Customer Reviews

Somalia on Five Dollars a Day

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

 

 

Stanton provides a welcome perspective on the U.S. Army's involvement in Operation Restore Hope, Somalia, Dec 92 - May 93. As an operations officer (S-3) with a battalion in the 10th Mountain Division, Stanton brings us an insider's account of the units preparations for and experiences in Somalia both thoughtful in perspective and engaging in its personal nature. We are given a feel for the administrative challenges faced in preparing for and executing a deployment, the personalities and roles of elements in the unit, and how the unit confronted the complex challenges that Somalia presented. I especially appreciated Stanton's thoughtful discussion of tactical lessons following several of the incidents he was personally engaged in.

Stanton also provides an interesting case that hightlights the difficulties of centralizing command even in our information rich age. The unit had a questionable report of a hostage situation (turned out to be a rather confrontational labor pay dispute) that higher headquarters blew out of proportion. The battalion had to expend much energy keeping the Joint Task Force from sending in hostage rescue forces while the battalion should have been allowed to focus on determining what was going on and whether it needed additional (outside) support for resolving the crisis (which it didn't). Communications improvements create the impression of perfect knowledge throughout the military and political command structure -- this simply isn't the case. The private on the front line will know something that the general doesn't -- even if it is whether there is water in his fox hole. Command structures must take this into account.

This is a valuable work for anyone interested in the challenges of using military force in the complex emergencies from Albania to East Timor to Haiti to Afghanistan.

While a valuable read, two issues seem worthy of highlighting in issues. First, for non-US Army officers, the discussions of individuals will be confusing. After reading almost 300 pages, I gather that every single person that Stanton mentioned is something close to a saint in terms of military capabilities. US Army personnel reviews are written with very disguised criticisms that outsiders can't understand. I find it hard to believe that everyone was as perfect as Stanton seems to say.

Secondly, the lack of knowledge works two ways. Stanton decries the refusal to allow the use of tear gas, relating it to a fear over whether this would harm Somalis weakened by hunger. While this issue was discussed, the real reason restricting use of tear gas is international treaties on the use of chemical weapons -- which tear gas is (even if not "deadly"). This restriction on tear gas has constrained many operations and is a reason why the U.S. military has pepper spray (which was allowed in Somalia).

These issues are, however, trivial in the context of what is otherwise a quite worthwhile read.

This is simply one of the finest books I have ever encountered on the challenges facing today's military. While this is a remarkably-entertaining personal account of our military's sincere efforts--and misadventures--in Somalia, which may be read purely as an enthralling story, the real value lies in its parable-like quality. Instead of lackluster theories from academics who never wore combat boots, Stanton, an Army officer with a distinguished record, tells what it's like to face down a howling mob--and how theory comes apart very quickly when lives are at stake. This is a superb companion piece to "Black Hawk Down," which captured the battle of Mogadishu. Stanton's book gets at the everyday challenges the military faced in an environment few understood. The book is also written with a dry sense of humor outsiders may miss--it reminds me of the best British military memoirs (but without the smugness). Stanton has simply done a terrific job of describing thankless missions and honoring the soldiers with whom he has served--while telling a great story about the dusty, sweaty, what-do-I-do-now? side of soldiering. It may be trite to say this, but I wish all soldiers, and all citizens, could read this book. A great read by a great soldier! Bravo!!!

National Geographic's current July 2002 issue contains a good article, " Somalia, A Failed State?" that shows how little things have changed in Somalia from10 years ago, when prompted by CNN's coverage of chaos and mass starvation, President Bush sent over 10,000 American soldiers, called Operation Restore Hope, in a move to save the Somali's from themselves. Because this tragic man made famine was mostly the result of gang-clan fighting and seedy warlord power grabs. One early account of the US involvement in Somalia, by then US Army Major Martin Stanton gives a good idea of what it was like to be there.

Stanton's, "Somalia on $5 a Day, a Soldier's Story" is an excellent telling of the his unit's part in the huge task of attempting to provide a measure of security to the Somali people and to the NGO's and UN organizations providing food to them, who at that very time where being harassed, robbed, murdered by bandits and armed gangs.

A complicated task was required of Stanton and his fellow soldiers, requiring skills of a soldier, a diplomat, an anthropologist and a humanitarian aid worker to secure feeding sites, food warehouses, roads, airports and towns in coordination with other American and foreign units including Pakistanis, Belgians, etc. Dealing with reporters and charitable groups. Dealing with the mob actions instigated and provoked by warlords while holding to high standards of the rules of engagement on dealing with civilians who were used as pawns in the warlords power games. And, yes killing bandits.

This is an excellent history and personal account of this deployment. The book contains many funny and bizzare snapshots of life, in Stanton's words, a "Mad Max World". Stanton is generous in his recognition of his men and his fellow officier's role in the operation. Technical and post operation analysis are contained in the book which would could be helpful for professional soldiers in dealing in similar tribal societies such as Afganistan where the expectations placed on the miitary may be ever increasing.

