A modern (2001->now) military memoir that is not written by a grifter or fraud.

I’ve read quite a few memoirs over the years, but one I’ve never found interesting is military. Mostly because when I dipped my toes in that circle it was just grift after grift after grift.

David Goggins is probably the biggest example of soldier into self help guru, we know Chris Kyle was a lying piece of shit, Tim Kennedy was caught for stealing valor, and despite Goggins having genuinely interesting story, once that money started moving he of course released a follow up book.

I am trying desperately to avoid that. I don’t care if it is a complete attack and dismantling of the modern military, or if it is “this is the greatest choice I’ve ever made”. I just want an honest memoir, from anyone who has served in the last 15-20 years, and has at least a decent level of writing.

That last part is worth mentioning simply because if we go back in time, I have not read them personally, but by all reports, some Vietnam novels are truly beautiful in their writing and storytelling. I don’t want “then we breached the door, my buddies were shouting at everyone to get down, I held my pistol in the air because I didn’t want to shoot” kind of shit.