Lethal Warriors: When the New Band of Brothers Came Home

by David Philipps

Overview

Pulitzer Prize finalist David Philipps brings to life the chilling story of how today's American heroes are slipping through the fingers of society—with multiple tours of duty and inadequate mental-health support creating a crisis of PTSD and a large-scale failure of veterans to reintegrate into society.

Following the frightening narrative of the 506th Infantry Regiment—who had rebranded themselves as the Lethal Warriors after decades as the Band of Brothers—he reveals how the painful realities of war have multiplied in recent years, with tragic outcomes for America's soldiers, compounded by an indifferent government and a shrinking societal safety net.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780230120693
Publisher:	St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication date:	04/10/2012
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

David Philipps is a features writer for the Colorado Springs Gazette whose articles have also appeared in the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and The Seattle Times, among others. His coverage of the violence at Fort Carson won him the Livingston Prize for National Reporting and he was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Lethal Warriors was a finalist for the J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Award. He lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments v

Foreword vi

Introduction 1

Chapter 1 "Y'all Can Forget Going to Iraq" 13

Chapter2 A Walt Disney Family 33

Chapter 3 Operation Mad Max 47

Chapter 4 Casualties of War 77

Chapter 5 Stands Alone 91

Chapter 6 "A Walking Time Bomb" 109

Chapter 7 "This Almost Painful Stillness" 119

Chapter 8 Heart of Darkness 129

Chapter 9 "Throw Me a Life Worth Living" 151

Chapter 10 Escalation of Force 163

Chapter 11 "Everybody does Stuff in Iraq. Everybody." 185

Chapter 12 "Reading is for the Lame, Go Shoot Someone" 195

Chapter 13 Fuel to the Fire 213

Chapter 14 Invisible Wounds 227

Chapter 15 Changing the Mindset 245

Postscript Where are They Now? 255

Notes 259

Index 269

Acknowledgements viii

Introduction 1

1 Protestant History and Imagination 9

2 Evangelicalism, Presbyterianism and Protestant Church Identity in Northern Ireland 37

3 Dealing with Peace through Forgiveness and Reconciliation 95

4 Catholic Perspectives 140

5 Ecumenism: A Case Study of the Inter-Church Group on Faith and Politics 174

6 Christianity in a 'Post-Conflict' Northern Ireland 209

Conclusion 235

Bibliography 243

Index 252

Editorial Reviews

When the war started, almost a decade ago, we were told we had to fight it in Iraq and Afghanistan so that we wouldn't have to fight it at home. But as our soldiers return from battle, it has become increasingly clear that they are bringing the trauma of war to our doorstep. In exploring the creeping effects of PTSD and its heart wrenching consequences on our veterans, and on our society at large, Philipps' book is a clarion call to both support our troops and to think twice when assessing the true costs of war.” —Susan Sarandon

“David Philipps' Lethal Warriors is a must-read for every American. In compelling and heart-healing stories, he tells the story of the other war—the one at home.” —Tom Brokaw

“A startling and compelling human drama that exposes the raw truth: that the cause of PTSD lies not within the soldier who suffers it, but in the nature of war itself, and what we ask them to endure. David Philipps shows that 'supporting our troops' must mean far more than cheering them on in the field. This book is a must for anyone who cares about our soldiers, the lives of those they touch, and what kind of a country we aspire to be.” —Richard North Patterson, bestselling author of Balance of Power and Exile

“This important and compassionate book will save lives. I found myself weeping with sympathy and sadness for both the murderers and their victims, and boiling with anger at the chain of neglect and ignorance, within and outside of the military, that led to murders that could have been avoided. This book needs to be read by the families of every returning combat veteran. It needs to be read by professionals in mental health institutions, the military, departments of veterans' affairs, and all leaders who care for the safety of their communities. It needs to be read by all of us who care about those who faithfully served those communities in war and returned forever changed.” —Karl Marlantes, bestselling author of Matterhorn

“Even for the survivors of close combat, the emotional impact can be devastating. David Philipps' heartbreaking book is a detailed and tragic record of this impact, and the Army's and society's struggles to deal with the consequences. Every American should read this book — it is that significant for our Army, and for our country. ” —General Wesley K. Clark (ret.)

“In Lethal Warriors, Dave Philipps unravels one of the most horrifying stories of the Iraq War, the dark saga of the 4th Brigade of the 4th Infantry...Philipps' book has the promise that it may bring to life the devastating impact of the damage wrought by the Iraq War—violence that is even more disturbing because it takes place on the home front.” —Statement from the jury of the Anthony J. Lukas Awards

“Staggering, gruesome and heartbreaking” —On the Media, National Public Radio, on Casualties of War

“Jaw-dropping.” —Kyra Phillips, CNN, on Casualties of War

“A fascinating and long overdue account of the consequences of the Iraq war on the soldiers who fought it, their families and the wider community.” —Tim Pritchard, author of Ambush Alley, on Casualties of War

“A searing exposé that might make readers wonder how Army commanders and civilian warmongers sleep at night given the disgraceful handling of traumatized veterans who fought in Iraq.” —Kirkus Reviews on Casualties of War

“Thoughtful, carefully researched, and beautifully written... It's the kind of story that wins Pulitzer Prizes, that illuminates and informs, and that delights all of us who work for and/or love newspapers.” —Colorado Business Journal on Casualties of War

From the Publisher

The shameful story of how the U.S. Army has played a role in the mistreatment of traumatized soldiers who served in Iraq, then returned to Fort Carson, Colo., to commit rapes, murders and other violent crimes.

Colorado Springs Gazette features writer Philipps grew up in Colorado Springs, the locale of Fort Carson. Earlier this decade, he began to learn about the post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) suffered by thousands of returning Army infantrymen who both saw and committed atrocities in Iraq. (The same phenomenon is unfolding among American soldiers returning from Afghanistan, but that is not the focus here.) The author looks at soldiers from one specific combat team, some of whom dubbed themselves "the lethal warriors," patterned loosely on the now-famous Band of Brothers from World War II. As the book opens in December 2007, a Colorado Springs newspaper carrier finds one of the PTSD-disabled soldiers, Kevin Shields, dead on the street. Somebody murdered Shields, but at first police and Fort Carson authorities could not identify a viable suspect. It turns out that Shields' colleagues from Iraq killed their comrade. Some of the rampaging Fort Carson personnel had built up criminal records before joining the military, but others had not, and certainly none had been previously convicted of a violent crime. Philipps names names as he demonstrates an entire military chain of command in denial about the very existence of PTSD. The few commanders who would acknowledge the problem refused to institute meaningful treatment or safeguards to protect innocent bystanders from assaults. However, the author does identify one military hero from the PTSD realm—Maj. Gen. Mark Graham, who took charge of Fort Carson and supported treatment programs that have reduced the carnage in Colorado Springs.

A searing exposé that might make readers wonder how Army commanders and civilian warmongers sleep at night given the disgraceful handling of traumatized veterans who fought in Iraq.

Kirkus Reviews