Follow the All American Division from its activation in 1917 through campaigns in St. Mihiel, Anzio, Normandy, Holland, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, and Iraq. Includes more than 700 biographies of 82nd Airborne veterans, personal stories and roster, awards and decorations, five Medal of Honor recipients, a memorial section and index. Hundreds of photos show America's Guard of Honor in action for over 75 years.

Drawing recruits from all 48 states at the time of its inception, the 82nd Airborne earned the nickname “All American.” And indeed, from its beginnings in 1917 to its service today in Afghanistan and Iraq, the 82nd has remained the nation’s best-known--and most widely respected--airborne unit. This book traces the 82nd Airborne’s history from its roots in the 82nd Infantry Division to its current service. While providing a historical overview of the grand heritage of the All Americans--the unit’s stellar service during World War II, its reserve status during the Cold War, its peacekeeping mission in the Dominican Republic and sustained action in Vietnam--82nd Airborne focuses primarily on the unit’s contemporary service. Author Fred J. Pushies discusses the division’s involvement in small conflicts, including Grenada and Panama, throughout the 1980s. And he details the 82nd’s service throughout the 1990s in Iraq, Haiti, Bosnia, and Kosovo--and, since 9/11, in Afghanistan and Iraq. His is the most thorough and up-to-date account of the legendary All Americans in the modern era.

Every infantry, cavalry, armor, field artillery, and air defense artillery battalion in the US Army 1957-2011 is listed, together with its station through the period.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON MEDAL FOR MILITARY HISTORY 2021, THE BRITISH ARMY BOOK OF THE YEAR 2021, AS A FINALIST FOR THE 2020 ARMY HISTORICAL FOUNDATION DISTINGUISHED WRITING AWARDS. FIRST RUNNER UP IN THE TEMPLER MEDAL BOOK PRIZE 2021. 'With a soldier's eye for telling operational details, Ben Barry offers an authoritative, compelling and inevitably bleak account of the American and British campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan.' Sir Lawrence Freedman, Emeritus Professor of War Studies, King's College London Newly revised and updated with in-depth analysis of the current situation in Afghanistan after American withdrawal, Blood, Metal and Dust is an authoritative account of how the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were played out, explaining their underlying politics and telling the story of what happened on the ground. From the high-ranking officer who wrote the still-classified British military analysis of the war in Iraq comes the authoritative history of two conflicts which have overshadowed the beginning of the 21st century. Inextricably linked to the ongoing 'War on Terror', the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan dominated more than a decade of international politics, and their influence is felt to this day. Blood, Metal and Dust is the first military history to offer a comprehensive overview of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, providing in-depth accounts of the operations undertaken by both US and UK forces. Brigadier Ben Barry explores the wars which shaped the modern Middle East, providing a detailed narrative of operations as they unfolded. With unparalleled access to official military accounts and extensive contacts in both the UK and the US militaries, Brigadier Barry is uniquely placed to tell the story of these controversial conflicts, and offers a rounded account of the international campaigns which irrevocably changed the global geopolitical landscape.