The Mission, the Men, and Me

The Mission, the Men, and Me: Lessons from a Former Delta Force Commander Paperback – September 7, 2010
Author: Visit ‘s Pete Blaber Page ID: 0425236579

Review

”His thesis is that there aren’t that many different situations in life, and there aren’t that many different ways of dealing with them — have a few, simple principles, and, when in doubt, refer to them. He’’s a stoic with a sense of humor, and I very much enjoyed his book.” –David Mamet, Pulitzer Prize-winning American playwright, essayist, screenwriter, and film director.

”A book about the complexities of combat that’s just as applicable for dealing with the complexities of business and our personal lives.” –Kevin Sharer, chairman and CEO, Amgen

–This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

About the Author

PETE BLABER commanded at every level of Delta Force, executing vital missions across the globe including destroying the largest pocket of Al Qaeda forces to date, and helping to hasten the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq. He lives in Santa Monica, California.

–This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Paperback: 336 pagesPublisher: Berkley; Reprint edition (September 7, 2010)Language: EnglishISBN-10: 0425236579ISBN-13: 978-0425236574 Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.8 x 9 inches Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Best Sellers Rank: #17,671 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #16 in Books > History > Military > Iraq War #18 in Books > History > Military > United States > Veterans #40 in Books > History > Military > Intelligence & Espionage
When the dust has finally settled from our involvement in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, one of the engagements that I believe will occupy the time of many prognosticators for generations to come will be "Operation Anaconda" that took place in the Shahi Khot Valley of Afghanistan in the winter of 2002.

Several fine books have already been written describing what happened during those fateful hours in the frigid February and March air high in the mountains near the Pakistan border. Sean Naylor gives a gripping account of his part of the story in "Not a Good Day to Die." (See below for the link to my review from February, 2007.)

Nate Self’s recent book, "Two Wars" (to be reviewed here soon) adds another important perspective on what happened in Afghanistan and beyond.

Pete Blaber, the Delta Force commander who was in charge of the AFO (Advanced Force Operations) involved in Operation Anaconda, has written a compelling book that is a welcome addition to the ongoing dialogue about what we can all learn from the events of those days. Adding valuable insight into this engagement, Blaber’s book also takes a broad look at lessons he has learned along the way that are practical and applicable not just to military operations but to any situations that presents leadership challenges.

The title of the book, "Mission, the Men, and Me – Lessons from a Former Delta Force Commander ," refers to the three priorities and three questions that Blaber set for himself in making decisions in the heat of battle: "What is best for the Mission; what is best for my men; what is best for me?" Any leader would be well served to adapt these priorities at decisive moments in responding to challenges and opportunities.
This excellent book is really about how to thrive out on the edge of a high-risk, high-profile career. It’s not a book for armchair experts or backseat drivers of whatever stripe, because one of Blaber’s key teachings is how to circumvent the kibbutzers and second-guessers in positions of authority, ignore their distractions and overcome their interference, and accomplish the mission.

In fact, while it’s a great title, the equation of the "mission", his "men" and himself "me" gives the misleading impression that Blaber may be a bit of a prima donna. In fact, the "Mission, Men and Me" framework is applied whenever Blaber is being pressured by a senior commander to take an action that Blaber is convinced will result in damage to the mission or needless harm to his men. When forced into these dilemmas, if the only consideration is his personal or career interests, than Blaber always puts "Me" at risk to assure the best outcome for the Mission and his Men.

The realism of the book can be conveyed by observing that Blaber needs to apply the Mission, Men and Me framework fairly frequently!

The book, which is officially divided into Parts One – Four, is thematically structured into three sections:

(1) The first section is a series of very helpful lessons and mental frameworks for handling intense, stressful and complex situations. Blaber has benefited from the kind of resources the US Government can afford to pour into its best and brightest, and an unbelievable amount of cutting edge cognitive, psychological, sociological, and other areas of research have been reduced to practical learnings and made available to the operators of Delta Force, and Blaber makes them available to readers of this book.
Download The Mission, the Men, and Me: Lessons from a Former Delta Force Commander – September 7, 2010 PDF Free Download

JoharHarsaya326