Customer Reviews

Ronin: A Marine Scout/Sniper Platoon in Iraq

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I served with Ronin and Mike Tucker during the deployment that this book talks about. I was excited to learn that Tucker's book was going to be released, but after reading it I can only say that I am disappointed in what I read. He writes from Ronin's point of view, never giving the "other side" of the story from the Marines that served along side them in the companies. From what I saw and heard, Ronin 3 and parts of 4 never really understood what their missions were about. Scout snipers are employed how the commander sees fit, whether it's at the battalion, company or platoon level. A scout sniper team doesn't get to pick the sexy missions to go on; they serve the commander, not themselves. It's their job to advise the commander as to how they can best serve the operation, but ultimately it comes down to how the commander sees fit to employ them. Good or bad, plain and simple.
I believe that Ronin's actions on the deployment were embarrassing not only to themselves, but to the other 2/6 scout sniper teams, and the Marines in the companies that had to hear them whine and complain about how bad they had it and how they were employed wrong and other such complaints. Ronin's tactics, skills, and ethics were questioned more often than not by their commanders and it's disappointing to see them get undo and sensationalized attention by a journalist who wanted to tell the "whole" story.
Mike Tucker on the other hand, is the type of journalist that should be kept out of Marines and Soldiers way. Initially this book was supposed to be about Company G, 2/6. He interviewed Marines every day and I give him credit for the number of patrols and convoys he went on. He was "part" of the team, but his "I'll make you famous" interviews and mentality towards the Marines earned him a reputation that he was more of a pain to have around than what it was worth. It was about half way through the deployment that he had an exchange of words with the command of company G were he decided that he would "punish" them by not writing their story and instead went to any scout sniper team that would have him. Some of the facts and relationships he makes are dead wrong and misconstrued in order for him to write a better story. His one sided work of fiction that was published in "Ronin" is truly disappointing and I regret putting the money into his pockets. But what is even more disappointing is that Ronin's story of complaints and how things went wrong in Iraq diminishes the vast accomplishments that 2/6 made while deployed in Al Anbar. Marines died and were wounded for a war they volunteered to go to, for something they believed in and the journalist Mike Tucker does a disservice to his fellow Marines for the story he told.

This book is more about the author than the "grunts". It is an attempt to tell the story of a unit in combat and does not come close to filling this goal. I don't doubt the author is brave, but he never really let's the men talk in detail in a coordinated manner. Totally disjointed writing.

I ordered this book as I was a Hog in the early 70's. I was interested in how the men of today were handling combat. When I see what our troops have become it saddens me too some degree. Although I'm fully aware of errors that commanders make after a short while reading this that seemed to be the entire jest of the book. Proud of all the men serving.
I just had to put the book down before I even got into it very far as it just seemed to go on and on without merit. When you get one side of the story and it is preached time and again you just have to say enough.

My suggestion is to find another book to read.

I had high hopes for this book, but was very dissapointed. The author feels the need to keep returning to the same event - granted it was pivital, but did not have to be repeated over and over again. The writing style was an attempt to convey feelings/opinions from Marines downrange, but the constant bravado and thrashing of the command structure really wears on the reader... Avoid this and save your money!

Former Marine Mike Tucker embeds himself into the Marine Scout-Sniper platoon of the 2/6. Code-named Ronin, it consists of twenty highly trained, motivated and skilled operators who are deployed in Fallujah from Sept. 2005 to April 2006. Winning their confidence and the confidence of their interpreters, Tucker gets them to provide an oral history of their experience as snipers in one of the most dangerous cities in war torn Iraq. Tucker himself is almost kidnapped twice by the Fallujah Police and had they succeeded, it is likely that he would not be alive today.

Ronin is not a collection of war stories one expects from a sniping book. Rather, it is a horror story of things that go wrong everytime as the command structure first ignores them and then employs them in duties unbefitting of their training and skill. Ronin snipers pull no punches when they scornfully point out that the Fallujah Police are Al Qaeda operatives who betray their movements, snatch fallen foes to prevent the collection of intelligence (that the fallen are the Fallujah Police themselves), and protect IED planters and weapon smugglers. They point out that the since the US pays for the police, that we are defeating ourselves. Their bitterness extends beyond the Fallujah Police and they have some hard thoughts about their commanders who forbade them to shoot or capture a prized target. Tactical unreality sets in when their command expects them to do house clearing with bolt action rifles!

