The mission : waging war and keeping peace with America's military / Dana Priest.

Introduction : Pax Americana -- A different kind of world -- The rise ofthe American military -- The commanders. The CinCs : proconsuls to the empire -- The royal CinCdoms of the Persian Gulf -- The invisible front line of Central Asia -- The special forces. Inside the wire with special forces -- A-teams in Afghanistan -- Below the radar in Nigeria -- Gambling with Green Berets in Colombia -- The Indonesian handshake -- The CinC and his soldiers in Kosovo. Force trumps diplomacy in the Balkans -- Waging peace in Kosovo -- Drita's Kosovo -- Ellerbe's 82nd Airborne Division -- Vitina and the new Mafia -- Dishonoring Merita --Vitina, one year later -- Afterword : the mission.