from september of 2004 to september of 2005, i worked as a contract firefighter/officer in iraq. during that time period i worked at military bases in two of the most dangerous areas - mosul and ramadi. while i was in mosul, an insurgent blew himself up inside the defac (chow hall), and over 90 people were injured and 23 people were killed. the book contains more than 70 photos of iraq, including emergencies we responded to and some never-before-seen photos from the hospital during the aftermath of the defac bombing. in ramadi i witnessed brave soldiers risk their lives to save their comrades as a paladine (small tank position) exploded form a direct hit by a rocket attack, ordinances (large rounds)were exploding at ground level. what i witnessed in iraq made me realize just how important it is for our troops to have access to proper mental health counseling when they return. thus, i am donating 80% of my profits to a special fund for that counseling. i want the reader to get a true sense of the realities of war. i feel blessed to have made it back alive.