Do not read Ronin if you're expecting exciting stories of battlefield marksmanship. Rather, Ronin is a story of good men betrayed by ignorant or inept leaders - something many of us have experienced ourselves. Hopefully Ronin's story is an aberation within the Marine Corps. Even if it is, the book is a wake-up call to Americans that our guys on the ground are not being listened to upstairs and that our policies in Iraq need serious review.

Don't let the conflicting reviews between soldier and staff make you think there is anything worth reading here. This book is very poorly written. There is no continuity to the storyline. The book just keeps repeating different accounts of same stories over and over again. The author also allows his disdain for the command structure in Iraq to become the impetus for his novel. One can appreciate his opinion, but doesn't need to be reminded of it in nearly every chapter. A little more objectivity would have made for much better reading. Unfortunately, what could have been compelling account of the war quickly morphs into a cumbersome, opinionated diatribe.

There are a lot of books out now providing the opinions of various so called authorities on the Iraq War and how we should proceed in its prosecution. This is something quite different and quite unique. The voices in Ronin are not those of journalists or political theorists but of the troops on the ground, straight up, to the point, unvarnished. Reading this book is like sitting in the hooch with these men after a mission, hearing them recount in their own words the small victories and the myriad of frustrations they experience. If you want to know what is really going on in Iraq, I highly recommend this work by Mike Tucker.

I read this book with anticipation because I read first hand account/ non fiction books for enjoyment. I was let down with this book. While I feel for all the people in this book, the book is dis-jointed in its delivery. Its more like a diary from guys who were disrespected, stepped on, and under utilizied. Snipers are the most effective weapon we have with the "boots on the ground" military. But the book gets bogged down with these valient men complaining about the CO's and how they didnt get to do this or that, quite frankly it got old, reading about it. So I have to give the men in the book 5 stars and the book and the way it was written 2 stars.

After serving in 2/6 for the deployment documented inside "Ronin", I honestly bought the book knowing that it was going to be a complete riot. The Scout/Sniper Platoon of 2/6 during this time period were the equivalent of the recon platoon in the movie "Heartbreak Ridge"..
While operating in a "target rich" environment which Al Anbar was at that time, the Scout Sniper Platoon accounted for zero kills, meanwhile their fellow Marines were being hit constantly by IED's, mortars and sniper fire.
I have served in Iraq 4 times and 1 trip to Afghanistan, never have I witnessed such absolute unprofessionalism and downright negligence as I did operating alongside the 2/6 Scout Sniper Platoon.
Their has already been a book about Scout Snipers who whine and complain and go to war and not even pull a trigger, its called "Jarhead"...
Bear in mind that after such a poor performance, the Marines of Ronin were pulled from all missions and were posted as gate guards at Camp Fallujah, while the Recon Snipers came to Fallujah and supported our battalion.
These guys sucked......don't waste your money....

I found this book very informative to me on a personal note. Being a mom of one of Ronins scout snipers, I knew my son and his fellow Marines were in extreme danger daily. Knowing many of them I found myself needing to know more. I knew my son grew to have a great friendship with Mike Tucker and talked about him through letters he had sent to me. Never meeting this man I found it exciting but scary knowing my son would be part of history through the eyes and words of a real life writer. There were times when he was in Iraq and I would not hear from him for weeks,and I would pray that I could just know what he was really doing. The not knowing was the hardest part, but when I received a letter already 10 days old or that scary late night phone call just to hear him say Hi mom ! It made everything alright. This book can now give me answers to questions he would not answer. For those of us who have never seen war times don't assume that tv tells all. If you want real life situations, stop and read this book. It tells the ups and downs in a very stressful, unprepared enviroment with our brave soldiers who face this daily. Thanks for telling their story and becoming a true friend, Mr. Tucker.