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Drowning in the Desert: A JAG's Search for Justice in Iraq
Several people are waiting to greet Captain Vivian Gembara when she returns home after a year-long tour of duty in Iraq--her grateful fiancŠ and two officers dispatched from headquarters to retrieve "the file." Certainly not the homecoming she expected, but such is life when you are in the business of soldiers behaving badly.
As a lawyer for the U.S. Army, Vivian counsels them, investigates them, and when necessary, prosecutes them. When an Iraqi teenagers body is found floating in the Tigris River and U.S. soldiers are believed to have been involved, she knows she has a case on her hands. What she doesn't realize is just how much that case will reveal about the Armys conduct at war.
Drowning in the A JAG's Search for Justice in Iraq is both a legal thriller and a searing account of the savagery that occurs when commanders place "the fight" above all else.
As a lawyer for the U.S. Army, Vivian counsels them, investigates them, and when necessary, prosecutes them. When an Iraqi teenagers body is found floating in the Tigris River and U.S. soldiers are believed to have been involved, she knows she has a case on her hands. What she doesn't realize is just how much that case will reveal about the Armys conduct at war.
Drowning in the A JAG's Search for Justice in Iraq is both a legal thriller and a searing account of the savagery that occurs when commanders place "the fight" above all else.
310 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 15, 2009
Drowning in the Desert is a brutally honest look at one soldier's experiences in Iraq, and by extension, the American experience in Iraq. Captain Vivian Gembara, a lawyer and the daughter of a Green Beret who did three tours of duty in Vietnam, served a year during the Iraq war. The writing is a bit choppy, but if anything, this mirrors the "fog of war" atmosphere of serving in Iraq, with all its changes of officers and camps, terrorist attacks and difficulties in accomplishing even such simple things as finding a safe place to sleep or a place to conduct a trial. Her book paints a compelling and sometimes disturbing picture of the Iraq war, and war in general.
Most people would probably wonder what a lawyer does in Iraq, and this book answers that question in spades. As well, it paints an unvarnished picture of the American presence in Iraq. Among other things, Gembara counselled troops on the rules of engagement, handled routine legal matters such as requests to make or change wills, and was involved in making so called sympathy payments to Iraqi civilians whose family members were killed or injured by American troops, or whose property was damaged or destroyed by them. She also tried the first courts martial of American soldiers conducted in Iraq. But where her story gets really interesting is when she becomes involved in the investigation of the drowning of an Iraqi teenager who was allegedly forced to jump into the Tigris river by American soldiers.
While upper command was cooperative with Gembara's prosecution of two deserters, the story was different when she began to look into the drowning incident, which closely followed the death of a popular American officer who had been killed by mortar fire. Gembara discovered that another Iraqui was shot to death the same night during a raid conducted by soldiers looking for an insurgent leader, and that the soldiers involved probably lied about the shooting being self defense. Top brass refused to authorize an exhumation of the body of the drowing victim, and dragged its feet in producing the statements of the involved soldiers.
Ultimately, it emerged that top commanders had ordered their subordinates to lie about the shooting incident. Those officers included a West Point superstar grad with a seeingly unlimited future in the Army. After he confessed to partipating in the cover-up, he was reprimanded and left the Army. Courts martial of some of those involved in the shooting and drowning incidents resulted in something less than perfect justice, with the sentences being quite light for what was probably cold blooded murder. Perhaps in any war zone, the good guys aren't always good, the right thing to do is often morally ambiguous and todays's admired hero can turn into tomorrow's flawed brute.
Drowning in the Desert puts the spotlight on some of the intractable and perhaps inevitable problems faced by an army of occupation. Stationed in a foreign country, with unfamiliar customs, a language that few of them speak, and faced with frequent terrorist attacks from unknown sources, subject to being blown up while trying to travel from place to place, or to being killed by mortar fire while sleeping, the troops are in a constant state of anxiety and fear. After the death of a popular fellow soldier, the desire for revenge surges up. Mix in a few brutal and sadistic soldiers willing to bend or break the rules, and a command structure willing to look the other way, and all the pieces for the commission of war crimes fall into place.
