An Encounter with History

"An Encounter with History: The 98th Division (Institutional Training) and the Global War on Terrorism: 2001-2006," the official historical account of the Global War on Terrorism serves as a written and photographic record of the wartime operations and contributions of the 98th Division (IT), an Army Reserve unit located in the northeastern United States. This publication portrays the Warrior Ethos of America's citizen soldiers. During this time, the Division's soldiers served in the following locations: Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; Task Force Olympic, Salt Lake City, Utah; Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; the Horn of Africa; Afghanistan; Iraq; Kuwait and Jordan. It is significant to note that the 98th swung into action on the morning of September 11, 2001 and continued its service with the pivotal yearlong mission to train Iraqi soldiers in 2004. The mission in Iraq was critical since the 98th was the first institutional training division to deploy overseas and to establish standards for subsequent Reserve units in the training of a foreign army. The outcome of this mission rested to a significant degree on the Division's drill sergeants and support personnel. At the same time, the Division fielded a detachment of soldiers to Afghanistan to assist with the training of cadets for that country's National Military Academy. The book's panoramic view of soldiers in combat theaters and of their families on the home front adds a deeper realism to this war. This publication is the result of Internet and literature searches, interviews and personal testimonies. Another unique aspect of the book is its inclusion of various perspectives on the war as voiced by several of the soldiers, spouses and children.The final chapter focuses on sacrifice and particularly on the lives of the five soldiers from the 98th killed in action.