THE WAR I ALWAYS WANTED: The Illusion of Glory and the Reality of War

As an infantry platoon leader in the elite 101st Airborne Division, Friedman and his unit found themselves in Afghanistan battling radical Islam in the high valleys of the Hindu Kush. After a brief respite, he and the Screaming Eagles were off to war again, this time for the invasion and occupation of Iraq. Here, a young combat leader comes to grips with the illusion of glory. Photos.