Combat Self-defense

Book excerpt: Warfare in the post-9/11 era has a new face. Enemy combatants may not be in uniform, and could be hiding in villages filled with women and children or posing as dead bodies lying in the street. Soldiers have a split second to decide whether or not to employ the use of deadly force. However, for many soldiers, the real fight begins after the battle has concluded-when lawyers get involved. Now more than ever, judgment and honor are called into question and hindsight applied to decisions made in the heat of conflict. Iraq War veteran and former police officer David G. Bolgiano examines how the fear of using force in combat has put American fighting forces in unnecessary danger. Calling for a more reasoned approach, Bolgiano insists on adapting current training methodology to address the present threat to American security. Book jacket.