Tom Clancys Op-Center Acts of War

Last month as I was browsing through a used bookstore , I came across a dog-eared copy of Red Storm Rising . Tom Clancy , being one of my favorite , I decided to pick it up and read through the book What surprised me was not the author 's attention to detail which he is known for , but the depth of the scenarios which take place on the global landscape and development of each scenario on the overall picture

One of the facets of the novel is the journey made by a USAF meteorological officer stationed

in Iceland when the Soviets decided to invade . Lt . Mike Edwards as described in the book is a scholarly looking weatherman for the base he works at . Although nerdy looking , he was a quickly liked by his comrades for his humorous outlook and no-nonsense approach to life . When the Russians attacked he and three other marines were forced to retreat and execute partisan activities against the invading force

Armed with light weapons and a satellite radio , they began their trek from Keflavik airbase pondering on how best to hamper their enemies with what little they had . The invaders already quelled most of the armed resistance in the country and had the edge in numbers and equipment Their best contribution would be in the form of real time intelligence to their allies

Their first goal was to reach a hill a couple of kilometers from the fallen base where they could establish communications and find out what was going on . The marines Edwards was teamed up with did not know him very well since they were from different services but they passed judgment on him based on his bookish features . Priding themselves with their physical prowess (the USMC has one of the toughest training programs ) they strove to exhaust their pencil pushing ' officer into the ground . Mike matched them stride for stride much to the surprise of the hardened soldiers . Through flat terrain and mountainous crags , he kept up with their pace , never slacking , never complaining . In one of their layovers , the sergeant he was with asked him how he could keep up Mike simply answered that he used to run the marathon foe the Air Force Academy in Colorado . After that the marines treated him with a newfound respect stemming from embarrassment at having misjudged their leader

Another important event in their journey was meeting Vigdis Augustdottir , a local who lived in an isolated farm with her parents The group came across her in their trek when a squad of garrison soldiers decided to cure their boredom by raping and pillaging the farm she lived in . This was another surprise for the marines when they immediately found out what was going on . Edwards usually an easygoing guy who avoided confrontation with the enemy immediately gave s to fan out and engage with minimal casualties . The encounter was short and ugly . All of the Soviets had to be eliminated to prevent them from reporting back and both...