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Welcome To Afghanistan: Send More Ammo
Working in teams of two, ETTs are tasked with training, leading in combat, and mentoring the Afghan Army to victory against the thriving and brutal Taliban insurgency. Writing and recording from a remote outpost, Benjamin Tupper's boots-on-the-ground dispatches were broadcast on NPR and posted on Doonesbury's milblog The Sandbox. Now he takes us inside the intricacies of the war, opening up a unique and multifaceted view of Afghan culture and war tactics. From the rush of gunfi re to surreal, euphoric moments of cross-cultural understanding, this emotional and thought-provoking narrative is rich with humor, eloquence and contradiction. Writing of danger and desire, confusion and camaraderie, outrage and inspiration, Tupper illuminates the challenges of the war, vividly bringing to life both the mundane and the extraordinary and seeking a way forward. Readers will take away an understanding of the Afghan people, from soldiers to interpreters to villagers, that is critical to shaping our policies in what will soon be America's longest war. His journey comes full circle; from direct involvement in fi ghting for Afghanistan's future he is suddenly transported back home, haunted by dreams and enduring the travails of PTSD. Welcome to Afghanistan offers new insight into America's eight-year mission, and takes readers to a place where our warriors need us to go.
- GenresNonfiction
208 pages, Perfect Paperback
First published August 10, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 22, 2016
New York Army National Guard Capt. Benjamin Tupper had worked in Afghanistan as a civilian in 2004 before deploying as an Embedded Training Team (ETT, and pronounced "ee-tee-tee") member in 2006. For the past number of years, the Army National Guard has been doing some heavy lifting in the ETT fight, deploying as 8- or 16-soldier teams that advise Afghan National Army (ANA) and Afghan National Police (ANP) organizations. Other U.S. branches have also been fulfilling the ETT mission, as have allies, although the latter are called Operational Mentor and Liaison Teams (OMLT, and pronounced--I am not making this up--"omelette." You know what they say: "Ya gotta break some eggs if you want to, I don't know ... support a friendly but corrupt foreign government to avoid a regional strategic power vacuum with nuclear implications"? But I digress ...)
Tupper blogged throughout his deployment, and his resulting 2009 book of essays, "Welcome to Afghanistan: Send More Ammo" is a punchy collection of well-observed, straight-talking insights on the topsy-turvy world of the ETT. (Full disclosure: While I have not myself served as an ETT member, I have interviewed a number of them for "after action" reports. 'Nuff said.)
In recounting a series of anecdotes (pay attention throughout and you'll begin to pick up the larger threads), Tupper manages to conversationally pick off a few targets--the times that the bad guys that got away; the times that the good guys didn't; the times that the bad guys turned out not to be the bad guys at all. He's occasionally self-mocking. He's occasionally brutally self-revealing. Surprisingly, particularly in that he is a soldier relating war stories, he is never smug or self-agrandizing. Any G.I. will tell you, the "no-B.S." medal is hardest merit-badge to get.
Most importantly, he avoids reaching conclusions beyond the range, if you will, of his weapons. He's a company-grade officer doing an Army job that was admittedly relatively unheard-of in the conventional Army until just a few years ago. (I've got a theory that U.S. National Guard and Reserve soldiers are perhaps better mentally equipped for the ETT mission, given that they likely have applicable civilian skills that they've developed in parallel to their military training, but that's a warhorse for another day.)
He reports on his experiences matter-of-factly, to include the tactical and the personal and even the seemingly trivial. But aren't the devils always in the trivial details, however? Those who have been there--and those who haven't yet--will really appreciate his observations on, say, the hot barber shop scenes to seek out on the major installations, or how ANA soldiers bring the sexy back on a weekly basis, or how the U.S. Army thinks that wearing high-visibility reflective safety belts makes troops safer in nearly all environments.)
That's not to say that he doesn't occasionally call fire-for-effect. [...]
[For the full review, visit: http://www.redbullrising.com/2010/01/...]
Tupper blogged throughout his deployment, and his resulting 2009 book of essays, "Welcome to Afghanistan: Send More Ammo" is a punchy collection of well-observed, straight-talking insights on the topsy-turvy world of the ETT. (Full disclosure: While I have not myself served as an ETT member, I have interviewed a number of them for "after action" reports. 'Nuff said.)
In recounting a series of anecdotes (pay attention throughout and you'll begin to pick up the larger threads), Tupper manages to conversationally pick off a few targets--the times that the bad guys that got away; the times that the good guys didn't; the times that the bad guys turned out not to be the bad guys at all. He's occasionally self-mocking. He's occasionally brutally self-revealing. Surprisingly, particularly in that he is a soldier relating war stories, he is never smug or self-agrandizing. Any G.I. will tell you, the "no-B.S." medal is hardest merit-badge to get.
Most importantly, he avoids reaching conclusions beyond the range, if you will, of his weapons. He's a company-grade officer doing an Army job that was admittedly relatively unheard-of in the conventional Army until just a few years ago. (I've got a theory that U.S. National Guard and Reserve soldiers are perhaps better mentally equipped for the ETT mission, given that they likely have applicable civilian skills that they've developed in parallel to their military training, but that's a warhorse for another day.)
He reports on his experiences matter-of-factly, to include the tactical and the personal and even the seemingly trivial. But aren't the devils always in the trivial details, however? Those who have been there--and those who haven't yet--will really appreciate his observations on, say, the hot barber shop scenes to seek out on the major installations, or how ANA soldiers bring the sexy back on a weekly basis, or how the U.S. Army thinks that wearing high-visibility reflective safety belts makes troops safer in nearly all environments.)
