First and foremost, thank you to Samantha. She supported me in this project, even when the finish line seemed so distant. Our boys—Gunner, Boone, and Rex—motivate our shared love of country. Speaking of those three boys: this book is for you guys. I love you so much.
Thank you to my father, Brian, and mother, Penny, who love and support me through thick and thin. More than any two people, they built the foundation on which I—and my brothers, Nate and Phil—stand. They love Jesus and our country, and live it each day—serving as a steady source of support, wisdom, and encouragement. I also thank my brothers, two patriots in the arena in their own right.
Two other people were central and indispensable to this project. The first is Nat Hoopes, my college roommate and best of friends. I’m quite certain he’s edited—excuse me, rewritten—most everything I’ve ever written. We wrote the Daily Princetonian 9/11-response op-ed together, he edited my Iraq after-action report, and he made my 2006 Wall Street Journal op-ed fit to print. He’s been the “content editor” of my life and was with me at each step of this project—for which I am grateful.
The second person is David Bellavia, a true hero of the Iraq War—and a friend for life. He was, and is, a fellow Vets for Freedom devotee and is the author of the bestselling war memoir House to House (as well as the future, hypothetical bestseller, The Politics of Valor). He has encouraged me to write this book for many years, and it never would have happened without him. I would go to war with David, in any capacity and at any time. Unending thanks to everyone involved with Vets for Freedom as well—especially its other founders, Wade Zirkle, Knox Nunnally, and Mark Seavey. We fought the good fight, and made a difference.
Thank you to Jim Hornfischer, my literary agent, for believing in this project and making it happen. Thank you to Mitchell Ivers, Natasha Simons, and everyone at Threshold Editions and Simon & Schuster for believing in me and this book. And thank you to Matthew Baum, professor at Harvard’s Kennedy School, for working through this book’s initial proposal during my graduate work. While the final version looks nothing like my original proposal, it was sharpened by your challenge.
Each step of my life has made this possible as well. Thank you to the community of Forest Lake, Minnesota—most especially my lifelong friend and spit brother, Jimmy Knutson. Thank you to my church community of Eagle Brook Church and pastor Bob Merritt, a man who charts the course each Sunday and has supported me through bright and dark days. Likewise to all the members of my brief, spirited, and ultimately failed 2012 Senate campaign—we’ll get ’em next time! Thank you, Nate Swanson, for taking time to review multiple chapters.
Thank you to the Princeton basketball program, especially Coach John Thompson Jr., for teaching me to persevere . . . and reinforcing that I wasn’t meant to be a basketball player! Thank you to Princeton ROTC, especially LTC Matthew McCarville and MAJ Randall Newton, for patiently forging an Army officer. Thank you to my fellow staff and trustees of the Princeton Tory, for having the courage of your convictions—amazing Princetonians and patriots all. Thank you to my other Princeton roommates and incredible friends: Kyle Wente, Ryan Feeney, Andy Kane, and Brian O’Toole (who smoked me in my first debate, freshman year). And thank you to Professor Robby George and former professor Patrick Deneen for being lone voices of conservative reason during my time at Old Nassau.
Thank you to my former colleagues at Concerned Veterans for America—fellow patriots dedicated to mobilizing veterans to fight for a free and prosperous America. It was an honor to work with you all, each and every day. A special shout-out to Joe Gecan, my Partner-in-Scrappiness from the beginning, Marine Dan (Caldwell) for feedback on multiple chapters, and Kate Pomeroy for encouraging this project from the beginning. I also benefited greatly from the insight and encouragement of my good friend and bestselling author Sean Parnell. Same to my dear friend Karen Vaughn.
A huge thank-you to the Weekly Standard’s Bill Kristol, a personal friend and mentor who has supported me—and so many of America’s youngest warfighters—in active and earnest ways for over a decade. Bill, you are truly one of the good guys. Likewise to the amazing staff at National Review for affording me so many opportunities over the years—including twice sending me to Iraq to report on the surge in 2008. Thank you to all the great conservatives at the Manhattan Institute, who do yeoman’s work on the island of Manhattan. And thank you to the guys at Power Line Blog in Minnesota who regularly reprinted my missives from the battlefield, including my first deployment in Guantanamo Bay in 2004—giving me a start and platform.
Thank you to my colleagues at Fox News Channel—especially my dear friends at FOX & Friends; specifically, the one, the only, and the amazing Jennifer Cunningham (#belief); our fearless leader, Lauren Petterson; and mega-patriot Gavin Hadden. And, of course, Brian Tully and Sean Groman too! Likewise, thank you to so many other great shows on Fox News (Outnumbered, especially) and Fox Business. From top executives to hosts to producers and bookers, I’m grateful to work with such smart, hardworking, and talented people.
Finally, thank you—most personally and passionately—to everyone I’ve ever worn the uniform with. You are the best “men in the arena” I have ever known. To start, this includes the faithful interpreters and allies—Muslims all—who supported and fought with us, especially my great friend Ali, “John Kerry,” “Steve-O,” Mr. Assad, Bakr, Omar, and Little Omar (RIP) in Iraq, and Esmatullah and Abdul in Afghanistan. To the “Peacemakers” platoon and Charlie Company from the New Jersey Army National Guard in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and the year we endured together, especially CPT Jurandir Ajaujo, SFC Robert Merz, SPC Kenneth Froehner, and the late—KIA in Afghanistan—SPC Jorge Oliveira. To the “Little Bastards” platoon, Charlie Company, and all “Iron Rakkasans” in Iraq and the combat mission we forged together, especially MAJ Steven Delvaux, CPT Chris Brawley, CPT Pete Carey, CPT Dan Hart, 1SG Eric Geressy, 1LT Mike Horne, SFC Ismael Godoy, SPC Jason George, PFC Kris Sapp, and our leader, COL Michael Steele. To our hodgepodge training unit in Afghanistan and the problem set we tackled, most especially MAJ Michael Murray and MAJ Chip Rankin. A grateful nation, and this soldier, will especially and always remember the warfighters who never made it back from the battlefield—365 days a year.
The legacy of those soldiers, the country they served, the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ, and the blessings of a wonderful family are the heart and soul of this book. I pray each is honored through this humble submission.