Gembara's book is gritty and honest in describing the discouraging conditions that lead to such events, as well as the chaotic situation in Iraq, the difficulties involved in trying to conduct an investigation that the top brass clearly wanted to deep six, and her own desire to come home with honor. Gembara did serve with honor, and her book reflects honor on herself and her fellow soldiers who served with courage and integrity. The American military legal system, to its credit, did prosecute some soldiers accused of crimes against Iraqi civilians. However, to its discredit, its efforts were spotty and did not result in full justice. In this regard, the book is both uplifting and discouraging. Like the war, the book has no simple answers, and no satifying resolution.
Gembara's book includes a quote from James Garfield which all too well sums up her experience, and perhaps the American experience in Iraq as well: "The truth will make you free, but first it will make you miserable." A Drowning in the Desert hints at the capacity of the truth to make one free. But to a far greater extent, it reveals the capacity of the truth to cause misery.
Most people would probably wonder what a lawyer does in Iraq, and this book answers that question in spades. As well, it paints an unvarnished picture of the American presence in Iraq. Among other things, Gembara counselled troops on the rules of engagement, handled routine legal matters such as requests to make or change wills, and was involved in making so called sympathy payments to Iraqi civilians whose family members were killed or injured by American troops, or whose property was damaged or destroyed by them. She also tried the first courts martial of American soldiers conducted in Iraq. But where her story gets really interesting is when she becomes involved in the investigation of the drowning of an Iraqi teenager who was allegedly forced to jump into the Tigris river by American soldiers.
While upper command was cooperative with Gembara's prosecution of two deserters, the story was different when she began to look into the drowning incident, which closely followed the death of a popular American officer who had been killed by mortar fire. Gembara discovered that another Iraqui was shot to death the same night during a raid conducted by soldiers looking for an insurgent leader, and that the soldiers involved probably lied about the shooting being self defense. Top brass refused to authorize an exhumation of the body of the drowing victim, and dragged its feet in producing the statements of the involved soldiers.
Ultimately, it emerged that top commanders had ordered their subordinates to lie about the shooting incident. Those officers included a West Point superstar grad with a seeingly unlimited future in the Army. After he confessed to partipating in the cover-up, he was reprimanded and left the Army. Courts martial of some of those involved in the shooting and drowning incidents resulted in something less than perfect justice, with the sentences being quite light for what was probably cold blooded murder. Perhaps in any war zone, the good guys aren't always good, the right thing to do is often morally ambiguous and todays's admired hero can turn into tomorrow's flawed brute.
Drowning in the Desert puts the spotlight on some of the intractable and perhaps inevitable problems faced by an army of occupation. Stationed in a foreign country, with unfamiliar customs, a language that few of them speak, and faced with frequent terrorist attacks from unknown sources, subject to being blown up while trying to travel from place to place, or to being killed by mortar fire while sleeping, the troops are in a constant state of anxiety and fear. After the death of a popular fellow soldier, the desire for revenge surges up. Mix in a few brutal and sadistic soldiers willing to bend or break the rules, and a command structure willing to look the other way, and all the pieces for the commission of war crimes fall into place.
Gembara's book is gritty and honest in describing the discouraging conditions that lead to such events, as well as the chaotic situation in Iraq, the difficulties involved in trying to conduct an investigation that the top brass clearly wanted to deep six, and her own desire to come home with honor. Gembara did serve with honor, and her book reflects honor on herself and her fellow soldiers who served with courage and integrity. The American military legal system, to its credit, did prosecute some soldiers accused of crimes against Iraqi civilians. However, to its discredit, its efforts were spotty and did not result in full justice. In this regard, the book is both uplifting and discouraging. Like the war, the book has no simple answers, and no satifying resolution.
Gembara's book includes a quote from James Garfield which all too well sums up her experience, and perhaps the American experience in Iraq as well: "The truth will make you free, but first it will make you miserable." A Drowning in the Desert hints at the capacity of the truth to make one free. But to a far greater extent, it reveals the capacity of the truth to cause misery.
April 19, 2011
Drowning in the Desert is an excellent, on the ground look at the early days of the Iraq invasion, but from a unique perspective. Lots of similar books are written from the perspective of Infantry soldiers (either officer or enlisted), but few cover the support role that is crucial to the military fulfilling its mission.
Gembara is a Captain in the Army's JAG Corps, fulfilling her last assignment before separating from the military and moving on with the rest of her career. From the very beginning of the book you get the impression that she is less than thrilled at having been deployed and you don't get the overwhelming patriotic sense that you see from other war memoirs. However, her account did strike me as a balanced look at what modern war really feels like -- even inside the wire.
