A fascinating history of "soldiers of fortune"--who earn their full-time living waging war--with emphasis on the current role of mercenaries in America's war against terror, and their potential use in future conflicts. Includes an 8-page photo insert. Original.

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...