“Outlaw Platoon”
Sean Parnell and John Bruning (the authors) provide narration about the events that occurred during a tour to Afghanistan by the 10th Mountain Division of the U.S. Army. This book provides a good picture of what being a soldier in the U.S. Army entails. For instance, it looks at several army values. These include the duty to fulfill obligations, personal courage, and selfless service among others.
Duty to fulfill obligations
The author narrates how the U.S. soldiers showed commitment to performing the Army duties more than their own tasks. The book shows how the work of the U.S. Army is complex. The soldiers must meet their responsibilities, perform tasks, and align them to the missions of the U.S. Army. For instance, the authors quote that the soldiers fulfilled their obligations as part of their unit.
They resisted temptations that would lure them into undermining the integrity of goals of the Army. The author argues that it is the duty of the soldiers to fulfill their obligations in the Army. For instance, during an ambush in the mountains, the outlaw platoon responded to a call for help and went to rescue fellow Marines under enemy fire.
Personal courage
The Army value of personal courage is also illustrated in the book (Outlaw Platoon). The authors narrate how the members of the U.S. Army faced fear, danger, and adversity both morally and physically. For instance, the author mentions that personal courage is associated with the U.S. Army. The book illustrates how the soldiers in the U.S. Army build their personal courage by standing up and acting upon what they saw as honorable.
For instance, the odds were against the 10th Mountain Division. While stranded, Baldwin, a member of his platoon rushed to his rescue. In the process, the enemy was taking shots at Baldwin, but he did not waver in his resolution to rescue his colleague. This was a great display of personal courage by the platoon members.
They had bonded and built brotherhood ties during training and their service in Afghanistan. They were ready to sacrifice their life for each other. On certain occasions, they would be cornered and out-gunned by the enemy, but the personal courage shown by his platoon saved them from imminent death
Selfless service
The book also shows the value of selfless service in the U.S. Army. This value enabled the soldiers to prioritize the welfare of U.S. as a nation, the U.S. Army and their co-mates before their own. The author attempts to show how this value is larger than one person in the army. For instance, he gives several examples showing how the U.S. Army is loyal to its country by performing duties without thoughts of recognition or gain.
Despite the divergent statements released to the public about the war, Parnell argues that a soldier has to remain loyal to the cause. In a display of selfless service to the military and country, other members of the platoon disembarked from their Humvees. Only the gunners and drivers remained in their vehicles. The author also takes the time to criticize his fellow colleagues whom he perceived not to be professional in their conduct.
Parnell argues that these lapses in concentration and failure to follow procedure sometimes led to the loss of life and severe injuries to the US forces. This shows that the soldiers are not supposed to be self-centered, but should work for the benefit of their own country.