Paul Smith, a civilian contractor who served in the US Army, and Kristina Smith, a platoon sergeant in the US Army, draw on their experiences as veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, along with observations from other service members, to guide soldiers through their first deployment. They describe aspects of war, battle buddies, understanding locals, living arrangements, hygiene, food, entertainment, relationships, and family, with appendices on preparing for deployment, financial matters, and support resources, and glossary of military jargon. Annotation ©2014 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)