Dodgebomb works as a story of an Iraq deployment. For those who have deployed, the stories and characters ring true. For someone with no military experience, the stories are relatable, funny, heart-wrenching, and effectively convey that experience. Pepple’s treatment of the hard decisions leaders face in combat is equally effective, leaving the reader understanding them, but not always liking them.
#Reviewing Retire the Colors
Retire the Colors is a reference to the command given at the end of a service or ceremony directing the color guard to retrieve the national and unit colors and remove them from the ceremony. Rendering honors and retiring the colors marks the official end of the ceremony, and frequently, the transition to the informal social activities afterward. The reference is appropriate for this anthology of stories dealing with transition between military service and the civilian world.