This is not a book I would have come across on my own, but my daughter met the author in New Zealand and he asked her for some editing help before he self-published. 

This book/memoir/long op-ed piece is essentially an argument against the US military industrial complex: the corporations that profit from war, the military leaders affiliated with those corporations, the wars and countries we should not be in, bloated defense spending, the lack of nuclear disarmament, the lack of humanitarian and reparation aid to countries affected by the US military, continued impunity for war crimes/genocide, and the lack of mental health resources for veterans–plus a long additional list of transgressions. 

The author comes from a military family, has served in the military, has written countless letters to military commanders, reviewed military books and speeches, has done a copious amount of research, went AWOL in late 2022 (having outlined conditions to be met before he would return), and has suffered from depression and suicidal ideations. 

All of this is laid out in the book in the form of letters, emails, financial tables, interviews, journal entries, and personal stories. It’s a lot to take in, it sometimes comes across as rambling rants, and it often feels chaotic. Perhaps if he’d waited a few years to let these thoughts percolate and process, he’d have a more coherent and convincing  approach. Time and distance help clarify our thoughts and digest our emotions, especially when writing about trauma.

Still, he has a strong voice, a lot of researched facts, some compelling arguments, and a moving personal story, including coming from a gun entrenched family that easily transitions into the military and then into violence that no one wants to discuss or seek help for because that would be weak and woke. 

We are left with a great deal to contemplate, from the moral and ethical perspectives of war to the harm suffered by so many veterans who face life-long struggles. 

The author is fiercely independent and brave. I hope he has found peace and a new future in his AWOL/conscientious objective status in a new country.