That's not to say that he doesn't occasionally call fire-for-effect. [...]
[For the full review, visit: http://www.redbullrising.com/2010/01/...]
October 18, 2009
Benjamin Tupper was a New York National Guardman sent to Afghanistan as part of an Embedded
Training Team, a two-man team that is embedded into an Afghan Army unit to train Afghan soldiers how to be real soldiers, by living with them and going into combat with them. When you see in the news discussions on giving the Afghans the ability to defend themselves, this is how it is done.
In his civilian life, Tupper is a social worker, and he describes his writing these blog entries that turned into this book as a part of his therapy. As such, the stories in the book range widely across the range of emotions. Pride in a job well done, joy in something working or a lesson properly taught, cursing at mistakes made, wonder of a disaster very nearly avoided through no fault of his own, depression of the loss of a comrade, exaltation over mere survival. And he even takes you home, as he deals with both his own demons and tries to help some of the other ETTs who have come back and have to reintegrate themselves into American society.
There is no claim of looking at a bigger picture here. It is one man discussing his experience as part of the U.S. military at war. But the ETT experience is distinctive in the world of war. Missing are the supportive comrades of arms that the soldier can lean on for support during and in between combats. The ETT works in pairs, away from the close support of other American units. The ETT is exposed to all the same hazards as the Afghan army units he is with, and because he is different, he is exposed to even more hazards and stresses as an outsider to the group he is embedded in. And even when ETTs joined the rest of the Army (like his trips to Bagram) it is like a different world. Other then special forces type units, there are none like this.
I overlapped with Tupper in Afghanistan for a month. I'm not saying I knew him, but I recognize his characterizations of people (Army and local), events and situations.
Training Team, a two-man team that is embedded into an Afghan Army unit to train Afghan soldiers how to be real soldiers, by living with them and going into combat with them. When you see in the news discussions on giving the Afghans the ability to defend themselves, this is how it is done.
In his civilian life, Tupper is a social worker, and he describes his writing these blog entries that turned into this book as a part of his therapy. As such, the stories in the book range widely across the range of emotions. Pride in a job well done, joy in something working or a lesson properly taught, cursing at mistakes made, wonder of a disaster very nearly avoided through no fault of his own, depression of the loss of a comrade, exaltation over mere survival. And he even takes you home, as he deals with both his own demons and tries to help some of the other ETTs who have come back and have to reintegrate themselves into American society.
There is no claim of looking at a bigger picture here. It is one man discussing his experience as part of the U.S. military at war. But the ETT experience is distinctive in the world of war. Missing are the supportive comrades of arms that the soldier can lean on for support during and in between combats. The ETT works in pairs, away from the close support of other American units. The ETT is exposed to all the same hazards as the Afghan army units he is with, and because he is different, he is exposed to even more hazards and stresses as an outsider to the group he is embedded in. And even when ETTs joined the rest of the Army (like his trips to Bagram) it is like a different world. Other then special forces type units, there are none like this.
I overlapped with Tupper in Afghanistan for a month. I'm not saying I knew him, but I recognize his characterizations of people (Army and local), events and situations.
February 17, 2011
As a fervent believer in peace, I read this book to learn more about the day-to-day realities of life (and death) for soldiers at war. Tupper writes extraordinarily well -- his stories are deeply moving -- and his personal testimony of the effects of war (on soldiers and civilians) is dramatic. I was particularly taken by his description of a leave during which he visited his family, feeling the whole time like he was "unplugged" from real life -- he felt "plugged back in" only when he returned to the battlefield.It helped me, more than anything else I have read, to understand the complicated journey for a soldier returning from combat to regular life. In fact, I gave my copy away to someone with a relative who'll be coming home soon.
This is a quick and compelling read -- I finished the book in a few hours. It is also a tough read in that it delves into the true horrors of war.
This is a quick and compelling read -- I finished the book in a few hours. It is also a tough read in that it delves into the true horrors of war.
October 6, 2009
At the time I read this, the U.S. was approaching the 8-year mark on the war in Afghanistan.
I highly recommend this collection of essays, originally published in a blog format by a NY Army National Guardsman who went to Afghanistan in 2006 to work in an ETT, Embedded Training Team. ETT units pair with ANA (Afghan National Army) on missions to counter Taliban forces and to work in training and reconstruction.
The sub-subtitle of the book makes reference to Tupper's experience as "tragicomic." He relays both moments of horror, and would-be horrific moments so barely avoided that laughter is the only method of coping. But by reading these episodes of lows and less lows we're able to acknowledge his experience and free him of some of his burden.
You may have heard some of the essays on NPR's Morning Edition.
I highly recommend this collection of essays, originally published in a blog format by a NY Army National Guardsman who went to Afghanistan in 2006 to work in an ETT, Embedded Training Team. ETT units pair with ANA (Afghan National Army) on missions to counter Taliban forces and to work in training and reconstruction.
The sub-subtitle of the book makes reference to Tupper's experience as "tragicomic." He relays both moments of horror, and would-be horrific moments so barely avoided that laughter is the only method of coping. But by reading these episodes of lows and less lows we're able to acknowledge his experience and free him of some of his burden.
You may have heard some of the essays on NPR's Morning Edition.
May 27, 2011
This author gives a simple honest description of combat in Afghanistan as part of a 2-man team mentoring an Afghan army unit. Short chapters, only 2 or 3 pages long, each of which concern a dramatic incident he experienced. I like very much that he easily reveals the stress that resulted from his experiences, both on himself and on his close comrades. It still amazes me that he is not a regular army officer but a National Guard volunteer. Bravo him.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews