Alone at Dawn

This was a very compelling read about some of the earliest events in the Afghan war. It traces the development of Air Force Combat Controllers over the decades, as well as the lives and upbringings of some of the key players in the events that lead up to a very bad day on Takur Ghar, a massive 10,000+ foot peak in the Afghan mountains.Overall there are a number of storylines to follow as well as much of the military jargon that necessarily finds its way into such a book. I’m terribly thankful to the authors for all their detailed and dedicated effort to “get this right”. They did.For those who simply wish to whine about the fact it was too complicated to follow I’d only add that you can read a book more than once, or for that matter you can take detailed notes as you read it (digitally or on paper). Short of that, perhaps try growing a brain.What some of the special ops forces have endured since 9/11 is simply beyond the pale. For someone to complain about the pain of actually having to “think” while reading about it is disheartening. It has been my painful experience to have to listen to the pain of so many friends who have had loved ones serving in these roles, for now these many years, and to understand the pain of what it has done to these wonderful warriors.John Chapman left a tremendous legacy of dedication and love and it really shined through at the end of the book. It was sad to learn of some of the military game playing that some of his supporters encountered (I’m sure that’s an understatement) in getting his valor recognized. Unfortunately military institutions from top to bottom have pretty much unfailingly produced some of the best and some of the worst in human behavior. Thins always go wrong in war. Some face up to it, some don’t. A theme does run through this book that is unfortunately not very favorable to some of the Navy Seals involved (and in fact team Six). But given the proclivity for this thing to happen in pretty much all wars, it rings true that some of the players made big mistakes and later tried to cover them up.In reading about military history, and especially US Military history I have found that as enough time passes certain valiant actors eventually get their due. But usually it’s only after significant classified information becomes de-classified. You will find much of that here with some seriously dedicated Air Force Sr. personnel. It reminds me of another GREAT example of the same behavior that was the experience of John Waldren from Torpedo Squadron 8 at the battle of Midway during WWII. He lost his life but his actions & those of his fellow aviators changed world history in mere minutes. Read Richard Mrazek’s wonderful tome on this episode for a gleaming example of military facts being covered up to protect the guilty. Sadly this wonderful story is tarnished by some of the same, but the authors have done their work and provided a compelling and worthwhile read.Personally I think the world of all of our incredibly brave US military people. They “write out a blank check” for an amount up to and including their lives, and sign on the line to serve. You will NOT be disappointed with this story about some very incredible US citizens going above and beyond the call of duty so that we can sleep at night. Special thanks to Dan Schilling & “Chappy’s” Sister Lori for putting in all this effort so that some truth can begin breath again for those who have fallen.

First, this is an important story that needed to be told.The motto for USSOCOM is "The Quiet Professionals." They work at the edge of foreign policy, where journalists don't venture, so what they do often goes unreported. And while it seems to me that so many books have been written lately, usually by SEALs, to turn the motto into a bit of irony, this story is different. Chapman is the first Combat Controller to receive the Medal of Honor. Yet most Americans have never heard Combat Control, Air Force Special Tactics or AFSOC. This book provides the means to highlight not only Chapman's heroic actions but also the history and work of a truly quiet community.Second, the book is well written.A great story poorly written is a story that goes unnoticed. Thankfully, I found this book to be incredibly well written and engaging. If you’re not familiar with the battle, it may help to read Not A Good Day to Die beforehand, but I thought this was an easy read. I was pulled into the story and I found it difficult to put down, which says a lot because we all know those books are really hard to find. I also thought it was smart how the author wove Chapman's story into the history of CCT because otherwise I believe the book would've come across as unfocused. Yes, as some of the more critical reviews have pointed out, the author tells us time and again how much heavier the CCTs ruck sacks are, which almost comes across as some kind of underlying insecurity of CCT vs SF and SEALs, however there’s no denying the outsized impact CCTs have on the battlefield. In all, the writing does the story justice.After reading it, I've purchased additional copies to give to friends and family. The only other book I've done that for was With The Old Breed. That alone should tell you how highly I regard this book.

Amazon's AI steered me to this (Based on your purchases these are some books your might like). I never heard of the Air Force CCT or the red beret people of the Spec Ops community. This was an education for me. All I knew about combat air support for ground operations was based on the Vietnam template - - that is FAC, pilots in light aircraft in the Vietnam era. CCT operators are enlisted Air Force air traffic controllers embedded with Special Operations unit. This book is helpful in bringing you up to speed on their training (can you swim underwater for 25 meters harassed by instructors?) and equipment load (training is much longer now and I hope advanced technology has reduced the combat load). You don't really get a sense of the battle that earned Chapman the MOH itself until the end of the book - about 200 plus pages later. The authors are not happy with the SEALS who were dropped off with Chapman at Roberts Ridge. Don't bash SEAL team 6 based on this book - - decisions that are second-guessed later are made in every battle since homo sapiens decided to fight each other. Anyway, I think Hollywood or Netflix should make a film about this story. It certainly is a better "feel good" story than "Lone Survivor." I gave it five stars because of how the Air Force went through the difficult process of upgrading Chapman's initial decoration to the MOH, thanks to the Air Force civilian Secretary (SECAF) at the time. As well as description of the funeral, MOH ceremony with Trump, and the later Air Force memorial. That, to me, is the real battle, i.e., how to pay full honor to our deserving military heroes.

Good read. Navy leadership costs so many service man their lives early in the war. I don’t know if it was ego or arrogance or incompetents.

great story. Great hero!

An incredible story. A must read!God Bless Mr Chapman and his family

John Chapman, a true and dedicated hero! The true meaning of teamwork, sacrificing my life for your life, and leaving no man behind! God Bless!

This is an excellent read. Eye opening account of these events.