After Action: The True Story of a Cobra Pilot's Journey

In this sensitive and intensely presented memoir, Sheehan addresses his tours of duty during the Iraq War and the burdens he%C2%A0grappled with as a result. His%C2%A0vivid prose%C2%A0conveys the turmoil and danger of piloting a combat helicopter and the special psychology of fighting, but his real story lies in dealing with the return to "normal" life.%C2%A0Sheehan presents with brutal clarity the illusory assumption that veterans can easily resume their prewar identities, and the impediments that the culture of wartime present to those needing assistance in adjusting to civilian life.%C2%A0Sheehan convincingly argues that%C2%A0other cultures are more attuned to the need for warriors to bear what he calls the "burden of peace." His recognition that his initial sense of being unique in%C2%A0feeling maladjusted was wrong%C2%A0supports his claim that hiding the psychic wounds of combat is common.%C2%A0It is hard to quarrel with his view that the attention given to the extreme cases detracts from the more frequent, if less dramatic, woes of the average veteran. Sheehan's writing%C2%A0and recommendations deserve the attention of anyone interested in this important issue, which is as topical as tomorrow's headlines.