Long Rifle: One Man's Deadly Sniper Missions in Iraq and Afghanistan

Mr. Lebleu told his story in a way that engrossed me and had me plotting out the firefights in my own imagination. His struggles in Iraq and Afghanistan are known all too well by veterans everywhere and I applaud his determination to keep fighting even though the rules of engagement were a joke. Mr. Lebleu holds no punches and tells everything like it is with no smoke or mirrors. His views embody what so many think yet he still wants to stand toe-to-toe with the enemy. I congratulate him and thank him along with all the other Rangers and Snipers for all their hard work during these wars.

I read Long Rifle twice, because I wanted to write a well read review of this book. All I can tell you is this book is it! This is combat on the squad and platoon level, where battles are won or lost. People in America see Pentagon briefings and the nightly news about smart bombs and push button wars; well, Joe was one of those push buttons! Combat is both brutal and dynamic. It is the grunt in the field who wins a war, not a Pentagon briefing. I too was in lower Manhattan on 9-11 and experienced the same emotion Joe did. I volunteered to go back on active duty that day and was accepted. This is more than a book about Joe as the sniper, it is about Joe the Patriot and Joe the Soldier. Joe's journey in life is one that I greatly respect. His days in a Ranger Regiment prepared him well for his tour in Iraq and Afghanistan. The battles and firefights in Fallujah kept me riveted while reading about Joe's experiences fighting through them. The IED attacks took me back to Iraq and my experiences with them. Being a soldier in a firefight is tough, it even tougher when your head is rattled. Being a sniper in a fire fight after an IED attack, is even tougher. You have to recover quickly and get your wits back. In Olympic biathlons, the shooters have to cross country ski and then shoot targets; Joe was able to recover after being ambushed and doing 500 yard dashes to a good firing position, and still bring deadly fire on the enemy. This is why sniper school is so grueling. Firing a weapon in combat is never akin to a rifle range. Joe hit targets with deadly accuracy. Joe also followed orders when they were dead wrong. When in an over watch position and confirming an insurgent IED was emplacing a road side bomb to kill Americans, his Headquarters refused to allow him to fire. He held his fire, even though he knew this to be dead wrong. Joe and well as many of us in Iraq, knew then the war was declared "mission complete", it had just begun. The then Sec Def, Donald Rumsfeld told the American people that we only faced "the remnants of a dying regime"; Joe was in Iraq fighting a full blown insurgency. I don't blame him in the least for feeling frustrated and critical of the decisions being made thousands of miles away. Soldiers have to fight through bad decisions and they understand them to be bad decisions,very quickly. Joe's mission in Afghanistan as a sniper truly drives home the conditions of fighting in mountains, rather in a flat desert. The Physics of firing a bullet are part of the stock and trade of a sniper and Joe understands how to put a shot on his target in any combat condition. Glad I was never in his sights! I recommend this book to every Soldier through General. It is truly a book from a Soldier's perspective. LTC Gary R. Stahlhut, US Army Retired

Congratulations Mr. LeBleu! This book gives a unique perspective into a "taboo" art of the military few can comprehend. As I'm sure, you expected, the "haters and experts" have chimed in. So-called paper "snipers" and most civilians(including REMFs) will find it hard to place themselves in your shoes as they read of the trials and tribulations. This being said, I applaud you for your service to our country, your willingness to share your experiences and insights and your dedication to your friends and their legacies. As a proud American and veteran, I salute you and all REAL veterans who have and are serving this great country. Thank you!

This book was extremely powerful and poignant. I laughed, I cried. It is a frighteningly accurate depiction of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. What else would you expect from someone who has been there and done that? It is the memoirs of one man's journey through this horrible thing called war and truly brings to light the sacrifice that our brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, aunts and uncles, sons and daughters, are really making for this country. Kudos to the author for having the courage to put his very personal experiences of loss, sacrifice and love for his country into writing for the world to see. That takes amazing courage. Most people who have been there and done that have absolutely no desire to relive the experience even within the confines of their own minds let alone in such a public venue as a book. My hat is off to you. You are one truly courageous and selfless man.

I absolutely hate reading but I picked up this book and was hooked. My wife almost fell over when I told her to be quiet because I was reading. Very straight forward writing style. The author pulls no punches. Having been there myself I can attest to the accuracy of this book. It definitely shows what it is really like for service members deployed to combat zones. Thanks for having the courage to put your experiences into writing for the world to see.