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Nothing Here Worth Dying For

Task Force Lion in Iraq

By: Seth William Bell Folsom

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Hardcover | 18 February 2025

At a Glance

Hardcover
354 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
22.86 x 15.24 x 2.39

Hardcover

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Nothing Here Worth Dying For is a story of teamwork, perseverance, and redemption in modern warfare-an underdog story where the stakes are higher than most can imagine.
In this sharp, challenging memoir, Col Seth Folsom lays bare the complexities of modern military combat advisor missions at the twilight of America's longest war. Nothing Here Worth Dying For tells the story of his command of Task Force Lion—a "purpose-built" combat advisor team—and his frenetic 2017 deployment to Iraq’s Al Anbar Province. Charged with the daunting task of advising, assisting, and enabling the Iraqi Security Forces in their fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, Folsom and his team of Marines and sailors struggled to support their Iraqi partners in the Jazeera Operations Command while simultaneously grappling with their own leadership for their relevance on the battlefield.

Nothing Here Worth Dying For is the jarring coda to Folsom’s nearly thirty years in uniform—the last twenty of which he spent deploying to the long war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Far from a jingoistic tale that celebrates Corps and Country, this work challenges many of the popular assumptions about military command, leadership, loyalty, and teamwork.

As with the author’s previous books, Nothing Here Worth Dying For focuses on individual Marine actions at the tactical and operational levels while also addressing regional events that contributed to the overall narrative of the U.S. war in Iraq. Folsom describes his unpopular decision to prioritize his team members and their mission to support the Iraqi army above the desires of his own military service branch. As the final operation against ISIS in western Al Anbar gained steam, he questioned the wisdom of the military leadership to which he had dedicated his entire adult life. When a senior officer refers to the fact that force protection was his number one priority and "There's nothing here worth dying for," Folsom wondered "...just what the hell were we still doing there in Iraq."
Despite his disillusionment, he committed himself to the men and women under his command who fought against the odds to accomplish a crucial mission. At its core, this is a story about teamwork and the bonds that develop when men and women risk their lives and reputations together. As the United States struggles once more to extricate itself from Iraq, this book will be a timely addition to the existing body of work about the war.

Industry Reviews

"This is a gem of a book that captures the difficulty of working with partners on a complex battlefield. He brilliantly illuminates the importance of personal relationships, and the role that good, solid leadership plays. The Marine Corps has been well-served for many years by leaders like Seth Folsom, and his articulate and insightful book adds to the considerable literature about Marines and small unit actions. This is a book that all Marines should read."-Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie, USMC (Ret.), former CENTCOM Commander and author of The Melting Point
"Important, insightful and brutally honest account of modern warfare. A must read for all military leaders, and civilians who want to understand and *feel* how US and Coalition forces defeated ISIS. Brings to life the courage, sacrifice, ingenuity and grit required to lead and fight America's wars at the edge of the empire. Colonel Seth Folsom is the real deal. A battle hardened Marine, he masterfully commanded a coalition joint task force in a harsh, deadly and complex environment. He writes with clarity and power. Captivating and profound!"—Maj. Gen. Gregg F Martin, U.S. Army (Ret.), former Commander 130th Engineer Brigade and author of Bipolar General
“When people read about the Marine Corps’ contributions to our Nation’s longest wars, undoubtedly Col. Seth Folsom’s tetralogy will hold a prominent place. His fourth installment, Nothing Here Worth Dying For, establishes the author as the expert on the Advise, Assist, Accompany, and Enable (A3E) operations that defined the Inherent Resolve campaign. The memoir recounts the exploits of Task Force Lion as Folsom’s team cleared the Middle Euphrates River Valley (MERV) of ISIS in 2018. Written from the vantage point of the Corps’ “most expendable Colonel, the book has an edge to it. Though not recognized as an actual commanding officer by the Marine Corps, Folsom’s Task Force was designated a battlespace owner charged with enabling an Iraqi Corps. His frustration with the Service Headquarters’ parochialism serves as a backdrop as he adroitly navigates the complex relations with his subordinate Coalition formations while rebuffing inter-service competition for command and control. For the student of military history or a future planner, this book provides the archetype on how to enable partner nation forces while delivering an inspiring story of what an ad hoc group of military professionals can do.”—Col. Tom Gordon, USMC (Ret.), Commandant of Cadets at The Citadel and author of Marine Maxims

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