Mine Resistant Ambush Protected all-terrain vehicles (MRAP M-ATVs), 49–50, 61–62, 65–66, 72, 74, 84, 108–9, 113–15
Mingus, Amy, 133, 155, 157
Mingus, James, 80, 83, 84, 99, 125, 155, 157, 163, 168, 171
Afghanistan unit’s visit to, 133–34
in Asadabad suicide bombing, 106
Flo’s admiration for, 88–89, 94
as Flo’s boss and main security responsibility, 88–89, 96, 99, 100, 106, 118–19, 122, 170
Flo’s tribute to, 169
Flo visited by, 118–19
Mingus, Shawn and Karen, 157
Miracle, Joseph, 24–25
Mission Continues, The, 172
Missouri National Guard, 85
Mitchell, Joshua, 172
Moffett (soldier), 64–66, 73
monsoons, 31–32
Morning Joe (TV show), 171
Mottola, Tony, 171
Muhammad (Taliban radio man), 45–46
mujahideen, 45
Mulkhana, mortar fire on All-Girls School in, 56–59, 67
Nangarhar Province, 80–81, 97
National Park Service, 172
NATO International Security Assistance Force, 79
New York Stock Exchange, 171
NFL Network, 171
nightmares, night terrors, 67, 123–24, 126, 127, 131
9/11 terrorist attacks, 13–15, 65, 98, 163
eleventh anniversary of, 128–29
North Carolina, Groberg family home in, 119
North Carolina, University of, Wilmington, 13, 28
Nuristan Province, 80
NYPD, 171
Obama, Barack:
Flo’s phone call from, 146–47, 151
Flo visited by, 129–31, 158
in Medal of Honor award ceremony, 149–51, 153, 156–66, 167
Medal of Honor remarks of, 158–64
Observation Post Taliban, 45
Ochart, Eric, 101, 103, 110, 111, 133, 157, 163
Flo’s tribute to, 169
Operation Desert Storm, 87
outhouse sniper attack, 36–37, 44
Pakistan, 51
Afghanistan border with, 19, 21, 81, 90
Paktika Province, 80
Palatine, Ill., Groberg family’s home in, 7, 12
Pandora, 172
parasitic infection, 139
Paris, 5–6
Pashtunwali code, 50, 52
Pearl, Lieutenant Colonel, 21–22, 55
Pech River, 52, 55–56, 62, 64–65, 102
Pech River Valley, 19, 25, 30, 34, 36–38, 43
pervasive threat and constant danger in, 30, 43–59, 61–77
as site of KLE meetings, 80–81
Taliban control regained in, 81–83
Pentagon, 146, 147
Flo’s Hall of Heroes induction at, 168–71
peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC), 135
physical therapy, 136–37
Platoon (film), 9
police, Afghan, as Taliban collaborators, 64–65
post-traumatic stress, 137
propaganda, Taliban, 28, 44, 71, 74–75
prosthetics, 82, 135, 140
Psychological Operations (PSYOPS), US Army, 38, 41
public affairs officers (PAOs), 152–53
Purple Heart, 119
“pusher” cars, 103
Quick Reaction Force (QRF), 30, 55, 69–70
Quran, burning of, 79–80
Rambo (film series), 9, 91
Ranger Camp Frank D. Merrill, 1–4, 11–13, 15–17
Ranger Creed, 16–17
Ranger School, US Army, 25, 44, 95–96, 105, 112
attrition rate of, 15
Flo’s graduation from, 15–17
rigorous training of, 1–4, 11–13, 19, 21, 22, 158
Reagan, Ronald, 6
religion:
Flo’s crisis of, 11
in Flo’s family, 7
in Gray family, 91–94, 155–56
Restrepo (documentary), 72
Richardson, Sergeant, 32, 62, 64, 66, 73
Rip It Energy drinks, 38–39
Rito, Fio, 69
rocket-propelled grenade (RPG), 27–28, 31, 33, 46, 51, 55, 61–63, 65, 68, 84
misfiring of, 65–66
Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare), 23–24
Rory (Flo’s friend), 138
RP/6 (USO Transition Services), 172
rules of engagement (ROE), as restrictive, 39, 72, 83
running, Flo’s passion for, 126, 136, 140
Ryan, Captain, 82
Salinas, Antonio, 43–44
Sanders, Matt, 129, 158
Savage, Dan, 172
Schicker, Joseph, 85
Science Club bar, 142–43
SEAL Team Six mission, 122
Secor, Ben, 102, 133, 157, 163
Flo’s tribute to, 169
sewage, 40–41
Shamir Kowtz, 72–73
