I needed a short break from HB, so I picked up this audiobook. CDR Jadick did two turns as a military officer; first, he started as a Marine communications officer (which came in handy later on his is career), then he left for medical school, then returned to the Navy as a DO. He went on one less than exciting deployment to Liberia before getting the chance to go with the Marines into Fallujah, Iraq in 2004. Most of the book deals with his time in Iraq, however he does spend on chapter on the less than fateful deployment to Liberia.
I liked his story and was really glad I saw the war from a medical officer's POV. There was less gung-ho toxic military culture and more brotherhood and duty. It did seem that Jadick was a true believer, at least at the beginning of the war, in the purpose and justification for the Iraq War. The memoirs were published in 2007, so the war was still going on, so I wonder if he is still true to the cause or if he moved his devotion to solely his fellow Marines and sailors. He came across as a very humble man, often crediting those around him for heroics or great ideas, especially his medical corpsmen.
A very good read.
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