Outlaw Platoon Book Review

Writing this review has been more daunting than I initially thought it would be--not because the book was terrible or anything like that--simply because the book affected me in so many ways that I have been worried that my words will not do justice to the incredible story that it holds on it’s pages of the men who served in the platoon that came to be known as the Outlaws.

Outlaw Platoon is an incredible true story of a how a group of men from the Army’s 10^th Mountain Division—some of whom had been previously tested in battle, along with others who were completely green—forged bonds of friendship and love that transcended their vast differences and enabled them to become a united fighting force that the enemy came to recognize and loath. The author, Sean Parnell, was the platoon’s LT (Lieutenant) in 2006 when the events detailed in this book took place. As he states in the Author’s Note, his goal in writing the book is not to bring glory to any of his own actions during their time in Afghanistan, but is to bring recognition to his men—a task that he performed very well in the retelling of their story. To quote the book’s dust jacket, “Over 80 percent were wounded in action, putting their casualty rate among the highest since Gettysburg, and not all of them made it home.” The story of these men needs to be told—we must never forget the sacrifices that our troops make in service to our country—and the debt of gratitude that we owe them.

Almost immediately upon beginning to read I was swept into the action—and before I had even made it out of the Prologue I had already found myself on the brink of tears. Parnell doesn’t gloss over any of the details of what they experienced during Outlaw Platoon’s time in Afghanistan—this is a very REAL and vivid account of what he and his men experienced during their 16 month tour (though the book does not actually cover the full 16 months). *A brief word of warning—if you have a weak stomach, this may not be a suitable book for you to read as it is pretty graphic in nature. Also as may be expected (due to the nature of the book), strong language is used heavily throughout it.*

For the most part the book is generally non-stop action, and the pace of the book made it hard to put down and easy to lose track of time while reading it.

Parnell’s descriptions of his men and the people they encountered throughout the book really made them come to life for me—and quickly drew me into their lives. So, much so that whenever there was an injury—or worse—I felt as though I myself had borne witness to it as it occurred and experienced overwhelming feelings of concern, grief, and loss.

The story contained within the pages of this book is a powerful one to say the least—and provides valuable insight into how combat affects different men in different ways. Being the wife of a combat veteran I really appreciated this insight. . .it’s just one of those things that isn’t really talked about (except veteran to veteran)—and with good reason. . .as civilians we are not really able to relate to what happens in a combat situation (having never been through anything of a similar nature in MOST cases)—though we may be able to empathize to a certain level it will never be quite the same—and trying to engage a soldier in conversation in this area without it being volunteered is a pretty big no-no. That being said, I am grateful that Parnell dared to share his story and the story of his men so that they would not be forgotten—and so the world would know what the men of Outlaw Platoon did and endured along with the atrocities they witnessed and how it forged the bond between them and made them stronger.

Sadly, the book ended somewhat abruptly and left me wishing it had been longer as I felt unready for my journey with the men as the reader and ‘observer’ to be over. I had grown so attached to them during the time I was reading the book that I literally felt bereft when it ended.

I read Mark Bowden’s Black Hawk Down years ago, and while it was an incredible telling of the events that transpired that deadly Sunday in Somalia, it doesn’t have the same distinction as Outlaw Platoon does in having been written from the perspective and memory of the (then) LT who was there through it all and did himself experienced the events he has written about.

Overall, I HIGHLY recommend this book—especially to my fellow military wives. Being able to get a glimpse of what our men who go ‘outside the wire’ go through (though every situation will of course be different) is—in my humble opinion—an invaluable tool to being able to understand them better and help them through whatever residual effects there may be.

Please remember to always treat returning combat vets with the consideration and respect that they have earned. Their time spent becoming a combat vet was not an easy one and will always be a part of who they are. . .somewhere below the surface.

I would like to leave you with a couple of quotes from the end of The Return of the King (both are spoken by Frodo. . .the long one is from the movie version, the short one is from the book). I think that though they come from the mouth of a fictional character these are likely the same thoughts that our combat veterans face upon their return home—as evidenced by Parnell’s honest account in Outlaw Platoon of both his emotions and the emotions he witnessed in his men during their time together in Afghanistan.

“How do you pick up the threads of an old life? How do you go on, when in your heart you begin to understand—there is no going back? There are some things that time cannot mend. . .some hurts that go too deep, that have taken hold.”

“I am wounded. . .wounded; it will never really heal.”