Book Review: In a Time of War: The Proud and Perilous Journey of West Point’s Class of 2002

Imagine that you have entered your senior year at West Point Military Academy. You are on top of the world. You are about to become an officer in the US Army. You want to make a difference in the world and develop your leadership skills. Suddenly, you are thrust into war. The World Trade Center and the Pentagon were just attacked. Priorities rapidly shift. Your focus is to get into the fight. You don’t want to be left out. In a Time of War: The Proud and Perilous Journey of West Point’s Class of 2002 captured these different tensions.

In the spirit of Black ’41: The West Point Class of 1941 and the American Triumph in World War II and The Long Gray Line: The American Journey of West Point’s Class of 1966, Bill Murphy, Jr. wrote about the West Point class of 2002. This class knew that it would be entering a wartime environment but had gone to West Point during peacetime conditions. In a Time of War provides a behind the scenes look into what happened to a small group of these officers

Murphy developed his skills for historical storytelling by serving as an apprentice for Bob Woodward. On this particular topic, he benefited from his experience in the Army Reserve.

In a Time of War is 365 pages long with notes. The book spans 25 chapters. Murphy does not report on the history of all the members of this class. Rather he focuses on a small handful of officers both male and female from a couple of companies. To gather his research, he interviewed over two hundred people.

The Academy

Murphy only briefly touched upon life at the Academy. I was hoping for more. While he provided some background information on the main characters who he focused, he glossed over their time at the Academy itself.

Getting Into the Fight

For many of the young officers, their concern was to get into the fight in Afghanistan and Iraq. They thought the war would be over before they got there. This seems to be a common belief regardless of the war. Everyone thought the Civil War would be a cakewalk and over in days. The same with WWI, WWII, and Vietnam. It is 2019 and we are still at war.

Nonetheless, these young officers wanted to get in and lead troops in combat. They wanted to make a difference. They also realized how important it was to their military career.

Not everyone could immediately deploy to the war zone. Some had to report from additional training such as armor, Ranger training, etc. For some, this caused immense frustration. Others tried to work the system in order to get to the front lines.

Ranger Tab

One of the things I did not realize before reading the book was the importance of earning the Ranger Tab as a young infantry officer. A couple of the officers washed out and felt the stigma as everyone glanced at their left sleeve. Although, some of the lieutenants were able to have notable experiences because they were not tied up in Ranger School.

Friendships and Relationships

Murphy captured the bonds these cadets had with each other. He also went into depth regarding the relationships these cadets had with significant others. It was heartbreaking to see the strain the military placed on these relationships especially when a lieutenant died in combat. To lose your spouse after only months of marriage has to be catastrophic.

The War

Almost immediately every one of the officers who entered the war zone came to the realization that the violence did not match their romantic notions of what it would be like. This war and the use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) along with rapid medical assistance yielded countless casualties who would be forever scarred by this conflict. Murphy discussed the impact that being wounded in these war zones had on the officers, their families, and the rest of their class.

In a Time of War also focused on the deaths of a few classmates. It was surprising to see how fast the word spread throughout the class when a member was killed. Because of digital communications, the entire class seemed to know in a matter of hours. As to be expected, it had a pronounced impact especially when the fallen was part of the same company.

Disillusionment

The brutality of the conflict took a toll on these officers. A significant number of this class elected to leave military service after their required service commitment. There seems to be an interesting dynamic at play. One one hand, the officers want to be on the front leading troops. On the other hand, repeatedly being sent into the thick of it without adequate protection affects the psyche. Others did not want to be put behind a desk. These are issues the military is working on. I do not believe they will find adequate solutions in an all-volunteer force.

I felt the In a Time of War was slow to develop. By chapter five things started to move at a quicker pace. With so much detail, it was challenging to keep the players straight. Nonetheless, I am glad I read this book.

Ever since I could remember, I have been interested in military academies. I have visited all of them. There is a certain dynamic regarding the membership of a class that is hard to repeat on other environments. I was able to get a taste of it while I went to the Air Force Academy Prep School. But I did not fully experience it because I left.

In a Time of War highlights these bonds. The members cared about each other and their country. This book gives a glimpse into a period of time that is hard to fathom without actually being there. I certainly recommend those interested in the Iraq War and military history read In a Time of War.

Additional Reading

• Book Review: Black ’41: The West Point Class of 1941 and the American Triumph in World War II

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