The Battles of Peace: One Company Commander's Battle Against Drugs and Racial Conflict in the War to Rebuild the Post-Vietnam Army

ISBN: 0345483049

Author: Lanning, Col. Michael Lee Lee

Condition: New

One company commanders battle against drugs and racial conflict in the war to rebuild the post-Vietnam armyIn 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.