Posted on Mar 25, 2019
For the first time ever, hear the ground truth on the war against ISIS from the men who started it.
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In this vivid first-person narrative, retired special operations Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) MSgt Wes Bryant and former commanding general of Iraq Dana Pittard give a fascinating and detailed account of America’s fight against one of the most barbaric insurgencies the world has ever seen.
In the summer of 2014, three years after America’s full troop withdrawal from the Iraq War, President Barack Obama authorized a small task force to push back into Baghdad. Their mission: Protect the Iraqi capital and U.S. Embassy from a rapidly emerging terrorist threat.
A plague of brutality, that would come to be known as ISIS, had created a foothold in northwest Iraq and northeast Syria. It had declared itself a Caliphate—an independent nation-state administered by an extreme and cruel form of Islamic law—and was spreading like a newly evolved virus. Soon, a massive and devastating U.S. military response unfolded.
Hunting the Caliphate is a vivid, first-person narrative from two vastly differing but converging perspectives. See through the eyes of the senior enlisted special operations JTAC who coordinated and controlled the first airstrikes against ISIS in Baghdad, then went on to hunt ISIS across Syria and Afghanistan in the years to follow, and enter the strategic mind of the commanding general who initiated and led the campaign against ISIS in Iraq.
Hear the ground truth on the senior military and political interactions that shaped America’s war against ISIS, a war unprecedented in both its methodology and its application of modern military technology. Enter the world of the Strike Cell, secretive operations centers where America’s greatest enemies are hunted and killed day and night. Plunge into the realm of the special operations JTAC—American warfighters with the highest enemy kill counts on the battlefield. And gain the wisdom of a cumulative half-century of military experience as Dana Pittard and Wes Bryant lay out the path to a sustained victory over ISIS.
What drove the authors to tell this story?
In writing Hunting the Caliphate, Dana and Wes wanted to record a vital piece of history and do it in a way that was gritty and real—not just as a legacy to those who served in the fight against ISIS, but to educate the public on the inside story of a very unique campaign. They believe the American people deserve to know and, perhaps more importantly, that policy makers and government officials must better understand the warfighter’s point of view since they make the decisions that guide America's military efforts across the world while often never having had any personal military experience.
Dana and Wes felt that the unique and unprecedented blend of perspectives between the political, strategic, and operational insight of the senior commanding general on the ground, combined with the first-hand tactical experience of the senior enlisted special operations JTAC to carry out the mission, would be very impactful and resonate with a wide spectrum of readers.
There are a lot of standout aspects about Hunting the Caliphate: It is the first definitive account on the war against ISIS straight from two of the key men to wage it. It is one of the few books co-written by a general and a senior noncommissioned officer (from two different services, at that). And, it is the first major book written by a Joint Terminal Attack Controller.
Be entertained, be riveted, and become enlightened as you learn the truth about how America's war against ISIS began, how it has really been fought, and what steps need taken to ensure final defeat of the Islamic State and its terrorist networks.
Hunting the Caliphate is available for preorder on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other online retailers. It has a hardcover release date of August 27, 2019.
In the summer of 2014, three years after America’s full troop withdrawal from the Iraq War, President Barack Obama authorized a small task force to push back into Baghdad. Their mission: Protect the Iraqi capital and U.S. Embassy from a rapidly emerging terrorist threat.
A plague of brutality, that would come to be known as ISIS, had created a foothold in northwest Iraq and northeast Syria. It had declared itself a Caliphate—an independent nation-state administered by an extreme and cruel form of Islamic law—and was spreading like a newly evolved virus. Soon, a massive and devastating U.S. military response unfolded.
Hunting the Caliphate is a vivid, first-person narrative from two vastly differing but converging perspectives. See through the eyes of the senior enlisted special operations JTAC who coordinated and controlled the first airstrikes against ISIS in Baghdad, then went on to hunt ISIS across Syria and Afghanistan in the years to follow, and enter the strategic mind of the commanding general who initiated and led the campaign against ISIS in Iraq.
Hear the ground truth on the senior military and political interactions that shaped America’s war against ISIS, a war unprecedented in both its methodology and its application of modern military technology. Enter the world of the Strike Cell, secretive operations centers where America’s greatest enemies are hunted and killed day and night. Plunge into the realm of the special operations JTAC—American warfighters with the highest enemy kill counts on the battlefield. And gain the wisdom of a cumulative half-century of military experience as Dana Pittard and Wes Bryant lay out the path to a sustained victory over ISIS.
What drove the authors to tell this story?
In writing Hunting the Caliphate, Dana and Wes wanted to record a vital piece of history and do it in a way that was gritty and real—not just as a legacy to those who served in the fight against ISIS, but to educate the public on the inside story of a very unique campaign. They believe the American people deserve to know and, perhaps more importantly, that policy makers and government officials must better understand the warfighter’s point of view since they make the decisions that guide America's military efforts across the world while often never having had any personal military experience.
Dana and Wes felt that the unique and unprecedented blend of perspectives between the political, strategic, and operational insight of the senior commanding general on the ground, combined with the first-hand tactical experience of the senior enlisted special operations JTAC to carry out the mission, would be very impactful and resonate with a wide spectrum of readers.
There are a lot of standout aspects about Hunting the Caliphate: It is the first definitive account on the war against ISIS straight from two of the key men to wage it. It is one of the few books co-written by a general and a senior noncommissioned officer (from two different services, at that). And, it is the first major book written by a Joint Terminal Attack Controller.
Be entertained, be riveted, and become enlightened as you learn the truth about how America's war against ISIS began, how it has really been fought, and what steps need taken to ensure final defeat of the Islamic State and its terrorist networks.
Hunting the Caliphate is available for preorder on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other online retailers. It has a hardcover release date of August 27, 2019.
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 19
SPC Johnny Velazquez, PhD
MG Dana Pittard - Proud of you, Sir. A job well done. Will read the book. Blessings.
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This is going to be a terrific book. Nothing like it has been written yet.
MSgt Wes Bryant - With the recent news that ISIS territory has been taken over, but they still carry significant financing, where do you see the next battleground?
MSgt Wes Bryant - With the recent news that ISIS territory has been taken over, but they still carry significant financing, where do you see the next battleground?
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MG Dana Pittard
Brandon,
ISIS as a geographical entity or "caliphate" has been defeated. However, ISIS has not been completely beaten and is still extremely dangerous as a terrorist organization using guerilla and asymmetric tactics. ISIS will continue to attempt to reconstitute in Libya, Somalia, Afghanistan, areas of Syria, and in other ungoverned areas or failed states in the region.
ISIS as a geographical entity or "caliphate" has been defeated. However, ISIS has not been completely beaten and is still extremely dangerous as a terrorist organization using guerilla and asymmetric tactics. ISIS will continue to attempt to reconstitute in Libya, Somalia, Afghanistan, areas of Syria, and in other ungoverned areas or failed states in the region.
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