"A must read for anyone that seeks to understand the complexity of warfare being faced by our armed forces in Iraq. This is an exceptional recounting of one of the coalition's greatest operational successes and it provides the reader with an insider's view of the varying modern requirements of fighting in city combat, civil affairs operations, and the ever-important information operations." -- Patrick C. Sweeney, Professor of Joint Military Operations, U.S. Naval War College
John R. Ballard is currently assigned to the office of the Secretary of Defense in the Pentagon. He commanded the Marine Corps' 4th Civil Affairs Group in Iraq during operations Iraqi Freedom and Al Fajr. He is Professor of Joint Military Operations at the U.S. Naval War College.
For anyone seeking to learn about Operation AL FAJR and how it came
about, how it transitioned to reconstruction, and what it meant for
the emerging IIG's identity at the time, Fighting for Fallujah is a
good place to start….[t]he book performs a monumental feat. It
helps Marines understand why and how civil-military operations are
not merely activities performed by the CAG. So while some would
browse Fighting for Fallujah with more of an interest in the urban
assault than the civil-military operations that followed, it is
possible that this less appreciated and essential aspect of
Operation AL FAJR is the one unique thing this book offers from
which future MAGTF commanders and their staffs can learn the
most.
*Marine Corps Gazette*
The November 2004 battle for the city of Fallujah forces the U.S.
military to work on a large scale in an urban environment against
prepared insurgent forces. Ballard examines in detail the entire
operation, from the attack on the Blackwater contractors in March
to the elections held the following January. Relying on firsthand
accounts and official documentation, he offers recommendations for
future operations based on lessons learned in Fallujah.
*Middle East Journal*
Much deeper than just a story about the most intense urban combat
Marines have participated in since Hue, Ballard's insider narrative
educates readers on how Coalition forces learned from early
mistakes and were then able to gain the support of the Sunni
population despite destroying their city…..Written in a style that
is both educational and easy to read, Fighting for Fallujah is an
important contribution to understanding the complexity of urban
operations in Iraq.
*Military Review*
[A]n intense and vivid chronicle of a turning point in the
counterinsurgency fight….Employing a framework of reportorial
realism based upon eyewitness accounts, interviews with military
leaders and recently declassified records and documents, the
somewhat scholarly narrative and its 22 pages of informative
footnotes in no way interfere with placing the reader shoulder to
shoulder with Marines, soldiers and Iraqi troops as they fought
house to house through more than 20,000 structures over three weeks
to clear out enemy forces….[a] powerful but balanced analysis of
the significant actions, innovative strategies and techniques, and
varying requirements for engagements in an urban sea of one- and
two-story houses….Today, Fallujah remains one of the safest cities
in Iraq. In describing how that came to be, Ballard's first-rate
Fighting for Fallujah is as inspiring as the men and women who
served during that fight.
*Air Force Times/Army Times/Marine Corps Times*
This compilation of first-person accounts, interviews, and official
documents tells of the hard-fought battle for the
insurgent-controlled city of Fallujah in November 2004….Having
commanded the Marine Corps' 4th Civil Affairs Group during
Operations Iraqi Freedom and Al Fajr, John Ballard's credentials
are solid. His extensive research and well-written work will be of
great value to serious students, both military and civilian.
*PROCEEDINGS*
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