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MWSA Review
Mayhem 337 is the autobiography of a U.S. Army staff sergeant (retiring as a sergeant major) who presents a near diary of his nine-month experience on a deployment to Afghanistan. To say the narrative rings true is to damn it with faint praise.
“I’d like to say every mission is flawless and dumb shit never happens, but that would be a lie.” That’s the kind of raw admission that makes this work sing. There are many others.
The work isn’t so crammed with jargon or acronyms that a non-military audience would be left gasping for understanding, but it includes enough realistic description and dialogue to keep a military veteran turning the pages. But even in this hot war zone, there was downtime and reflection. “We sat by the fire, sharing the camaraderie of life in a combat zone. We sat there in various levels of camouflage pants and T-shirts with rifles and pistols draped over our bodies. I could not think of a place on Earth I would rather have been."
This story is uncompromising, full of authenticity and detail and the smell of mortar fire and even death. I recommend it strongly to military and civilian readers alike, and for the same basic reason: This is how we war.
Review by Daniel Charles Ross (February 2020)
Author's Synopsis
By 2008 Chad Rickard was a multi-tour Iraq War veteran with hundreds of combat missions under his belt. He was a seasoned infantryman and senior U.S. Army non-commissioned officer with a burning desire to deploy to Afghanistan and join the fight against Taliban and Al Qaeda forces bent on keeping American influence out of the Middle East. Like many Americans, Chad felt personally stricken by the attacks on 9/11 and he yearned to take part in his Nation's retaliation for the atrocities planned within the sanctity of Afghanistan's borders. When the opportunity arose to deploy as an embedded Combat Advisor, Rickard headed to Fort Riley, Kansas to attend U.S. Army Combat Advisor School. After months of intensive training in Afghan customs, culture, and language in addition to tactical training on the direction of close air support and artillery Rickard was dropped into a hotbed of enemy activity in Afghanistan's Khost Province. In Khost, former home to one of Osama Bin Laden's largest terror training camps, Rickard's team went toe to toe with Haqqani Taliban on numerous occasions, often leaving a staggering body count in their wake.
In Mayhem 337, author Chad Rickard powerfully recounts his experiences during nine months of intense combat deep in the mountains of Eastern Afghanistan. Rickard's graphic account guides you through violent combat on the streets of Khost City to deadly mountain warfare, experienced from an austere combat outpost on the Pakistan border. He vividly describes the sights and sounds of battle as well as the heartbreaking aftermath of fallen comrades. From IED laden roads to air assault missions and hostage stand-offs, Rickard's story leaves nothing to the imagination. His riveting and deftly written memoir brings honor and recognition to the U.S. Army Combat Advisor mission that is but a footnote in modern military history.
ISBN/ASIN: B07YZRPQXH, 1543985832
Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle
Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography
Number of Pages: 236