An angel from hell : real life on the front lines / Ryan A. Conklin.

The departure -- Camp Buehring, Kuwait -- Training with the Devil -- Driver's license to kill -- USO show -- Going 'downrange' -- Baghdad, Iraq -- FOB Union III -- On guard -- Guarding the trial of the century -- Reality check -- Same shit, different day -- Hurry up and wait -- Arriving at Remagen -- Welcome to Tikrit -- Getting into a groove -- Exploring Tikrit -- Bringing in the New Year -- Questionable Quinn -- First blood -- Complacency runs through it -- The schoolteacher -- Escalation of force -- Cherry soldier -- A man's best friend -- Meltdown -- The bus stop -- A sandy super bowl -- Rain, rain, go away -- Dealing with kids -- All out of love -- The reality of war -- Final salute -- All day long -- The suck -- Operation Brick house -- The financier -- Sunnis, Shias, and a platoon sergeant -- Red light and rumors -- Stop, stop, stop -- Operation Swarmer -- Human alarm clock and Chai -- Party pooper -- My twenty-first birthday -- Tiny changes -- Hammer time -- Midnight cement -- In the merry, merry month of May -- Mess with us, lose your home -- Saturday bloody Saturday -- Operation Iron Triangle -- Sneaking around at night -- Passing the time -- A pit stop home -- Rest and relaxation -- Back to Iraq -- Ralphie won't go home -- Gas, gas, gas -- A special raid -- Guard, patrols, and boredom -- The death of Johnny 5 -- An oven with four wheels -- Death at a funeral -- Leaving for Remagen -- FOB Speicher -- To the very last patrol -- The last rendition of taps -- Good-bye, Iraq -- On our way home -- From soldier to civilian -- Epilogue.

An edgy, candid report from the front lines and a captivating coming-of-age story by a young veteran.