They Are Soldiers by Harold Coyle

This novel could be a news article on a current conflict. A biological incident of bibilical significance in the middle east conflict threatens our own shores. Coyle is now in his second generation of protagonists. Scott Dixon, the butt kicking army officer of old, has been displaced by his son, Nathan. Nathan, as a regular army officer, finds himself faced with situations outside of his experience. He is thrust into the role of commanding a group of men considerably different than his previous commands. Nathan is surprised at how different the National Guard is from his regular army experience. His disparaging mind set faces facts the he is challenged to understand. The realistic portrayal of the unrelenting hate between the people in the Mideast who have so much in common and so much need for interaction was grossly depressing. Considering the intense participation, currently, of the National Guard in conflictual situations, the novel seems extremely current in spite of it's 2004 publication. Portrayal of the demographics, strengths and weaknesses of a National Guard unit seem quite accurate. The difficulties of intergrating National Guard troops with regular Army provide the primary theme while dealing with a middle east hot spot seemed secondary. I enjoyed the book, not as much as some others written by Coyle but I do recommend it. Body of work of Harold Coyle

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