The Unit
Author: Adam Gamal Writer: Kelly Kennedy
- The first and only book to ever be written by a member of America's most secret military unit―an explosive and unlikely story of service and sacrifice.
Inside our military is a team of operators whose work is so secretive that the name of the unit itself is classified. Highly-trained in warfare, self-defense, infiltration, and deep surveillance, "the Unit," as the Department of Defense has asked us to refer to it, has been responsible for preventing dozens of terrorist attacks in the Western world. Never before has a member of this unit shared their story ― until now.
From Adam Gamal, one of the only Muslim Arab Americans to serve inside “the Unit," comes an incisive firsthand account of our nation’s most secretive military group. When Adam arrived in the United States at the age of twenty, he spoke no English, and at 5’1” and 112 pounds, he was far from what you might expect of a soldier. But compelled into service by a debt he felt he owed to his new country, he rose through the ranks of the military to become one of its most elite and skilled operators.
With humor and humility, Adam shares stories of life-threatening injuries, of the camaraderie and capabilities of his team, and of the incredible missions―but also of the growth he experienced as he learned to understand his own moderate faith.
Enthralling and eye-opening, The Unit is at once a gripping account of the fight against terror, an urgent examination of the need for diversity, and an inside look at how America fights its battles abroad in the modern age of terrorism.
This edition includes a 16-page color photo insert.
Queen of Cuba
Author: Pete Lapp Writer: Kelly Kennedy
As a spy prepared to give away America’s biggest secrets after the 9/11 attacks, an FBI agent raced to catch her.
U.S. government officials knew they had a spy. But it never occurred to them it was a woman—and certainly not a superstar Defense Intelligence Agency employee known as “the Queen of Cuba.”
Ana Montes had spent seventeen years spying for the Cubans. She had been raised in a patriotic Puerto Rican household: Her father, a psychiatrist, was a former colonel in the U.S. Army. Her sister worked as a translator for the FBI and helped break up a ring of Cuban spies in Miami. Her brother was also a loyal FBI agent.
Montes impressed her bosses, but in secret, spent her breaks memorizing top secret documents before sending them to the Cuban government. She received no payment, even as one of her missives could have brought her the death penalty.
She also listened to anxiety-relief tapes, took medication, and saw a psychiatrist. She dreamed of a normal life where she could work a job she enjoyed. She dreamed of getting married, and even had a man in mind: a defense analyst on the Cuba account for Southern Command. He had no idea that, three times a week, Montes pulled a short-wave radio from her closet and received encrypted messages from Cuba.
After the 9/11 attacks, Cuba wanted Montes to continue her work. They couldn’t know the FBI was already on to her. Retired FBI agent Peter J. Lapp explains the clues—including never-released information—that led their team to catch one of the United States’ most dangerous spies.
Fight Like a Girl
The Truth Behind how Female Marines are Trained
Author: Kate Germano Writer: Kelly Kennedy
A Marine Corps combat veteran with 20 years of service describes her professional battle against gender bias in the Marines and the lessons it holds for other arenas.
One year after Marine CorpsLieutenant Colonel Kate Germano arrived at Parris Island and took command of the Fourth Recruit Training Battalion, shooting qualifications of the women under her command equaled those of men, injuries had decreased, and unit morale had noticeably improved.
Then she was fired, just as the Corps worked to prove women couldn't shoot well enough, run fast enough or keep injuries low enough to serve in the infantry.
The Marines said she was "too abrasive" as she struggled against a "Mean Girls" climate in the military's only all-female training unit.
They Fought for Each Other
The Triumph and Tragedy of the Hardest Hit Unit in Iraq
This national best-seller tells the story of Charlie Company, 1/26th Infantry's 15-month tour in Adhamiya, Iraq in 2007.
As an embedded reporter, Kennedy patrolled with the soldiers and spent hours in combat support hospitals. She was with Charlie Rock when they lost five soldiers and one interpreter when their Bradley rolled over a deep-buried bomb. During their tour, one soldier threw himself on a grenade to save his friends--earning a Medal of Honor; a well-liked first sergeant killed himself in front of his troops; and a platoon was accused of mutiny. The men of Charlie 1-26 would earn at least 95 combat awards, and lose 14 lives. Their battalion lost 31 men. Ultimately, they would earn a Presidential Unit Citation for their bravery. Their story is seen as a primer for good leadership in horrifying conditions, as well as a tale of unit-level love and bravery--warts and all.