By the time this book goes to press, that number will have risen. Each of these so-called statistics represents a story of selfless sacrifice, of men and women who are at some level contributing to the collaborative efforts in Afghanistan—all of whom deserve respect and gratitude for their service and ultimate sacrifice.Thank you to all who have served in Afghanistan, Iraq, and around the world in the War on Terror, which continues to expand today. For those who have lost a loved one, my deepest condolences. During the course of researching and writing this book, I interviewed the families of several members of ODA 574. I cannot adequately express how honored and humbled I was to sit in your homes and hear the stories of your loved ones. Brent Fowler told me: “As for the wives, they forever have earned their place among the heroes of our SF community. Wives and loved ones are the heart and soul of a fighting man, and I don’t think that our military would last without the unsung courage of those holding down the home front and waiting for their soldier to return.”Thank you for opening your hearts to me as I got to know the team: Ron Amerine, Linda Davis, Mi Kyong Davis, Bill and Tammy McElhiney, Judith McElhiney, Barbara and Lou Petithory, Mike Petithory, Nicole Petithory, Sherry Magallanes, Brittany Magallanes. Once I had received the blessing of JD’s and Dan’s families to tell ODA 574’s story, I put the word out to the surviving members of the team via various channels that began with Army Public Affairs and branched out by word of mouth among the Special Forces community.
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