Anton Mueller, my editor at Bloomsbury, helped shape this book from its inception. I am immensely grateful for his enthusiasm, his guiding vision, and his belief in the importance of this subject. I am also indebted to Michelle Tessler, a wonderful literary agent and incisive reader.
This book grew out of a decade spent covering U.S. military operations around the globe. As I followed the U.S. involvement in Afghanistan, and then in Iraq, I saw the military taking on more and more nonmilitary tasks: building roads, digging wells, and repairing schools. Over time, it became clear that these were not unusual cases. Armed development work was the new norm, and I wanted to tell this story from the point of view of the practitioners: the people putting themselves in harm’s way as part of this ambitious experiment.
It would have been impossible to tell this story without the active assistance of many men and women in uniform, as well as civilian employees of the military. The relationship between reporters and the Pentagon’s public-affairs apparatus can sometimes be adversarial, but units in the field often showed extraordinary willingness to open up to me. This speaks to their democratic values and respect for an independent press.
At Fort Riley, Kansas, Army Sergeant First Class Ken McCooey helped arrange my stay at FOB Army Strong, and Army Lieutenant Colonel Eric Borgeson and the members of Team Mohican were kind enough to let me follow them through part of their training. At Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, Stephen Nolan and Army Colonel Steve Boylan lined up a series of valuable interviews.
In 2002, Army Major Bryan Hilferty set an excellent precedent, encouraging an open-door policy for military reporters at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. Army Lieutenant Lory Stevens and Captain Scot Keith helped organize several Afghanistan embeds in the summer of 2009, and understood the focus of my reporting. Air Force Major David Faggard opened many doors as well. In 2004, Army Captain Jacob Larkowich and Lieutenant Steve McKeon of Alpha Company, 1–4 Infantry, part of the first U.S. contingent under the NATO International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, brought me along on a security mission outside of Kabul. And in 2008, Lieutenant Colonel Tony Henderson, commander of First Battalion, Sixth Marines, and Captain Charles O’Neill, commander of Bravo Company, First Battalion, Sixth Marine Regiment, hosted me in Helmand Province. Thanks are also due to Major Kelly Frushour, public affairs chief for the Twenty-fourth Marine Expeditionary Unit, and Colonel Peter Petronzio, commander of the Twenty-fourth Marine Expeditionary Unit.
In Washington, Navy Lieutenant Jennifer Cragg of the Pentagon’s new media directorate played a key role in helping ensure that online reporters had fair access to important news stories. Jaime Wood and Army Lieutenant Colonel Holly Silkman showed great patience and persistence in helping arrange my visit to Timbuktu. Tom Cooney and Todd Calongne of the State Department organized several key interviews.
In Baghdad, Army Lieutenant Colonel Craig Simonsgaard and the members of his transition team brought me along on their missions in Sadr City. Major Michael Humphreys and Scott Flenner of the Army’s Third Brigade Combat Team, Fourth Infantry Division, helped facilitate my stay at FOB War Eagle. Air Force Major Jason “Fitz” Kirkpatrick and Tarah Hollingsworth organized a unique 2007 visit to Iraq. Steve Bird helped arrange a 2005 visit to Baghdad. In Kabul, I enjoyed the support of Gillian Sandford, Wali Azizi, Wahidullah Amani, and many other friends at the Institute for War and Peace Reporting. David Trilling, Sanjar Qiam, Saira Shah, and Hugo MacPherson were great companions in 2004.
During my research, I also relied on Michael Bear Kleinman, Nancy Lindborg, and Roman Ponos for insights into the world of aid and development. I’m also indebted to Lynda Granfield, Dan Green, and Ramon Negron, who helped explain the mission of the Provincial Reconstruction Teams, and the German Marshall Fund of the United States, which helped support one of my trips to Afghanistan.
Many friends provided valuable comments and criticism on various chapters and drafts. Thanks go to Noah Shachtman, my friend and co-writer at Danger Room, Wired’s national security blog: an immensely talented writer who helped refine an early version of the manuscript. Kris Alexander, Sally Cooper, Steven Lee Myers, Jonathan Hayes, Kathryn Schulz, and Askold Krushelnycky all provided me with key feedback. Tara McKelvey, Robert Wall, Richard Whittle, Greg Renoff, and Kathleen Kuehnast offered encouragement and advice during the writing process. Sean Allen and Nikolai Firtich were patient friends. Thanks also to the staff at the library of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where I conducted some of the background research.
My gratitude as well to Evan Hansen of Wired; Peter Felstead and Nick Brown of Jane’s Defence Weekly and International Defence Review; Pavel Bykov of Expert; Llewellyn King of King Publishing; John Robinson of Defense Daily; June Thomas of Slate; and Chuck Holmes of Cox News.
My father, Brien Hodge, served in Vietnam as an Army advisor in the Mekong Delta region from September 1967 to September 1968. His experiences during his tour helped inform my reading of history. My mother, Marjorie Hodge, and my sisters, Miriam and Naomi, gave tremendous encouragement during my travels.
Finally, I am forever grateful to my wife, Sharon, whose support has been beyond measure. She has been a sounding board for every story idea, a capable editor of every draft, my closest friend and collaborator. Without her, I would not have had the courage to start. This book is dedicated to her.