The Devil's Sandbox: With the 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry at War in Iraq [Hardcover]

John R. Bruning (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 2006

Citizen soldiers have played a unique role in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan - and their extended deployment and role in the wars battles have changed the towns, cities, and states they hail from as well. The Devil's Sandbox - a nickname for Iraq - is the story of the 2nd Battalion of Oregon's 162nd Infantry Regiment (2/162), and provides readers an intimate look at the reality of National Guardsmen at war. Follow the 2/162 from their call-up in the summer of 2003 to their return home in the spring of 2005.

Witness some of the fiercest fighting of the Iraq War and some of the most rewarding and forward-looking civil affairs projects aimed at rebuilding the broken nation of Iraq. Read how the town in Oregon struggles to do without the people - the accountants, lawyers, mechanics, et. al. - who went to serve in the war.

The Devil's Sandbox offers a rare insight into what this war means for the citizen-soldier at home and abroad, and chronicles a battalion that earned the respect of the regular Army soldiers who fought alongside them in some of the toughest battles in the Iraq war.

 

Editorial Reviews

Review

“With a gritty flair for storytelling and blunt style, this work is not just another story about the Iraq War … More than a war story about an infantry battalion, The Devil’s Sandbox represents an intimate reality for thousands of Army National Guard soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan … Bruning does not neglect the sacrifices and bravery families and friends of the deployed soldiers exhibited during the deployment. He explains the hardships and stress on those that remained at home as their loved ones went to war … John Bruning’s work is the best book written about the Army National Guard since 11 September 2001 … The nation’s citizen-soldiers have been an integral part in the War on Terror, and their sacrifice, as well as their families’, is vividly brought to life in this new work.”
On Point: The Journal of Army History

From the Inside Flap

It is well known that substantial numbers of the Army National Guard have been deployed to Iraq for extended tours of duty. Less appreciated is the fact that these National Guardsmen are primarily combat soldiers. The Devil’s Sandbox tells their story.

Specifically, this is the story of the 2nd Battalion of Oregon’s 162nd Infantry Regiment (2-162), who are known as the “Volunteers.” They were called up in the summer of 2003 and moved to Fort Hood, Texas, for training in October. The next spring found them in combat in Iraq. Upon entering the country in April 2004 they saw heavy fighting in Najaf, Fallujah, North Sadr City, and while “trolling for terrorists” in the Sunni Triangle. The occupation of Iraq, as seen through the eyes of these Oregonians, brings the realities of the war home for the reader.

In one battle, a platoon of the Volunteers found itself deep behind the lines of the Mahdi militia in Najaf. In the fighting for the six-story hotel that became known as the “Apache Hilton,” eighteen Oregonians fought a multi-day pitched battle. When the dust settled at the end of a week of combat and the Volunteers withdrew, over three hundred dead enemy militiamen littered the battlefield. And this was just one battle by one platoon.

On average the National Guardsmen are older and more mature than their regular army counterparts. Many of them have years of active-duty military experience. They also bring high-level civilian skills with them to Iraq. With a substantial complement of experienced craftsmen and contractors, the Volunteers of 2-162 were able to engage in direct civic action through the rebuilding of the ancient marketplace in downtown Baghdad as well as constructing roads, rebuilding mosques, repairing sewer and power lines, and establishing schools in the Iraqi communities they served in.

The Volunteers’ year in combat in Iraq is told largely in the words of the soldiers themselves. Author John Bruning interviewed virtually all of the members of the battalion as well as many family members. He even deployed with the Oregonians as an “embedded historian when they were sent to New Orleans in the aftermath of Katrina. This brings the reader a remarkably intimate and immediate experience of “being there” as the infantrymen of 2-162 go into battle, The Devil’s Sandbox is replete with the valorous stories of these Americans in combat on the mean streets of Iraq.

