None of the authors or contributors of this project are famous. None are generals are noteworthy enough that someone is paying millions in advance for their stories. These people are right there on the front lines. They all share the goal of getting the story told.

There are fifty-four who have contributed stories to this project. Each has a distinct perspective. There are forty-two males and twelve females. There are thirty-three military and twenty-one civilians. Of the military the highest rank is lieutenant colonel. There are two non-commissioned officers. Of the total eight served with the CPA. Five are Iraqis. There are three medical doctors, two from Corps of Engineers, and one rabbi.

Eric Holmes – Eric thought of the idea to do a book from the viewpoint of those on the ground. Eric has never been to Iraq though has many friends and relatives who have. Eric is a graduate of the United States Military Academy who spent nine years on active duty and has since served in the reserves. Eric’s friends and contacts have been a great resource in finding those in the Army who have a story to tell.

Michael Parkhouse – Michael spent eleven months in Baghdad and his always on sense of humor allowed him to get to know most all the Americans in the CPA. Michael’s personal experience and observations of what life has been life in Iraq compelled him to get the word out. The publisher introduced the Michael and Eric, and Michael asked his contacts to contribute for this project.

Gordon Cimoli – Is a helicopter pilot stationed in Germany. While serving in Iraq, Gordon took over 10,000 photos. Gordon kept a diary and was compiling a photo essay of what America is doing when he heard about this project. Not only did Gordon contribute many stories and photos, he also provided a critical ear as the book evolved.

John Galt – John spent almost a year in Baghdad with the CPA, where he kept an active blog. John is a retired Army officer and veteran of the Gulf War. In June of 2004 John made a presentation at a breakfast meeting of his insider perspective that wasn’t making the news. Eric was at the meeting and enlisted John’s support for this book.

Allison Rowe – Is a Lieutenant in US Army who deployed with the 101st Division. Currently Allison works as a Minority Outreach Officer for the Admissions Department at West Point. Eric met Allison at a workshop for admissions officers, and Allison agreed to photo copy parts of her personal diary for this project.

Michael Hanes – Served seven years in the US Marines with his last tour of duty being with the elite Force Recon. Mike had met Eric the previous year and agreed to write his experiences down for the book.

Bonnie Carroll – Bonnie knew Michael Parkhouse in Iraq where she also worked for the CPA. Bonnie’s desire was to go over a make a difference and she actually went to Baghdad and offered her services before having an official job. Bonnie started TAPS, a charity to help survivors of military servicemembers who died on active duty. Bonnie’s husband was killed in a military plane crash and she started this charity with his life insurance money.

Jim Gilson - Is a Naval Academy honor graduate and navy pilot who was accepted to go to medical school in a program offered by the Navy. Since he had a few months waiting for school to start he volunteered to go to Iraq. Though Jim was suppose to be a protocol officer he did much more by volunteering for many other activities which he included in this book.

Fred Wellman – Served with the 101st in Iraq with a great sense of humor. Fred became so deeply impressed with all that he saw that he sought out publicity to tell the good news. Fred’s stories have been on TV and recorded in the major paper in Atlanta. Fred recently sent me a picture of himself and the President shaking hands. Some day Fred may be able to get a political career going as his previous attempt to run for mayor of Peachtree City was thwarted by a military deployment to Iraq.

Dom Caraccilo – Dom commanded one of the battalions that jumped in northern Iraq. Dom had also served in Desert Storm and wrote a book on his experiences. Dom and Eric were classmates at West Point.