The other thing I thought, prior to reading the book, that would have been stressed a bit more was the contrast of male officers and female officers in Iraq. Gembara commands an all male crew of legal assistance officers and, while she touches on the gender issue, you get the impression that it really doesn't impact day to day life the way that you might think.
Overall, as an attorney who is really interested in modern day warfare, this book was a natural fit for me and I enjoyed it. I would have rated it more highly if not for the condescending tone that the book takes on at times. While she doesn't say this explicitly, I think the 18-year old Gembara who signed up for an ROTC scholarship to college and the 25-year old Gembara who graduated from law school are two completely different people and the later self was a bit peeved at the former self for signing up for five years of military service.
I must admit I tried to read it previously and lost interest ~30 pages in. I picked the book up a few months later and found myself really interested in the characters and the story -- so my advice is keep going if you find that the book is a slow starter.
Gembara is a Captain in the Army's JAG Corps, fulfilling her last assignment before separating from the military and moving on with the rest of her career. From the very beginning of the book you get the impression that she is less than thrilled at having been deployed and you don't get the overwhelming patriotic sense that you see from other war memoirs. However, her account did strike me as a balanced look at what modern war really feels like -- even inside the wire.
The other thing I thought, prior to reading the book, that would have been stressed a bit more was the contrast of male officers and female officers in Iraq. Gembara commands an all male crew of legal assistance officers and, while she touches on the gender issue, you get the impression that it really doesn't impact day to day life the way that you might think.
Overall, as an attorney who is really interested in modern day warfare, this book was a natural fit for me and I enjoyed it. I would have rated it more highly if not for the condescending tone that the book takes on at times. While she doesn't say this explicitly, I think the 18-year old Gembara who signed up for an ROTC scholarship to college and the 25-year old Gembara who graduated from law school are two completely different people and the later self was a bit peeved at the former self for signing up for five years of military service.
I must admit I tried to read it previously and lost interest ~30 pages in. I picked the book up a few months later and found myself really interested in the characters and the story -- so my advice is keep going if you find that the book is a slow starter.
September 15, 2012
I re-read this book after serving as a JAG for a few years, and as one getting ready to deploy to Afghanistan, and I found it very enlightening. I think the author certainly had her own point of view of the Army (especially since she was just in for her initial term). Regardless, even though there was a heavy emphasis on the military justice side of the house, I recognized her other missions involving claims and rule of law. It is amazing that she had such a small JAG shop and yet performed so well in accomplishing her mission. While conditions in Afghanistan are different, I think it's a valuable book for any JAG who is deploying, especially when it comes to learning how to work with commanders and staff.
December 12, 2008
I love this book. It's extremely well-written. It's not political or preachy either, just honest and compelling. There are several parts of the book that are laugh-out-loud funny, and other parts that made me choke up with emotion. Still other parts of this book made me angry as hell (not at the author). This is a real emotional roller coaster, and the more you read, the more it pulls you in. You won't regret picking it up. I couldn't put it down. I stayed up late several nights in a row to finish it.
January 9, 2015
This was a fascinating, thought provoking read. The author's struggle between maintaining her integrity as a lawyer and her role as a Captain serving in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom highlighted the reality of a JAG's position during wartime, where the lines between serving justice and serving your country become blurred.
December 27, 2008
Intentional or not, the title of this book has a double meaning. It was a most enjoyable read. I learned a lot about something I was mostly ignorant about. On the other hand much of it confirmed what I already believed. It is a page turner and well worth reading on many levels.
April 13, 2010
I learned so much about the Irag war from a perspective that you don't get often enough. This was an excellent book. It was really well written and I couldn't put it down. I really wanted to know how all the puzzle pieces fit together.
December 18, 2010
I loved this book. Add to my love is the fact that I know the author. When I was pouring drinks in NYC trying to remember giblet vs. gibson, Vivian was negotiating with Iranian terrorists and investigating a homicide. Read it!
August 15, 2008
YAY Viv! Can't wait to read your book. Amazon is sending it to me. I told them to hurry!
August 22, 2009
Reads like a mystery book, but is an actual account of life as an army officer/JAG in Iraq. One JAG officers quest for justice in an ever changing, battlefield environment, it's pretty good.
July 21, 2012
Interesting read, albeit from a somewhat arrogant young lady. Still, it was interesting to read how senior leadership sought to obstruct justice.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews