Danger Close

Danger Close, My Epic Journey As A Combat Helicopter Pilot in Iraq and Afghanistan, by Amber Smith, Atria Books 2017

Never mind that the pilot was a woman, but it was a Kiowa war helicopter piloted into enemy fire zones in Iraq and Afghanistan, close, real close.  What does it feel like to be suspended over danger zones, dodging and laying down fire, all the while listening to ground-to-air communications and monitoring engine functions?  It's nuts, that what it is!  Talk about PTSD!  How this woman ever came to tell the story - in detail - of what it was like to fly low and fast right above the fight, is amazing.  Plus, she was a member of the elite 2-17 Cavalry Regiment, part of the legendary 101st Airborne Division, the Screaming Eagles, the same guys who landed on D-Day.  Amazing.  

There is a coolness to Smith's detailed descriptions of "encounters," missions planned and monitored with great precision, but completed with not always guaranteed results, because, after all, it's the enemy down there, and they don't always follow the plan book.  Nevertheless, Commander Smith is ready - her training, reflexes and gut take us through the front line action in this post-9'11 memoir to a point that we can actually "see" how this new type of war was conducted.