Glossary, Introduction, About the story
BOND OF BROTHERS: DANGER CLOSE
2nd Enhanced Edition, April 2022.
Original Copyright 2021 by Robert J. Saniscalchi. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored or transmitted unless for review purposes.
Author: Robert J. Saniscalchi. Editing by MJV Literary
ISBN: 979-8-52-512721-0 ASIN: B0981FCY84
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events and locals are purely coincidental.
*A novel by ROBERT J. SANISCALCHI
Reader Comments: THE PRAIRIES BOOK REVIEW on AUGUST 18, 2021, "Fast and fun... A well-plotted yarn. High action, breakneck pacing, and political intrigue mark Saniscalchi’s latest. The action is almost nonstop, with bodies galore and nice twists right to the end. Amid all the high-profile action and violence, Jason and Emma’s romance brings lightheartedness to the narrative. Saniscalchi keeps a tight rein on his lightning-fast, action-packed plot. Lovers of well-crafted military thrillers won’t want to miss this one."
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I want to thank the men and women, past and present, for their service in the United States military. Without them we would not have the freedom we all enjoy today. Also, I want to thank my reviewers for the great feedback on my stories—it inspires me to write more. I also want to thank my editor Matt, friends, family and readers in the world of books for their support and encouragement.
INTRODUCTION
It should be noted that this story is the first in the Bond of Brothers Series and is followed by the thrilling sequel, Black Water, the China Connection. Bond of Brothers: Danger Close is a work of fiction, but research was done in respect of our military and to keep the story as realistic as possible for the reader. War can be hell, not everything goes according to plan and the author tried to show some of this drama while keeping the story positive about America and our military. Some details in this story never happened, but considering the volatile climate in the Middle East today, perhaps it could…
Given the military and political attachment to this story, the author decided it would be helpful to give the reader—especially those who are not familiar with military terms and the seemingly endless chain of command—some basic information. The complex world of the modern-day United States military can be broken down and perhaps simplified if we look at the four main branches, one step at a time.
First, we have the U.S. Army, founded as the Continental Army back in 1775 to fight the Revolutionary War. The Army is our largest military branch, with a total of over one million men and women in uniform, its mission: “Providing prompt and sustained land dominance across a full range of military operations.”
The U.S. Navy, with its wide array of equipment and manpower, is the largest and most powerful navy in the world. It was founded as the Continental Navy during the Revolutionary War. The Navy is the seaborne branch of the United States military and it strives to deliver “prompt and sustained combat operations in support of the national interest.”
The U.S. Air Force was formed in 1907 as part of the Army, but in 1947 it became its own branch of the U.S. military. The Air Force provides support operations for the Army and Navy, its mission “to maintain air superiority and rapid global response ability.”
The U.S. Marines were formed in 1775 as part of the Continental Marines and became part of the Navy in 1834. They are capable of fighting at sea and on shore, conducting expeditionary and amphibious military operations wherever the threat may be.
The U.S. Special Forces are part of and work in conjunction with all major branches of the U.S. military. To name a few, this includes the Army Rangers and Delta Force, the Navy Seals and the Air Force Special Operations Command. These highly trained forces provide rescue, anti-terrorism, covert ops and direct-action missions anytime, anywhere, all over the world.
At the very top of command and control we have the U.S. Federal Government and its attachments, right through to the top of the chain of command, the Office of the U.S. President, who is the military’s commander in chief. From there, as the old saying goes, “everything trickles down the grapevine.” The highest-ranking officer in the military is the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Chairman, along with the Secretary of Defense, reports directly to the President.
Finally, it is the Special Forces, and our group of fictional Special Forces characters, that this author chooses to write about on this occasion, putting them in the thick of things in this story. Together with other branches of our military they have no equal—they are the best of the best.
By creating this story, I would like to give the reader a more up-close and personal view into the lives of our men and women in uniform, from the support and supply personnel to the boots on the ground, the seamen at sea and the pilots roaring overhead. It is, as always, up to them to take the call and head into harm’s way. As history has proven, “freedom is not free.”
It is the author’s intent when creating this novel to reflect on, respect and honor the men and women who serve in the U.S. military.
A little about Special Forces
The men and women of the U.S. Special Forces are a diverse group of the U.S. military. They come to serve from all across America. Some of the candidates are enlisted men and women who come up through the ranks and are recognized for their exceptional skills and potential. Some of the members also come through ROTC as officers. From Army Rangers to Navy Seals, they have one thing in common: they are highly skilled and dedicated to protecting America at any cost, anytime, anywhere their duty takes them.
Turmoil in Iraq
After the United States-led coalition forces defeated the terrorist groups of the Taliban and Al-Qaeda in Iraq, U.S. troops began the costly mistake of a gradual withdrawal from the region. In truth, the Iraqi people were not ready and slowly, from the remnants of Al-Qaeda, the terrorists began to gather in the shadows of the war-torn country that was Iraq. Terrorism in the Middle East was still alive, with the help of Iran and its outlying areas.
In 2011 a growing new threat emerged: the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or “ISIS”. This deadly new threat took advantage of the instability, growing in size and seizing control in Iraq, pushing out into Afghanistan and Syria. They were effectively terrorizing people with their brutal attacks, on-camera assassinations and rocket fire. ISIS used high firepower—lots of machine guns and rockets mounted on pickup trucks—and they mined the roads with IEDs. It was only a matter of time before they took complete control of Iraq and its people.
In retaliation to the growing threat, U.S.-led coalition forces began air attacks against ISIS targets in 2014, and eventually expanded the air campaign into Syria. ISIS still controlled Northern Iraq and now decided to spread their terror to other parts of the world. They bombed a Russian airliner, killing over 200 innocent people, and in Orlando, Florida and Paris, France they killed and maimed hundreds of innocent civilians in the name of their so-called “jihad”. In Syria the ISIS terrorists gained territory, attacking and taking over an important airbase.
The webs of these evil spiders were spreading again. The Middle East was turning into another boiling pot of bad news, with Iran aiding and abetting terrorism whenever possible. Iran began missile attacks against targets in Iraq as ISIS used every tool and trick available, utilizing Twitter and other online networks to find new recruits.
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
AK-47: A rugged and dependable assault machine gun of Russian design.
CAP COM or BRAVO: Command headquarters.
COM: Communication device.
FIREBASE: Dedicated and secured area for long-range artillery or missile deployment.
FOX ONE: Pilot’s call for release of weapons.
GRID SECTOR: Area of location on strategic map.
IED: Improvised explosive device.
LZ: “Landing Zone” – secured area for landing helicopters.
ROUNDS: Bullets fired from guns or ammunition.
RPG: Rocket-propelled grenade.
SAPPER: A lone assault troop used to infiltrate the enemy’s perimeter.
TWENTY: Location.
UPLINK: Digital satellite communications and navigation device.
MAVERICK:Air to ground assault missile.
SIDEWINDER: Air to air attack missile
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
New Jersey born Award-Winning Author Robert J. Saniscalchi is semi-retired and loving life with his better half in Sunny Florida. Robert stays motivated to write by the good feedback from his readers. He invites everyone to visit his author's website http:// robsbooksandmore.com for details and reviews on his books.
Robert has seven published novels to date and another one coming soon. All of Robert’s work sold on Amazon Smile helps to donate to this worthy charity.
