."..what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? ...The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. Thomas Jefferson"

Army Brigadier General Patrick Henry Barrick is a throw-back to another era. Rising up through the ranks to command the storied 82nd Airborne, he refused to participate in the typical politics required for advancement. His greatest attribute-or most fatal flaw-is that his troops will follow him into hell.

Draconian defense cuts...