Hooligans

It’s business as usual for a reconnaissance platoon deployed to Iraq in 2006; kicking doors, raiding homes, and detaining insurgents listed on their command’s high value target list, when a mysterious device is discovered that makes the, already rampant, roadside bombs even deadlier. The threat hits home when one of these deadly roadside bombs kills the beloved commander. With a lack of actionable intelligence from higher headquarters and little to no help from a paid informant, the aggressive platoon sergeant takes matters into his own hands and leads the unit on a relentless quest to find the men responsible for the bombings. Frustration builds as the violent and unsanctioned means of intelligence gathering leads to dead ends and an investigation of the Hooligans’ actions on a raid. A lucky piece of information surfaces after the platoon responds to gunfire in a nearby village, prompting a successful raid on the alleged insurgent leader’s home, but even the best plan never survives the first encounter with the enemy. Combat isn't glorious. It's exhausting, filthy, scary, and riddled with bureaucratic malfunction. “Hooligans”, inspired by the writer’s personal experiences, exposes the ethical dilemmas faced by warriors focused on their mission.