Expectation of Valor Audiobook By Colonel Kevin C.M. Benson (Ret), General Vincent Brooks (Ret) - foreword cover art

Expectation of Valor

Planning for the Iraq War

Pre-order: Try for $0.00
Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Expectation of Valor

By: Colonel Kevin C.M. Benson (Ret), General Vincent Brooks (Ret) - foreword
Narrated by: David de Vries
Pre-order: Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Pre-order for $13.99

Pre-order for $13.99

Confirm pre-order
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

Given the length of time the United States spent in Iraq, there is a perception that there was no consideration before the war of what should be done after coalition forces arrived in Baghdad and removed Saddam Hussein. However as this unofficial history reveals, there was a great deal of planning to address how to achieve the policy objectives for Iraq set by the Bush administration. Kevin Benson—director of plans for the United States Third Army, the ground forces command headquarters for GEN Franks' Central Command, at the start of the war—details the development of the invasion plan and its subsequent execution from D-Day in March 2003 until the change of command of operations in Iraq and the departure of Third Army in June 2003.

He addresses the persistent trope that "the Army did no planning" for "Phase IV," revealing that extensive plans were proposed, and were met with very little interest in Washington. The book covers the difficulties encountered in dealing with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, from getting his approval on the number of forces requested to conducting the campaign to find the "smoking gun" of WMD; the instructions given to Army, Marine, and coalition forces; and the daily secure video teleconferences with Central Command and the Pentagon, and the rather remarkable conversations and guidance that came from these meetings.

©2024 Colonel Kevin C. M. Benson, US Army (Ret.) (P)2025 Tantor Media

What listeners say about Expectation of Valor

Average customer ratings

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.