Bandit

The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 1990 was condemned by the United Nations and led to a military coalition of more than thirty countries, spearheaded by the United States and United Kingdom. Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 70th Armor Regiment, 1st Armored Division--better known as "Bandit"--was one of nearly two hundred American armor and infantry companies that were called to fight. Bandit: The Inside Story of an Abrams Tank Company during Desert Storm tells the tale of the sixty-three soldiers and officers in this army unit.

Author Mark T. Gerges, Bandit's former commander, recounts the company's pre-Gulf War stationing in Germany, the unit's unexpected deployment to Saudi Arabia, and subsequent combat in Iraq. Bandit features a firsthand account of the Battle of Medina Ridge, the largest US tank battle since World War II, and uses journals, letters, and military orders to present a full snapshot of one unit during Desert Storm. Through interviews with soldiers and spouses, Gerges provides an all-encompassing view of the operation, including the costs to those at home.
Bandit closely follows the experiences of those who served with Gerges, providing the human story of a tank company at the end of the Cold War.