Term of Service (ePub)

Term of Service was birthed from a desire to let a story be heard. Dedicated to a fallen comrade, the 60,000 word memoire portrays the violent streets of Baghdad's most volatile districts with first-hand clarity. From over twenty-four months spent in combat with the 10th Mountain Division's Infantry, the writer paints a vivid picture of hundreds of combat missions and the courageous men who never made it back alive.

Through the course of two long years in the Iraq theatre of operations, a story of courage, camaraderie and sacrifice comes to life. Beginning with my humble beginnings at Fort Benning, Georgia, Term of Service covers my entire five-year contract as an Infantry rifleman and squad leader. Graphic details include precision missions ranging from rescuing the kidnapped American reporter Jill Carroll to the first Iraqi Election. Beginning with the chapter entitled "Into Baghdad", the text depicts graphic scenes of violence that were faced not only by American soldiers but Iraqi forces and civilians caught in the crossfire. The first Iraqi election, Al Zarqawi's death as the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq and the scenes of near civil war caused by the ruthless bombing of the Al Askari Mosque grip the reader and invites the mind to linger on the subjects. While a portion of the story includes on-base training courses and field exercises in preparation for a second tour, the remaining 100 pages are dedicated to telling the story of Patrol Base Howell and the three courageous soldiers who lost their lives on the side of the Tigris River in a push to take a fortified insurgent stronghold. Lastly, the book concludes with a chapter entitled "A Warrior's Reflections" in which I compare and contrast the founding father's values and intentions with modern America and call for Americans to carefully contemplate the changes that are rapidly changing a nation that millions of soldiers have died for.

Author Brian Welch is a conservative law enforcement officer based in West Texas. Haunted by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, I began writing the story of my service partly based on the advice of a psychologist. I am now involved with veterans' programs associated with my occupation and hope my story will shed rays of light on the veteran's community.