Shams (translator), 38–40, 45–46, 48, 50, 53–54, 57–58, 62–63, 70
Shawen, Dr., 139
Shege, 38–41, 54–55, 61
Shepard, Jared, 138–39, 141
Sheraton hotel, 154
Shields, Andrew, 84
Shuras, 50, 52, 58
Silver Star, 2, 25
Siren’s Song (Salinas), 43–50
skin grafts, 125–26, 137, 140
Slaney, Colonel, 145–46
snipers:
Chechnyan, 48–50
Taliban, 36–37
Soviet Union, in Afghanistan, 45, 48, 51, 52
Spain, 6
Staley, Korey, 69, 74, 157
Flo’s tribute to, 168
as mentor to Flo, 25–30, 34, 44, 64, 66, 154, 168
State Department, US, 97
Stein, Anthony, Thomas, and Alexandra, 120
Steve Harvey Show, The (TV show), 171
Stevens, Chris, 128–29
suicide bombing, 104–10, 130, 143, 155, 158
avenged, 125, 133
casualties of, 116, 118
flashbacks to, 122–24
four fallen heroes of, 108–109, 111, 114, 117–118, 120, 123–125, 127–129, 131, 143–144, 147, 155, 164, 169–170; see also Abdelfattah, Ragaei; Gray, David; Griffin, Kevin; Kennedy, Tom
investigation of, 125, 146
Obama’s recounting of, 161–63
satellite images of, 124
Super Bowl, 51–52
survivor’s guilt, 109, 124, 127
Tactical Air Patrol Party (TACP), 90
Taliban:
Afghan villagers’ self-interest and, 38–40
ambush and sniper attacks by, 27–28, 31–33, 36–37, 39–41, 44, 73–75, 102
Asadabad suicide bombing by, see suicide bombing
casualties and fatalities of, 66, 72, 74–75
collaboration with, 65
“D team” of, 51–52
engagements with, 21, 26, 30, 65, 69–70, 72, 75, 85
Flo’s taunting of, 44–47
incursions into villages by, 38–39
morale-damaging attacks by, 51–52
pervasive threat of, 35
radio transmissions of, 28, 44–46, 71, 74–75
teenaged amateurs in, 51
Thompson targeted by, 68–71
US bases reclaimed by, 81–82
Taliban Radio Network, 45
Tantil, 27–28
Task Force Mountain Warrior, 80
terrorists, terrorism:
in Afghanistan, 37, 104–10, 125, 133
in Algeria, 7–10
in Benghazi, 128–29
Flo’s rage at, 110
se also 9/11 terrorist attacks
thermal imaging, 40, 49
Thompson, Saul:
Afghanistan tours of, 28–30, 37, 46–49, 55, 67–69, 82
Flo’s friendship with, 28–30, 37, 46–47, 67, 76, 123, 125, 157
targeted by Taliban, 68–71
wounding of, 67–69
toy soldiers, 4–5, 10–11
traumatic brain injury, 124, 137
Troxell, Sergeant, 40
tube-launched, optically tracked, wire guided (TOW) missile trucks, 70–71, 72–73
Turali, firefights at, 62, 64–67
United Nations, 97
USAID, 97, 152
USO, 172
USO tour, 112
veterans:
adjustment challenges of, 136–47, 172
Boeing’s mission for, 172
Wade, John, 157
Wade, Sergeant, 32
Walrath, Daniel, 116, 122
Walter Johnson High School, 23–24
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Flo’s treatment and recuperation at, 121–31, 134–38, 144, 158, 159, 163
war movies, 9, 75, 91
reality vs., 41, 74, 105
Warriors Ethos, 138
Washington Nationals, 141–42
Watapur Valley, 46
West Point, US Military Academy at, 98, 161
White House, Medal of Honor Ceremony at, 149–51, 152, 156, 170
“Wild West” (Afghanistan region), pervasive threat and constant danger in, 30, 43–59, 144
Wilford Hall Hospital, 91
Willis, Haley, 123, 125–26, 135–36, 143
women:
in combat, 75–76
Taliban oppression of, 54
Woods, Tyrone, 128–29
World Trade Center:
Flo’s visit to, 171
9/11 attack on, 13–14
World War II, 5, 113
Wounded Training Brigade, Bravo Company, 136–39
“wrecker” tow trucks, 71
Wright, FOB, field hospital at, 115–17
Wyoming, University of, 87
Young, Tamara, 171
“zeroing,” 29
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ISBN 978-1-5011-6588-7
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