{"product_id":"beyond-the-outpost-an-army-cavalry-officers-war-diary-on-the-frontlines-of-afghanistan-2003-2007-9781611217629","title":"Beyond the Outpost: An Army Cavalry Officer's War Diary on the Frontlines of Afghanistan, 2003 - 2007","description":"\u003cb\u003e\"With compelling and candid prose, Berkoff takes us to the front lines as life-or-death decisions are made involving living and breathing characters. You must read this to understand what the war was like for the war fighters.\" -- Jake Tapper, award-winning journalist and author of The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn 2003, Army Cavalry Officer Second Lieutenant Ross Berkoff led his Scout Platoon from the legendary 10th Mountain Division on reconnaissance missions spanning over 10,000 miles across the perilous southern provinces of Kandahar and Helmand--the birthplace of the Taliban--during a nine-month deployment. After transitioning to Military Intelligence, Captain Berkoff returned to Afghanistan in 2006, again assigned to the 10th Mountain Division's Light Cavalry. By then, the Taliban insurgency had grown in sophistication and deadly effectiveness. \u003ci\u003eBeyond the Outpost: An Army Cavalry Officer's War Diary on the Frontlines of Afghanistan, 2003-2007\u003c\/i\u003e is the first and only unfiltered daily chronicle from a junior officer's perspective, documenting this volatile and formative early period of the U.S. Army's 20-year campaign against the Taliban.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn the two years following September 11, 2001, Taliban and Al Qaeda strongholds in Afghanistan were largely abandoned. Months of intense U.S. Special Forces raids and bombing campaigns successfully dislodged and disrupted large groups of enemy combatants. However, when the first U.S. Army Brigade Combat Teams deployed to Afghanistan, enemy tactics and momentum began to shift and intensify. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBerkoff 's 2003 deployment marked Operation Enduring Freedom's first use of Light Cavalry forces on the modern battlefield. His second deployment in 2006 supported U.S. intelligence agencies' pursuit of Osama bin Laden in the mountainous border region near Pakistan. Berkoff's diary--raw and unfiltered--takes readers on a turbulent journey through the Army's counterinsurgency mission to dismantle extremist pockets and separate them from the beleaguered Afghan population. A significant portion of Jake Tapper's national bestseller \u003ci\u003eThe Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor\u003c\/i\u003e is dedicated to this 2006-2007 deployment.\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBeyond the Outpost\u003c\/i\u003e chronicles the early years of America's Afghanistan War. Berkoff's day-to-day account of the 10th Mountain Division's campaigns and combat across Kandahar's sand dunes and the rugged Hindu Kush mountains provides unique clarity and insight into the common soldier's perspective, the evolving tactics of the Taliban insurgency, and the U.S. Army Cavalry's efforts to defeat it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn the wake of the chaotic 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, many combat veterans grapple with profound questions about the meaning and legacy of their service. Berkoff's stories of courage, sacrifice, adaptability, resilience, and leadership--enriched with original maps, and previously unpublished photographs--help bear the weight of the collective experiences of Afghanistan veterans.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Ross A. Berkoff\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Savas Beatie\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 11\/15\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 224\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.45lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.41h x 6.41w x 1.01d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781611217629\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBerkoff, Ross A.:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - Ross Berkoff served on active duty as an Armor and Military Intelligence officer from 2002 to 2009. After his service with the 10th Mountain Division, he joined the District of Columbia Army National Guard before transitioning to the private sector, where he became an industry executive in the federal government contracting, defense, and intelligence communities. His combat deployments earned him two Bronze Stars, two Army Commendation Medals, and two Afghanistan Campaign Ribbons. He takes great pride in the 3-71 Cavalry's Meritorious Unit Commendation for conducting \"highly successful counterinsurgency operations against determined opponents in the most austere and rugged conditions in the world.\" Ross and his wife Rebekah reside in Virginia, with their two children, Eliana and Aaron.","brand":"booksdeli.com","offers":[{"title":"Ross A. Berkoff \/ Hardcover \/ English","offer_id":47733829730461,"sku":"9781611217629","price":47.29,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0619\/5648\/9373\/files\/img_3b657b5e-15eb-4299-8289-af30f1d9cb20.jpg?v=1773736572","url":"https:\/\/booksdeli.com\/products\/beyond-the-outpost-an-army-cavalry-officers-war-diary-on-the-frontlines-of-afghanistan-2003-2007-9781611217629","provider":"booksdeli.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}