Summary of Bing West's One Million Steps

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 The three-part system that Marine units are organized on is focused downward and decentralized. The regiment, commanded by Kennedy, had three battalions. The 3/5 battalion, commanded by Morris, had three rifle companies. Each company had three rifle platoons. #2 On the second day, a squad of thirteen Marines set off from Inkerman to scout to the northwest. When they were pinned down by two enemy machine guns, a second squad moved forward to help and was engaged from the flanks. They radioed for help. #3 In Sangin, the rules of engagement required PID, or Positive Identification, which meant seeing that the man had a weapon or was talking on a radio in the middle of a firefight. In many cases, however, the Taliban used farm fields as cover, which made it hard for the Marines to engage them. #4 The improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, were a nightmare to deal with. They were simple to make, and the insurgents would place fuel and ammonium nitrate into plastic jugs, then attach a blasting cap to a few feet of wire. When the weight of a foot pressed the boards and wires together, a spark would leap from the battery to the blasting cap, setting off the nitrate.