Expectation of Valor

"Of all the many mistakes the United States made in invading Iraq, none was as damning as the mishandling of postwar security and reconstruction. The place to start to understand that fiasco is with Kevin Benson’s Expectation of Valor. No one is better placed to do so as Benson led the U.S. Army’s planning team for the invasion and its aftermath. It was their plan that was disregarded and that could have led to a far better outcome had it been followed. In these pages, Benson explains how that plan was crafted, the obstacles it faced, and how it was ultimately ignored. It is a story both fascinating and tragic, and all too important." ~Kenneth M. Pollack, former CIA Persian Gulf military analyst and author of "Armies of Sand: The Past, Present, and Future of Arab Military Effectiveness"

“Dive into the mind of a master strategist! Benson leads you through the complex situations, strategic maneuvers, and courageous choices that influenced a conflict with far-reaching impacts on our world. This book is a must-read for any leader and planner.” ~John Antal, best-selling author, military analyst and Soldier

“This is a remarkable book by a most able and professional officer…. What Colonel Benson has written is far more than just a war diary that illustrates the complexity, tensions, pressure, workload and necessary detail of planning within what was in ‘old speak’ an army group at war. What clearly emerges as the story unfolds is the complete disconnect between policy (strategy, if any) and the decisions made at a much higher level that, in the event, directly contributed to not achieving the policy objectives…  I highly commend this seminal work by Colonel Benson but not just for SAMS or Higher Command and Staff students, but one that potential statesmen and senior administrators would be well advised to study.” ~Major General A. E. Whitley (ret.) CMG CBE WO

“The consummate planner, Kevin Benson chronicles a detailed and thoroughly accurate saga of the intense and complex planning for Operation Iraqi Freedom I. Expectation of Valor pulls back the curtain on the extraordinary efforts put forth to plan and execute a large-scale operation. The good, bad, and ugly aspects should make it required reading for military professionals and government officials.” ~Lt Gen Robert R. Blackman, Jr. USMC (ret) Chief of Staff, Combined Forces Land Component Command during Operation Iraqi Freedom/COBRA II

"Kevin Benson has recounted all the planning dynamics that led up to and occurred during OIF I and the ground invasion into Iraq. With a unique planner’s detail and perspective, he has provided a masterful accounting that any future planners and commanders should pay close attention to. Written with a 'as it happened' perspective, Kevin’s journal is a must read for military leaders!" ~GEN David McKiernan, former commanding general of Third Army/CFLCC during Operation Iraqi Freedom/COBRA II