A first-person historical account of being deployed to Afghanistan in 2009 as a midlevel, bourbon-drinking helicopter pilot. War and Coffee is a first-person account of being deployed to Afghanistan as a helicopter pilot with the "Screaming Eagles" of the 101st Airborne Division in 2009. Observed halfway through a decades-long war, this irreverent perspective is both comical and brutally honest. In between the occasional mortar round and rocket-propelled grenades, Joshua Havill takes a direct look at the tactical and ideological substance of a conflict laced with as much debauchery as tragedy. With a Cold War perspective gleaned from nine years of US Navy Submarine Service, along with a civilian interlude, Havill reentered the military in 2002 to pursue his enthusiasm for aviation. This checkered military career culminated with the subject of this work, a year of flying UH-60 Blackhawks out of Bagram Air Base. Time away from the cockpit was spent living in a plywood B-hut and making frequent visits to ?the Lighthouse,? the base's sparse yet beloved self-serve coffee shop. Set during the most pivotal year of Operation Enduring Freedom, this is a captivating illustration of life in a warzone. Readers will gain insights into the following: . the experience of flying a Blackhawk in combat . special-operations missions . life within the walls of a US military base in Afghanistan AUTHOR: Joshua Havill is a retired Army officer who lives in Hendersonville, Tennessee, with his wife and children. He runs a small machine shop and enjoys flying as a private pilot. He has several articles published in aviation magazines. SELLING POINTS: . Readers will gain insight into the experience of flying a Blackhawk in combat, including on special-operations missions . Beyond the action of combat, this work eloquently immerses the reader into life within walls of a US military base in Afghanistan . Author Joshua Havill recounts his deployment with humility, candor, and humor that will make the story approachable and engaging to readers from any walk of life 40 colour photos
