BOOKS & MORE: LEVEL ZERO HEROES

"Level Zero Heroes" by Michael Golembesky is, to put it up front, one of the best war books we have ever read. The author tells the story of the US Marine Special Operations Team 8222 on a mission in the Afghan Bala Murghab. Objective: to break the Taliban's grip on the valley with the help of Special Operations. Golembesky himself was the JTAC in this MARSOC Team.

What sets this book apart is Golembesky's dispassionate observational skills. At the same time, his eye for detail and the description of the operational procedures, which he describes in detail. From the search for two drowned paratroopers that lead to the first clashes with the Taliban, who use the valley as a winter retreat.

Ultimately, the attempt to reduce the Taliban's range of action by seizing the valley with an operation. The Taliban react with fierce resistance. MSOT 8222 engages in firefights (the sniper of the MARSOC Team pictured above), the JTAC flattens enemy positions with 1,000 kilograms of bombs. "Level Zero Heroes" tells of the deployment of the ordinary soldiers: they are the heroes of Level Zero. The "Level Zero Heroes" are now available as a paperback. The second volume is expected in 2016, which we can hardly wait for. Michael Golembesky also has a film INFIL_EXFIL about the mission and the theme of PTSD (HERE is the SPARTANAT article about it, with a Golembesky interview). Particularly exciting about "Level Zero Heroes" is also that the website provides images and videos to better understand the story. Access codes to corresponding videos in the book. All together: an absolute SPARTANAT reading recommendation!