Synopses & Reviews
On April 6, 2003, twenty-six Green Berets, including those of Sergeant 1st Class Frank Anentori's Special Forces A-Team (call sign Roughneck Nine One), led a violent battle against a vastly superior force at the remote crossroads near the village of Debecka, Iraq. In an already legendary conflict that will influence US Army doctrine for years to come, the Green Berets stopped an enemy unit that included battle tanks and more than 150 well-trained, well-equipped, and well-commanded soldiers. Any normal American light infantry unit finding itself outnumbered over five to one and outgunned on the ground by such a heavily armored force would have turned and run for cover. But Green Berets don't like to run and
Nine One Don't Run was Antenori's team's motto from the very beginning. In a spectacular fight, they battled Iraqi tanks and personnel until only a handful of Iraqi survivors finally fled the battlefield.
In the process, Nine One encountered hordes of news media, and at the peak of the fight, a US Navy F-14 dropped a 500-pound bomb in the middle of a group of supporting Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, killing and wounding dozens. This is the never-before-told, unsanitized, unedited story of the fight for the crossroads at Debecka, Iraq, and a unique inside look at a Special Forces A-Team as it recruits and organizes, trains for combat, and eventually fights a battle against a huge opposing force in Iraq.
Roughneck Nine One is a powerful look inside a Special Forces A-Team and its dramatic and controversial battle against a huge opposing force, and a revealing story of the role of Special Forces in the ongoing war in Iraq.
Review
"
Roughneck Nine One is a rare and unexpectedly personal look into the elite world of a Special Forces A-Team."
---Jack Coughlin, Gunnery Sergeant, USMC, and New York Times bestselling author of Shooter
"A terrific inside look at a Special Forces A-Team at war. Frank Antenori didn't pull any punches in combat, and he doesn't in this book either."
---Sean Naylor, New York Times bestselling author of Not a Good Day to Die
"Pure Special Forces---deadly, professional ... Cool!"
---Jim Morris, Major, US Army Special Forces (Retired), and author of War Story
"Roughneck Nine One, written with retired Green Beret SFC Frank Antenori, is clearly Hans Halberstadt's best work yet! He brings to the table his exceptional background and years of well-honed expertise in writing books on special operations. This, combined with Antenori's "eyes on, ground truth" Special Forces soldier's experience, perspective, and insights, produces a truly groundbreaking, first-of-a-kind book. Roughneck Nine One takes you behind the scenes into the struggles, complications, preparation, training, and turf issues faced by our most elite forces as they go into battle. Ultimately your nerves will be tested as Antenori's Special Forces A-Team, searching for a fight, finds themselves in front of a large enemy force, out-manned, out-gunned, and largely unsupported. What's more...they plan on attacking!"
---Col. Gerald Schumacher, US Army Special Forces (Retired), author of To Be a US Army Green Beret and A Bloody Business: America's War Zone Contractors and the Occupation of Iraq
"Frank Antenori and Hans Halberstadt team up to give readers an updated version of the classic 'David and Goliath' story, a powerful no-holds barred, first-hand account of actual ground combat in Iraq. Roughneck Nine One most definitely captures the professionalism, comradeship, self-sacrifice, and courage that define the heart and soul of America's finest warriors---US Army Special Forces. A must-read book!"
---Col. Tom Yarborough, USAF, author of Da Nang Diary
Review
“The authors grippingly recreate the valor of [their] Special Forces A-Team…a gritty inside look at a Special Forces team at war.”—Publishers Weekly
“A rare and unexpectedly personal look into the elite world of a Special Forces A-Team.”