John R. Bruning has been a professional military historian and writer since 1990. He is the author of Crimson Sky: the Air Battle for Korea; Jungle Ace; Elusive Glory; Ship Strike Pacific; Luck of the Draw; and The Devil’s Sandbox: With the 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry at War in Iraq. He served as an embedded civilian historian with the 2-162 Infantry during Operation Southern Comfort, the post-Hurricane Katrina relief operation in New Orleans. Bruning also has numerous articles, documentaries, multi-media CD-Rom programs, flight simulators and museum displays to his credit. He lives in Independence, Oregon, the heart of 2-162 country.

 

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Zenith Press; 1st edition (October 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0760323941
• ISBN-13: 978-0760323946
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #310,931 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #40 in Books > History > Military > United States > Operation Desert Storm

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very good book - almost a front-row seat, January 9, 2007

By 

Loribee (Western New York) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: The Devil's Sandbox: With the 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry at War in Iraq (Hardcover)

Whether or not you agree with the war, and I don't, this is a very well-written book about what these men went through while in Iraq. It really doesn't have any politics in it, it is a story of combat. War is not pretty, and neither is combat.

I got to know the men as human beings first, and then as soldiers. No matter how much I feel they should not have been there in the first place, the book gave me an understanding of why they fought (mostly to protect each other), and I felt their hearts were in the right place. They never seemed to lose their humanity, or their caring for the innocents in Iraq, and took some gambles to spare innocent Iraqi lives.

There is a lot of death and it touches you, because you do feel that you know the guys. It was an easy read, yet a difficult one, because senseless death and destruction is difficult for me to read about, but it is an honest story of combat, and certainly never boring.

There are numerous examples of extreme bravery and courage, there are stupid decisions made from above that the men have to follow, there are a LOT of battles in which they took part, and you almost feel as though you're there watching.

I got angry at times, because of the equipment these guys were forced to use - unarmored trucks, which caused one or two unnecessary deaths, lack of support sometimes from the "regular" army, and just some really bad decisions made by leaders. I hope the guys who made it home alive will be okay - they all have a lot to live with.

I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in the realities of what our soldiers go through, on either side of the political fence.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An amazing insight into the role of National Guardsmen at war, September 2, 2007

By 

Jim Brady (San Jose, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Devil's Sandbox: With the 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry at War in Iraq (Hardcover)

I have read several dozen books on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. While I have enjoyed all of these books immensely, they all concentrated on conventional military units or special operations forces. They almost never mentioned anything about the role of National Guard units in these conflicts. For this reason, I was shocked to find out that many of our National Guardsmen are the proverbial "tip of the spear". Due to the fact that these men and women are not full-time soldiers, and hold normal, everyday jobs/careers, I always assumed that they would be located in rear-echelon positions. Perhaps serving in support roles. The reality of their participation couldn't be farther from what I had imagined. Like the squad of Navy SEALs who come across the Oregon National Guardsmen during a major engagement in Iraq, I was very impressed by their fighting skills. These men are going in harm's way as much as the traditional military units like the 82nd Airborne, the 101st Airborne, the 4th ID, and the Marines Expeditionary Units. It is hard to imagine being a working class joe one day, and the next day serving in scouting/direct action positions in Najaf or Fallujah. Thank you to John Bruning for bringing to light the brave, patriotic souls of the U.S. National Guard units. They should be receiving so much more publicity from the American media. It is a travesty that their sacrifice in service is not being acknowledged as much as their full-time military brethren. I am going to recommend this book to all my friends and family. Mr. Bruning is a great author and I can't wait to read his next book.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Devil's Sandbox is an Outstanding Effort!, October 20, 2006

By 

J. COOK "JCook" (SALEM, OR United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Devil's Sandbox: With the 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry at War in Iraq (Hardcover)

This is the finest book on infanrty combat I/ve read!! Author John Bruning brings us into the lives of extraordinary men (and 1 women) of Oregon's 2nd Battalion 162nd Infantry. But it's so much more than a book about the battalion's tour of duty in Iraq. It's about their lives, their successes and heartbreaking loses. What sets book apart is that the author makes you feel that your apart of thesze soldier's lives and that their loses are your's also. Bravo Zulu Mr. Bruning!