The Silence of War

Book excerpt: Terry McGowan was a beat cop, a Marine captain, and an FBI Special Agent before retiring at age fifty. But after September 11th, 2001, McGowan was in Iraq, serving as a member of a team of high-ranking retired and active duty military working for the highest level of Marine military intelligence. McGowan's success in Iraq led to a position as a Law Enforcement Professional with the Marines in Afghanistan. There he found himself the oldest member of a platoon on the front line; a platoon that was understrength and under fire. While an eighteen-year-old Marine can't look at a crowd of Afghans and pick out the guilty party, McGowan's years of experience in law enforcement had developedhis eye for the "felony look." His training as a Marine Officer, combined with his experience as an FBI Agent, made McGowan an asset as he struggled to keep up with young Marines while they humped over the mountains. Here, he recounts the many trials of his life of service, providing an intimate glimpse into the horrible realities of modern military conflict. --