Stanton showed himself to be a man who brought calm intelligence, practical and tactical skills, common sense and an ability to learn from experience to help accomplish his part in this effort. He has a good feel for history and a good enough sense of irony not to let it all get to him. I thought the book a worthwhile read and a credit to the US Army. If you want to learn something about a place like Somalia or similar places where we are now engaged, read this book. Did Stanton think the effort worth it? You'll have to read the book.

Major Stanton captures many items in this personal account of what happened to the 2/87th Infantry in Somalia.

There were many people involved in Restore Hope and Major Stanton provides insight into a tiny slice of those lives. through the day to day events as seen by the command group without much exaggeration. This book would be well served with the blanks being filled in by the company commanders and first sergeants of the line companies that actually performed the operations, cordons and searches, and riot control situations described, not to mention the hours of patrolling, and waiting.

It is interesting to note that in the recommended book lists "Black Hawk Down" the author vilifies the 10th Mountain Division and portrays the Rangers in a rather inaccurate light. Stanton's book is by far the most accurate account of the US involvement in Somalia to date.

This is a first person narrative written by an Army officer who's unit was deployed to Somalia in the early 1990's. He was NOT part of the the whole "Black Hawk Down" operation or even near Mogadishu. Instead, his unit operated in a area of less population, small cities and smaller towns. The book actually starts off with his description of coming home from a previous deployment to Kuwait then undergoing training, followed by the preparations for deployment. So it's not for several dozen pages before the author is actually in Somalia. At this point the book gets more on point and we learn how things actually operated as the US Army, plus forces from the other services and indeed other nations supported food distribution and peace keeping. The author is up front about some poor decision making he made as they attempted their tasks. They were somewhat successful at times, but often it was more a case of trying to hold back the tide. His narrative works best when he is describing the actual day to day operations and at times it's fascinating to see how they tried to implement "operations other than war" which I believe is the correct phrase. He is a decent writer who gets to the point and provides the reader enough detail to follow the story without dragging it down with a lot of non-essential tidbits. Still, there's not much meat to the book which is a shame since it's a subject that too often is left to pundits and journalists to discuss. The viewpoint of an actual participant provides some interesting insight. Recommended for the casual military reader.

Having just finished Somalia on ...Five Dollars a day, I was curious what others had to say about it. ....

However, it was the criticisms from the other customer reviewers that got my attention.

... Starting on the bottom of page 204 and continuing on page 205, the author talks about who was in Kismayu in December of 1992.

... Somalia on ...Five Dollars a day is closer to the day-to-day life of soldiers in a combat zone than Black Hawk Down. Stanton also supplied a glossary in the back of the book for the acronym-challenged ("like to use letters for everything you do").

... When you work closely with people in a dangerous and difficult environment men pull together. It's not called "band of brothers" for nothing. Besides, this style of saying nice things about soldiers you're around is reminiscent of SLA Marshal's books.

The tear gas / pepper spray is another point. To say pepper spray is allowed and not provide it is the same thing as having CS (tear gas) and prohibit its use. Stanton preferred using tear gas, which he had, to using bayonets and bullets Also, the effectiveness of pepper spray is in question. In Cincinnati last year, despite pepper spray, a criminal took a police officer's gun and killed him with it. This topic does need to be addressed in military writing.

Somalia on Five Dollars a day is the most relevant book for the young troop leader or staff officer serving in Afghanistan and Bosnia. This book, and the USMC Small Wars Manual (if you can find a copy) supplement the junior officer's formal military instruction in this type of warfare.

Anyone interested in this period of US military history should have this book in their library.

To make this short and sweet.....If you were, are in, the Armed Service and like to use letters for everything you do, then this is the book for you. If you want an exciting book about our Service Men in Somalia try "Black Hawk Down". That, is an exciting book.....this one is lower that a 1 Star. The best part of the book is the second to the last chapter when they leave Solamia. The rest....

Having just finished this book, my only regret is that I wasted several hours getting through this. It is in one moment hard to follow, and in the next very patronizing to the reader. Simply put, it is written with the zest of a military manual. The biggest surprise to me was the amount of obvious mistakes and clearly omited, important facts. I would recommend to anyone thinking of buying this book, save your money. It is out of print for a very good, legitimate reason.

Hi, my name is Ray, I was in Somalia also. I haven't read the book yet, but am going to, but I did read the excerpts to this book, and where the Major says that" 2/87th Inf was the first unit in to Kismayu in Feb 93" is wrong. 3/14th Inf was there starting in Dec. 22,92 until Mar 18,93. 2/87th did come there in Feb,93, because we we're leaving Kismayu and the Juba valley area to return to Ft Drum, but that didn't happen , because, the somali faction under some clown calling himself Col.Morgan found out we we're departing and decided to leave Kenya and re-enter Kismayu. 2/87th was deployed there to secure the area with the Belguims, so we could unpack are equipment and return to the Juba valley area. So, I feel that if someone is going to tell a story they should at least get the Facts straight. I am proud to have served there along with all of my fellow Mountaineers, but we should give correct information.