The Last Platoon, West - A*

          This fabulous novel is set in the last days of our war in Afghanistan. The WH is trying to tamp down Talib activities in Helmand Province and put a dent in the poppy/opium trade. It's harvest time and an Iranian with millions is buying up the valuable poppies.  There's conflict among the locals as some are fighting with the Americans while others are negotiating with them. Diego Cruz, an enlisted man promoted to captain, with extensive combat experience, is sent over by an old superior to embellish his promotion opportunities and to lead a platoon providing security to the fire base that is central to the efforts in Helmand. Cruz's presence unnerves the colonel at the base who happens to be a political officer with no combat time under his belt. The mission is complicated by the presence of three CIA men who are there to interdict the opium trade and, at the direction of the president, capture the drug lord known as the Persian. The Marines find a vast store of heroin in a cave under a mosque, torch it and capture the drug lord. The following night, however, under cover of a sandstorm, the Taliban counter. Suicide bombers make it inside the wire. The concussed political colonel relives Cruz, who ignores him and goes out to re-seal the barbed wire perimeter. With nine dead, no amount of ass-covering by the colonel can save him from being relieved. Cruz lands on his feet with a job offer from the CIA. As for the mission, it was all part of a cynical play by the WH to to have Helmand be declared a neutral province in a deal with the Taliban. The author is a Marine combat vet with a tour as a civilian high up in the DOD, lending credence to both the combat and the politics. This is a delight and I thank Linda Meir for the recommendation.

        Perhaps, the most amazing takeaway here is the extensive use of technology on today's battlefield. Not only are there drones everywhere providing spot-on visual  intelligence, but our people have the ability to listen in on any local Afghani cellphone conversations. Wearing headphones, everyone in the squad can talk to everyone else. Most of the men follow the terrain around them with iPads capable of identifying friend and foe, and of course, the US can always call in fire support from nearby and high in the sky.