Book Review: Violence of Action by Marty Skovlund

Hey brother, 

Just finishing your book and want to get a review up. Can you send me some photos to use in the review?

Also, not sure if you knew this or not but my SEAL platoon and some Danes were on that QRF bird for Robert’s ridge, we were on the ground for ten minutes and then TF Dagger’s Rangers came out and told us they were going instead (I was with TF KBar), that was the same helo that got shot down on insert. Small dirty fucking planet we live on.  I sat 15 klicks away and listened to radio calls of one Ranger dying after another. That chicken shit USAF Col in charge wouldn’t let us chopper in and help those boys, and it haunts me to this day. 

Brandon

I sent this email to Marty after reading his book and the section about Robert’s Ridge. He would write back to me explaining why this incident was a major motivation behind his decision to join the Regiment. A small, dirty world indeed.

I’ll keep it short and sweet and save you a flowery review. The book is an amazing, well-written piece of modern Ranger history. Enjoy the excerpt below, and then go buy the damn book.

Violence Of Action

By: Marty Skovlund

No other unit in the Department of Defense, whether it be conventional or a special operations force (SOF), has the range of capabilities that the 75th Ranger Regiment brings to the table. The Regiment’s four battalions, geographically dispersed throughout the U.S., can deploy anywhere in the world for no-notice missions in high-risk, uncertain, and politically sensitive areas via land, air or sea.

Although the direct action raid is the most commonly utilized capability, the unit is also proficient in and capable of airfield seizures, special reconnaissance, counter-terrorism, personnel/equipment recovery, combat search and rescue, and foreign internal defense – among other things. The platoon is the most common operating size, but the 75th is unique in its capability of working in elements as small as four man teams, all the way up to conducting Regimental operations. This provides the combatant commander a scalable force not found in any other special operations unit, which is one reason the Regiment has been so gainfully employed ever since the onset of combat operations after 9/11.

The 75th Ranger Regiment became the workhorse of the Command during the years following 9/11, executing thousands of raids directed against high value targets every year. Commanders soon found that a Ranger platoon had become one of the most effective and efficient tools to use against the most important targets. Because of thatnewfound confidence from commanders, the Regiment was doing missions that only a few years prior were considered outside the purview of their capabilities. It is a common misconception that the Regiment is used primarily to support Special Missions Units by pulling security for them. Anyone “in the know” will tell you that rarely is the case. In most instances, Ranger elements work independently, or in some cases side by side in harmony with other Special Mission Units.

Many find it hard to believe that Rangers are working on that level because of their relatively short “pipeline” to get in to the unit compared to other SOF entities. It is hard to explain, but there is something very special about the Regiment.

Purchase Violence of Action on Amazon today.