Task Force IED

Curt Swarm

Description

Captain Kurt Dingman and Sergeant Dwight Jones of the Iowa National Guard did something no one else in the entire military operation in Iraq were able to do.  They devised a computer program that would predict within 80% accuracy where, when, what type and how many IED's (Improvised Explosive Devices) were placed, waiting to explode and take the lives or limbs of U.S. soldiers.  

The war in Iraq rapidly changed from gun battles and kicking in doors to one of finding, removing and avoiding IED's.  The IED's themselves rapidly changed from pressure activated (stepping on or running over with a vehicle) to remote controlled devices connected to a wire and push button, to wireless devices using a cordless telephone as the detonator.  

Task Force IED is the story of one of the Iowa National Guard's deployments in Iraq, and the success they had in prosecuting this war against IED's.  In the 13 months they were there, they successfully found and removed over 800 IED's.

But this fictionalized rendition of Task Force IED is about so much more than IED's.  Based on a true story, it is about the men and women in National Guard uniform, and the trials and tribulations they had before, during and after deployment.  They found and removed more IED's than any other battalion, yes, but five soldiers lost their lives, and they had the highest rate of suicide following deployment than any other unit.  Drug and alcohol addiction, divorce, bankruptcy, PTSD and depression plagued these veterans like a disease.   

Why?  This book attempts to answer that question because it is not unique to the war in the Middle East.  The Vietnam War also found more soldiers dying by suicide following the war than were killed in the war.  War is hell.

There is a bright spot to this conundrum, however.  The men and women of Task Force IED do find a way to address their issues of self-destruction, come to terms with the war, and find peace, happiness and even success.

Task Force IED follows the lives of half a dozen soldiers, both officers and enlisted, female and male, before, during and after deployment.  There is hope, even with a government that sends troops to war poorly equipped and constantly spinning in the squirrel cage craziness of endless wars.

Sujets

• World Literature
• Fantasy (canción de Mariah Carey)
• Military
• Arabian Peninsula
• Middle East
• War
• Fiction
• Fantasy

Informations

• Publié par: Outskirts Press
• Date de parution: 23 juillet 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 7
• EAN13: 9781977264299
• Langue: English

Extrait

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Task Force IED Iowa National Guard’s Fight Against IED’s in Iraq All Rights Reserved. Copyright © 2022 Curt Swarm v7.0
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
The opinions expressed in this manuscript are solely the opinions of the author and do not represent the opinions or thoughts of the publisher. The author has represented and warranted full ownership and/or legal right to publish all the materials in this book.
This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means, including graphic, electronic, or mechanical without the express written consent of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Outskirts Press, Inc. http://www.outskirtspress.com
Cover Image by Steve Helling
Outskirts Press and the "OP" logo are trademarks belonging to Outskirts Press, Inc.
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Though based on a true story and real characters, this is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
Reviews
The exploits of the soldiers of the 451 st Combat Engineering BN can be viewed as both funny and tragic. These accounts reflect the human challenges of deployed soldiers in believable detail. Curt Swarm does a masterful job in character development of a handful of soldiers assigned to the mythical 451 Combat Engineering BN deployed to Iraq. He illustrates how these characteristics reflect in different wartime experiences, both good and tragic. The accounts of unit personnel and their families upon their return to Iowa will make you both laugh and cry. The cost of war cannot be counted in just numbers, and this book illustrates war’s human costs for the soldiers, their families, and their communities.

Ken Madden, Colonel, US Army Retired

War is nothing new. War stories have been written for thousands of years, from the "Epic of Gilgamesh," "The Trojan War," "War and Peace" to "Guns for August." The common thread in any good book is the telling of a soldier’s character; in the midst of war’s profound physical and mental abuse that must be endured.

"Task Force IED" by Curt Swarm, takes on the challenge of telling his readers the complexities of a soldier’s life; their initiation to the military interactions with fellow soldiers and officers, and their performance on the field of battle in Iraq.

But it is the story of the soldier’s return home that is the real story of "Task Force IED." Captain Dingman, Sergeant Jones and Colonel Price, are some of the characters whose destinies will forever be connected. They, the other members of the 451, and their families face a myriad of challenges back in Iowa. Substance abuse, alcoholism, divorce, depression, bankruptcy and suicide plagued some. Others prospered and were able to readjust to civilian life.

Curt Swarm develops his characters with language unique to each and paints a lasting image of their faith, politics, and true inner spirit. The human dimension spreads over the routine of the mission in Iraq to the aftermath of their deployment. Read Swarm’s story and you understand why war changes not only the landscape but irrevocably changes people.

Patty Madden, Retired School Teacher

"Task Force IED"--Historical Fiction based on a True Story This story gripped me from the first paragraph until the last. This story shares the courage and resolve of the soldiers as they bravely face the daily challenges of "Task Force IED."

The reader is left with a sense of gratitude to those who serve in our military forces and the unbelievable circumstances they encounter and face every day. I found the story line riveting and characters compelling as they navigate the atrocities of war, a war with no way to gauge if you were winning. Does anyone really win a war?

