Rifle Company Book Review

A Rifle Company in the Desert: Company C, 3-41st Infantry (+) Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm

This book is written by a former Ranger and friend Mike Kershaw (instrumental in Run to the Sound of the Guns book). It chronicles his experiences in the build-up and combat during the First Gulf War. The book should appeal to readers who understand military-styled writing - as in C CO (-) - which basically means an understrength company, missing some part of a regular company structure. It is especially interesting because Kershaw’s use of his comrades’ accounts and his honest reflection on the men and higher-ups.

It took me back to the years I served in the peace-time Ranger Battalion where I had first met Mike. Reading it made me miss the smell of the red Georgian clay, then the clear Washington air, the bug juice, gun oil and powder… but not so much the constant push-ups for having been a smart-ass.

There is little of substance out there from the combat commander’s POV and those of his subordinates. Mike draws heavily on his personnel’s accounts. His company actually saw real combat action.