Ghost of Samarra
Submitted by: Christopher Galka
Category: Books
Thank you for the opportunity to present Ghosts of Samarra: U.S. Army Strykers at War in Iraq, published in 2023 by Heselholt Group, LLC, paperback ISBN: 979-8376275177, eBook ASIN: B0BTXLGC3L. This book was 20 years in the making, and only by chance released on the 20th anniversary of the Second Gulf War. It serves as a powerful platform highlighting several oral histories from soldiers of the 5-20th Infantry Battalion during their 2003-2004 tour in Iraq.
There’s a simple outline to orient the reader to the region and the unit before eight veterans tell their stories, and subsequently the story of the Army’s initial Stryker Brigade in combat. The book debuted #1 New Releases for Iraq War Histories and initially climbed to #8 Best Sellers for Iraq War Histories on Amazon.
Dr. Tobias Vogt von Heselholt
CEO, Heselholt Group, LLC
www.myretirementdoc.com
About the author:
Dr. Tobias Vogt von Heselholt (shortened to “Vote”) grew up in central Pennsylvania and lower Alabama. ELITE SOLDIER: Tobias is a retired U.S. Army officer who served in numerous infantry, special operations and intelligence assignments throughout a 28-year career. He’s a veteran of Operations Desert Shield/Storm, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, with overseas service in Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, Asia and Africa. He’s the former chief of advanced civil schooling for the U.S. Army and served in several senior joint/interagency positions within the U.S. government prior to retirement. A snapshot of his more than 50 awards and decorations includes the: - Bronze Star - Combat Infantryman Badge - Special Forces Tab and Green Beret - Ranger Tab - Master Parachutist Badge - Pathfinder Badge - Air Assault Badge - Mountain Warfare Ram’s Head Device - Venezuelan Combat Diver Badge - German Taetigkeitsabzeichen Personal Allgemeinen Heeresdienst (Gold). TOP-NOTCH PROFESSOR: Tobias was a U.S. Army professor of strategic intelligence and chairman in the School of Science and Technology Intelligence at the National Intelligence University in Washington, D.C. While at the university, he also co-chaired the Weapons of Mass Destruction Intelligence Institute and was an elected member of the faculty senate. He’s a former Visiting Professor of Public Policy in the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University. In retirement, he’s lectured part-time in the Department of Philosophy and Political Science at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. He holds an: - Undergraduate degree in international studies from Hawaii Pacific University - Graduate degree in diplomacy and military studies from Hawaii Pacific University - Graduate degree in policy management from Georgetown University - Doctor of philosophy degree in war studies from King’s College, London SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSMAN: Currently, Tobias and his wife Annelie own a small business that focuses on helping people with retirement and cancer nutrition. For more info see MyRetirementDoc.com and DietitianDoc.com. If you want to get to know them better, you’ll find Tobias and Annelie’s personal retirement story on the MyRetirementDoc.com About page and hundreds of photos on Pinterest @MyRetirementDoc.