Perhaps I am also left with the question, "Why do we choose to go to war?"

Denise McCormick, 3 time number one best selling author of children’s book, "Never Mind the Monkey Mind," Inspirational Speaker, and Educator’s Coach.
Amazing. Shocking. Heartbreaking. This is a story seen through the eyes of men and women who came home from Iraq changed permanently from who they were going into Iraq.

Curt Swarm holds nothing back in telling their stories as they were told to him by those "Warriors With Wings," and how they used their own PTSD to accomplish great things to help the returned warriors survive the aftermath of the hell of war and the guilt of being a survivor.

Every citizen should read this book and then put their shoulders to the wheel in helping our returning soldiers heal from physical, emotional and mental injuries starting with the VA!

L. Kephart Nash, Retired RN, Author of "When the Tempest Passes and the Wicked is No More"

Curt Swarm has written a gripping account of what some of the soldiers serving in Iraq experienced. He describes various events the soldiers dealt with while overseas, as well as issues these men and women faced as they tried to rejoin their lives once they came home. While this is a work of fiction, I know there is a strong basis of fact within these pages. Curt has captured the range of emotions these men and women have to endure every day. After reading his book I have a deeper understanding of what military service means.

Susie Clark, Author of "And Then There Was One."

"Task Force IED" by Curt Swarm is a book that grabs your attention from the first chapter and does not let go until the end. It takes the reader on a roller coaster ride from the adrenaline highs of combat to the drug-filled lows of PTSD and veteran suicide. It covers the entire gamut of military experience in the Middle East, what some individual veterans encountered when they came back home, and it tells their story in a clear and sympathetic voice. As a military veteran and author, I highly recommend "Task Force IED."

Gary B. Blackburn, Veteran and Author of "Those Gentle Heroes"
Contents
Introduction
16 Klicks
Good-Time Charlie
Six Sigma Black Belt
Refrigerator Box
Females
Promotion to E9
Up-Armor
Interpreters
Call-to-Prayer, Sergeant Edward (Eddie) Beams
Purple Heart
Mission Accomplished
Colonel Bert Price
Arnold Allen Schwarzendruber, Rules of Engagement
Stale Cigarette
Guard Duty
KIA, The Case of Private Volger
Blowup
Starbuster
BMW
School Supplies
Newsletters
Going Home
Welcome Home!
OWI and Cancer
Colonel Bert Price, Retired
Facebook "Friends"
Four DUI’s
Gluten Free
Hurt People Hurt People
Attitude Is a Form of Capital
Hell-of-a-Dog
Introduction
The war in the Middle East rapidly changed from a shooting conflict, and kicking in doors, to one of finding and destroying Improvised Explosive Devices (IED’s). The IED’s themselves rapidly changed from contact detonation devices (running over them with a vehicle or stepping on them) to ones that were triggered remotely, either through an electronic wire or hand held devices like cordless telephones.
I spent countless hours interviewing soldiers who served in the Middle East, ranging from Privates to Commanding Officers, both male and female. I have woven their stories into one, and used my imagination to fill in areas where I was lacking information. Any resemblance to actual people and events is purely coincidental. I was just needing to tell this story of the war against IED’s, and the brave people who fought it.
Task Force IED is dedicated to all veterans, whether they served in war zones or not. As of this printing, 22 Middle East Veterans die by suicide everyday. Why this is happening is addressed in this story.
Please forgive me for using foul language. I tried to make this story as realistic as possible. People do talk this way in real life, especially soldiers in a far away land.

Curt Swarm
16 Klicks
Captain Dingman looked at the data. It took him a while to realize what he was looking at. What appeared to be random IED (Improvised Explosive Device) detonations and occasional sniper attacks across the country of Iraq, with U.S. soldiers being killed, injured and maimed, were in actuality, very predictable Significant Events (SE’s). He played with the software some more, and fiddled with an algorithm, writing a new one. In essence, he was asking, through an algorithm, "From point A to point B, where will be the IED’s on such-and-such a date and such-and-such a time?" Bingo. A shiver ran up his spine, and the back of his neck tingled. In plain, graphic detail, there was the answer.
Dingman took it a step further. "On such-and-such a date, from point A to point B, where will be the fewest IED’s?" Bingo again. He felt his rectum tighten. How could this be? It was so simple. The entire Army had been working on problems such as this, with this same data base, and never came up with anything close to what he was looking at.
Captain Dingman, the 451’s S-2 Intel officer, picked up the phone to call Sergeant Jones, his right-hand man in Intel. Then he stopped. "Better sleep on it," he told himself. "This is too simple. There’s got to be something wrong. The whole fricking War Department can’t come up with this, but I can a little ole National Guard soldier from Iowa? Hmm. I’ll sleep on it."
Dingman laid down on the bunk he had in his work area and tried to sleep. It was 3:00 am (0300 in military time). He kept seeing data numbers and different colored push pins, Significant Events. After 15 minutes of numbers running through his head, he sat up, grabbed the phone and dialed Sergeant Jones.
"Jonesie? Get your ass over here. I got something to show you."

Sergeant Jones hadn’t been able to sleep either.