An American Island
by
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The enemy in this country can’t defeat Coalition forces in conventional military combat so they employ cowardly guerilla hit and run tactics to slowly bleed their enemy. Their aim is to simply hang around and harass us long enough for international support to dry up and then take over when we pull out exposing a weak government. Europe is well on their way of following through with this demand and will only be a matter of time until our country follows. I was in Mira Kahl Village, Tag Ab Valley, Kapisa Province, Feb. 19, when I met the enemy and discovered what it’s like to be fired at in combat. I was in Afghanistan only 35 days and been on only a handful of missions. I was green and covering a Medical Civilian Assistance Program providing medical treatment and hygiene classes to the impoverished children of the village. As we departed, the convoy drove along a road that narrowed considerably, which was lined with mud walls providing only a forward path. Suddenly, the crackle of small-arms fire erupted followed shortly by the booms of rocket-propelled grenades exploding around us. The RPG’s were so close I could feel the up-armored Humvee jump in the air. I then saw an RPG narrowly miss the lead vehicle over its hood as the enemy was attempting to block our only exit.
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About the Book
An American Island is an 82nd Airborne Division Paratrooper's intimate memoir of his experiences during a 15 month deployment to Afghanistan from January 2006 - March 2007. The journal is a rollercoaster of emotions of what many servicemembers experience during prolonged deployments, an account of his various missions throughout much of eastern Afghanistan as well as observations and opinions pertaining to "The Global War on Terror". If anyone knows a servicemember or is curious as to what many America's servicemembers experience this journal attempts to open a window through easy language and vivid photos to a world known only to those courageous veterans who serve in the name of liberty and freedom.
About the Author
Timothy Will Dinneen was a Paratrooper serving as a Public Affairs NCO with the famed 82nd Airborne Division throughout a 15 month deployment to Afghanistan. He reported on various Coalition missions including humanitarian aid, reconstruction and development projects. His position of reporting on the war took him to multiple Afghan provinces giving him a unique perspective on the overall conflict and what many servicemembers encounter while serving in defense of America's freedom. He is a native of Rock Island, IL, earning his BA from the University of Iowa majoring in Journalism and also a MBA from St. Ambrose University.