAP missions. Not all was rosy though as insurgents were a constant thorn in their side. The book comes to its resolution as Hurricane Katrina hit in the US, affecting many families back home of these soldiers. As they were eventually cycled home, Dogwood met an uncertain fate which truly made for a heartwrenching ending to the book. I scanned a few of the photos from the center insert below... 

Conclusion

This book was a virtual whirlwind between the author's excellent storytelling mixed with the soldier's firsthand accounts. I got off to a slow start on it with the end of the school year- but had a hard time putting it down as summer vacation began. It might not be chock full of armor accounts, but it is a great account of what this National Guard unit had to endure as it constantly strove to improve Dogwood and the vehicles they used in their patrols. Starting out with bare bones Humvees and M113s- to "hillbilly armor" packages that slightly improved their chances for surviving IEDs- the book ends with them receiving Huskys and MRAPs as their deployment came to its end. This is an important story and well told-- a worthy read for anyone who models military subjects.

Highly Recommended!

Thanks goes out to Osprey Publishing for this review sample.

Reviewed by Michael Reeves, AMPS Albany

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