Army - Stimulating Simulation

Veteran’s Strength Makes for Inspiring Story
Tough as They Come. SSG Travis Mills
with Marcus Brotherton. Convergent
Books. 272 pages. $25.
By Maj. Joe Byerly
Today, we are constantly bombarded
with images of the negative impacts
of war on our veteran community. Television
news stories, magazine articles
and movies all depict a population struggling
to make sense of their experiences.
These snapshots combine to create the
narrative of the veteran who no longer
connects with society. Fortunately, medically
retired Staff Sgt. Travis Mills has
provided readers with a counternarrative,
one of triumph over adversity that
shows that our wounded warriors are
not damaged goods; they can be sources
of inspiration.
Tough as They Come is Mills’ autobiography,
co-authored with Marcus Brotherton.
The book tells the first-person story
of Mills’ remarkable recovery from losing
all four limbs during combat action in
Afghanistan. Mills is one of only five soldiers
who fought in Afghanistan and Iraq
to survive a quadruple amputation.
The narrative is told through Mills’
voice and is complemented by excerpts
from his wife’s diary and statements
from his family and friends. Mills does
an excellent job of setting the stage for
his military service by spending some
time discussing his teenage years. Most
readers in uniform will quickly connect
with Mills because his story is so similar
to many of those who joined the military
following either high school or college.
He did not join the Army because that
was the only option available to him; he
joined because he felt something was
missing in his life. “Joining the military
felt like joining a sports team. With the
military came camaraderie. The job itself
took a lot of drive,” he writes.
Many autobiographies from the wars
in Iraq and Afghanistan make the authors
seem like they are 10 feet tall and if
the U.S. would have only followed their
lead, we would have been successful in
both conflicts. It is for this reason that
Tough as They Come will appeal to readers.
Mills shares his highs, his lows, and
even some comedic moments throughout
his deployments. At no time is he
critical of the U.S. role in Afghanistan
and he sticks to the deployments as he
experienced them—at the squad level.
His biography reflects the strength of the
NCO corps and his humility as a leader.
In the portions of the book covering
his injury and subsequent recovery, Mills
does not pull any punches. Readers get a
raw glimpse into the mind of a soldier
who’s coming to grips with the fact that
his way of life is forever altered. He discusses
the dark moments following his
medical evacuation from Afghanistan
Efficiency Guru McNair
Managed Army Growth
General Lesley J. McNair: Unsung
Architect of the U.S. Army. Mark T.
Calhoun. University Press of Kansas.
429 pages. $39.95.
By Col. Gregory Fontenot
U.S. Army retired
Mark T. Calhoun’s biography of Gen.
Lesley J. McNair is both overdue
and timely. McNair’s contribution is often
misunderstood and maligned. Mc-
when he was too embarrassed to see his
wife, because he felt helpless for the first
time in his life. Some of the more emotional
moments of the book take place in
his hospital room at Walter Reed National
Military Medical Center when he
describes interactions with his parents,
wife and baby daughter. Just as quickly as
the tone of the book goes dark, Mills
emerges with accounts of his inspirational
recovery.
Tough as They Come is the perfect book
for young service members to learn about
leadership in combat, selfless service and
resiliency. For those who have suffered a
major life setback, this book provides an
inspirational story of overcoming the
odds. Finally, for those who have not
served in the military, Mills’ story provides
a counternarrative to the fractured
veteran. Even after he lost his arms and
legs, he continued to serve his country by
helping others.
Maj. Joe Byerly is an armor officer and the
operations officer for the 2nd Squadron, 1st
Cavalry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade
Combat Team. He also has commanded a
cavalry troop and a headquarters company
at Fort Stewart, Ga. He holds a bachelor’s
degree from North Georgia College and
State University and a master’s degree
from the U.S. Naval War College. He frequently
writes about leadership and leader
development on his website, www.From
TheGreenNotebook.com.
Nair had the dubious and fatal distinction
of being one of the few general officers
routinely too far forward when visiting
troops. His determination to see for himself
resulted in wounds in North Africa
and death in Normandy. The youngest
man promoted to brigadier general in
World War I, McNair lagged behind officers
who were effective self-promoters.
He was a brilliant analyst, effective trainer
and critical thinker committed to achieving
efficiency and effectiveness.
March 2016 ■ ARMY 67