—Jack Coughlin, Gunnery Sergeant, USMC, and New York Times bestselling author of Shooter
“Thoroughly detailed and carefully documented…a valuable addition to the growing list of Iraq war stories.”—Army Times
“Veteran Special Forces NCO Antenori and experienced military writer Halberstadt have joined forces to produce this warts-and-all report that is strong in realistic detail and in paying tribute to the courage and endurance of the U.S. forces Kurdish allies. A notable contribution to the literature on both the Iraq war and the capabilities of special-ops units.”—Booklist
“A terrific inside look at a Special Forces A-Team at war. Frank Antenori didnt pull any punches in combat, and he doesnt in this book either.”—Sean Naylor, New York Times bestselling author of Not a Good Day to Die
“Pure Special Forces—deadly, professional ... Cool!”—Jim Morris, Major, US Army Special Forces (Retired), and author of War Story
“Roughneck Nine One, written with retired Green Beret SFC Frank Antenori, is clearly Hans Halberstadts best work yet! He brings to the table his exceptional background and years of well-honed expertise in writing books on special operations. This, combined with Antenoris “eyes on, ground truth” Special Forces soldiers experience, perspective, and insights, produces a truly groundbreaking, first-of-a-kind book. Roughneck Nine One takes you behind the scenes into the struggles, complications, preparation, training, and turf issues faced by our most elite forces as they go into battle. Ultimately your nerves will be tested as Antenoris Special Forces A-Team, searching for a fight, finds themselves in front of a large enemy force, out-manned, out-gunned, and largely unsupported. Whats more...they plan on attacking!”—Col. Gerald Schumacher, US Army Special Forces (Retired), author of To Be a US Army Green Beret and A Bloody Business: Americas War Zone Contractors and the Occupation of Iraq
“Frank Antenori and Hans Halberstadt team up to give readers an updated version of the classic ‘David and Goliath story, a powerful no-holds barred, first-hand account of actual ground combat in Iraq. Roughneck Nine One most definitely captures the professionalism, comradeship, self-sacrifice, and courage that define the heart and soul of Americas finest warriors—US Army Special Forces. A must-read book!”—Col. Tom Yarborough, USAF, author of Da Nang Diary
Synopsis
On April 6th, 2003, twenty-six Green Berets, including those of Sergeant First Class Frank Antenori's Special Forces A-Team (call sign Roughneck Nine One), fought a vastly superior force at a remote crossroads near the village of Debecka, Iraq. The enemy unit had battle tanks and 150 well-trained, well-equipped, and well-commanded soldiers. The Green Berets stopped the enemy advance, then fought them until only a handful of Iraqi survivors finally fled the battlefield.
In the process, the Nine One encountered hordes of news media and at the peak of the fight, a US Navy F-14 dropped a 500-pound bomb into the middle of a group of supporting Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, killing and wounding dozens. This is the never-before-told, unsanitized story of the fight for the crossroads at Debecka, Iraq, and a unique inside look at a Special Forces A-team as it recruits and organizes, trains for combat, and eventually fights a battle against a huge opposing force in Iraq.
Synopsis
On April 6th, 2003, twenty-six Green Berets, including those of Sergeant 1st Class Frank Antenoris Special Forces A-team (call sign Roughneck Nine-One), confronted a vastly superior force—one that included battle tanks and more than 150 well-trained, well-equipped, and well-commanded soldiers—at a remote crossroads near the small village of Debecka, Iraq. The rest is history…
“A rare and unexpectedly personal look into the elite world of a Special Forces A-Team.”—Jack Coughlin, Gunnery Sergeant, USMC, and New York Times bestselling author of Shooter
Along the way, they endured a U.S .Navy F-14 dropping a 500-pound bomb on supporting Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, the ever-present threat of WMDs, and countless other deadly obstacles.
“Thoroughly detailed and carefully documented…a valuable addition to the growing list of Iraq war stories.”—Army Times
This is the never-before-told, unsanitized story of how one Special Forces A-team recruited and organized, trained and eventually fought—and won—a legendary conflict that will influence American military doctrine for years to come.
“A warts-and-all report that is strong in realistic detail and in paying tribute to the courage and endurance of the U.S. forces.”
—Booklist
About the Author
SFC Frank Antenori, US Army (Retired) joined the Special Forces in 1988. Since then, he has participated in numerous operations in over thirty-four countries and has been awarded numerous decorations and citations, with seven received for combat actions.
Hans Halberstadt has authored or coauthored more than fifty books, most on military subjects, especially U.S. special operations forces, armor, and artillery. He served in the US Army as a helicopter door gunner in Vietnam.