Michael Lee Lanning

One company commander's battle against drugs and racial conflict in the war to rebuild the post-Vietnam army In 1974, being a soldier was neither an easy nor a popular profession, as Captain Michael Lee Lanning found out when he assumed command of Company A, 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry, 3rd Infantry Division in Schweinfurt, Germany. The start-up problems of the all-volunteer forces were still painfully evident in the United States Army. Morale was low, drug abuse high, racial conflict frequent, discipline poor, and criminal activity common. Even the barracks were a pathetic shamble. These were just some of the problems Captain Lanning faced as he struggled to make Alpha Company "combat ready." What followed is a shining testament to how leadership by example can make a difference. In eighteen months, Alpha Company went from being an unruly, unprofessional, drug-infested unit to the best in the battalion, racking up top marks, honors, and commendations. They became a company to which Lanning could honestly say: "You are the best soldiers in the best company in the best army in the world."

'Impeccably researched, unbiased, and revealing.'-Kirkus *One of the finest chronicles of the mysterious LRRP units of the Vietnam war*Explains how they were staffed and trained*Discusses their missions and tactics Vietnam was a different kind of war, calling for a different kind of soldier. When the first major combat units were deployed there in 1965 the Army found itself in a predicament. This was a war unlike any that it had trained and equipped itself for; the jungle terrain was nothing like Eastern Europe, and the enemy's preferred guerrilla tactics, as opposed to stand up and fight set-piece battles, meant that an effective means of locating him was required. The LRRPs- Long Range Reconnaissance Patrols - were that new breed of fighting man. They operated in six-man teams deep within enemy territory, and were the eyes and ears of the units they served. This is their story of perseverence under extreme hardship and uncommon bravery, and how they carried out the war's most hazardous missions.Michael Lee Lanning retired from the army as a lieutenant colonel after more than twenty years' service. During his assignment to Vietnam, he served as both an infantry platoon leader and a company commander in the 199th Infantry Brigade (Light). He is the author of fourteen books including Mercenaries, Inside Force Recon, and Inside the Crosshairs.