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Danger Close: My Epic Journey as a Combat Helicopter Pilot in Iraq and Afghanistan Kindle Edition

by Amber Smith (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.6 538 ratings

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Inspiring and “riveting…vivid and harrowing” (Sean Parnell, author of Outlaw Platoon), Danger Close is the first memoir of active combat by a female helicopter pilot in Iraq and Afghanistan. New York Times bestselling author Brad Thor raves, “Men and women alike will love this incredible tale of heroism, humility, and high-octane feats of bravery.”

Amber Smith flew into enemy fire in some of the most dangerous combat zones in the world. One of only a few women to fly the Kiowa Warrior helicopter—whose mission, armed reconnaissance, required its pilots to stay low and fly fast, perilously close to the fight—Smith deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan and rose to Pilot-in-Command and Air Mission Commander in the premier Kiowa unit in the Army. She learned how to perform and survive under extreme pressure, both in action against an implacable enemy and within the elite “boy’s club” of Army aviation.

In Danger Close, Smith “covers each mission with edge-of-your-seat detail and a coolness that demonstrates how she gained the respect of fellow pilots and soldiers on the ground” (Library Journal). Smith’s unrelenting fight for both mastery and respect delivers universal life-lessons that will be useful to any civilian, from “earning your spurs” as a newbie to “embracing the suck” through setbacks that challenge your self-confidence to learning to trust your gut as a veteran of your profession.

Intensely personal, cinematic, poignant, and inspiring, Danger Close is “the captivating story of one woman’s fight to serve her country in the direct line of danger” (Dana Perino, co-host of The Five on Fox News).

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Danger Close is absolutely fantastic. This is one of the most exciting and inspirational books I have read in years! Men and women alike will love this incredible tale of heroism, humility, and high-octane feats of bravery. Danger Close is the real deal!"

(Brad Thor, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Foreign Agent )

"Danger Close is a riveting and intensely personal account of a woman who spent nearly a third of her life at war. Amber Smith goes beyond detailing the experience of women in the military and takes the reader into the cockpit with her to explore the vivid and harrowing world of being a combat helicopter pilot. Amber is one hell of a Soldier and an American hero on every level." (Sean Parnell, New York Times bestselling author of Outlaw Platoon )

“While the debate goes on about the role of women in combat, Amber Smith’s Danger Close reminds us that pilots are pilots and the American warrior ethos is alive and well, regardless of what restroom you use. When my squad was under fire in Iraq, the buzz of Kiowa rotors was our lifeline. The simple truth is that many children have fathers today because of the daring close support of Amber Smith and her elite colleagues. I am proud to be a part of an Army that produces pilots like Amber, who are unapologetic about the pure fury they unleash on a deserving enemy.” (David Bellavia, author of House to House )

"Danger Close is a fantastic view into the world of combat helicopter pilots as seen through the eyes of a successful and proven US Army female combat helicopter pilot. It is an exciting ride through training and combat operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan. I laughed at the antics only found in military training and operations and cried at the anguish experienced through combat loss. As a combat veteran of both Iraq and Afghanistan, I and my team called in airstrikes from pilots across all services, including from some amazing women pilots. Amber Smith proves she is one of these pilots and that she has what it takes as an American warrior. Danger Close gives tremendous insight into the sacrifice our American men and women make every day for Freedom across the globe. Most importantly, Amber sets the example for all young women who aspire to serve our nation’s armed forces and I encourage any young woman looking to join the military to read this book."

(LT Jason Redman, Retired Navy SEAL, author of The Trident )

"The captivating story of one woman's fight to serve her country in the direct line of danger. Amber Smith shows readers the true meaning of patriotism and how to survive under extreme pressure. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat and you won't want to put it down." (Dana Perino, New York Times bestselling author of And The Good News Is..., Former White House Press Secretary, and co-host of Fox News' The Five )

About the Author

Amber Smith is a former U.S. Army Kiowa Warrior helicopter pilot and air mission commander who flew two combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. She frequently appears on national TV and radio networks, analyzing national security, military operations, foreign policy, politics, veterans’ affairs, and women’s issues. Her articles have been widely published in Forbes, The Washington Examiner, Aviation Week, and other publications. Smith has traveled across the nation to tell her inspirational story and to speak to military and corporate audiences, veterans organizations, at grassroots events, and on Capitol Hill. She lives in Washington, DC. For more information, please visit OfficialAmberSmith.com.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0176M3T6Q
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Atria Books; Reprint edition (September 6, 2016)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 6, 2016
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 31293 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 289 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #415,634 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #29 in Biographies of the Afghan War
- #142 in Iraq War Biographies
- #1,088 in Military & Spies Biographies

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4.6 538 ratings

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awaya

Be proud of the new breeds fighting thse wars. Thereis still hope.

Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2016

Verified Purchase

As AF veteran I found this book very compelling and hard to put down. Amber has a unique way of putting the reader in to the story. To come from a family of all pilots is hard to digest. I often wondered how the parents could sleep at night with their kids wandering over the most of the dangerous part of the world. The Army housed these pilots in old freight containers. How unique is that. I thought we had it bad living on the top of a mountain where the temperature could get down to 60 below. Amber turned out to be a command pilot and I found myself more wrapped up in the book than I realized. And she wasn't alone. Her sister flew in as the pilot of the premier trash hauler the C130. Amber knew she was coming through with a quick turn around she explained. The two sisters had all of 10 minutes together.. In that time they both looked over each others aircraft. When they were loaded Bottom lines she had only one option. She jumped off and stood at the side of the runway as her older sister took off. That brings a tear to a and old AF Veteran to see and old C130 haul another load in to the darkened sky.

4 people found this helpful

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David A. Mccrae

Girls Like It, Too

Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2016

Verified Purchase

What does one do after cheerleading the Huskies to a National Championship at the Rose Bowl? Go to Iraq and help Americans kill terrorists in their nests, of course. Then go to Astan and do it again. Well, maybe not everyone does that.

One of My Cousin Vinny’s ex-girlfriends said it best...‘Suppose you are a little Afghan boy, tending your goats every day, helping Bro Mohammed and Uncle Sa’ad plant IED’s every night, and you’re out one night on Route Justice digging in your IED, and Bro Mohammed is suddenly cut in half before your eyes, and you’re wearing Uncle Sa-ad’s brains, and you’re lying real still in a little open sewer creek, cuddled up with half a dog and trying real hard to look like just another piece of garbage in case there is something aiming at you, and you can hear some kaffir Kiowa going back and forth overhead but it’s all black and you can’t see anything, and it’s almost dawn, almost time for morning prayer call, almost ready for the sun to pop up, and maybe you can run thirty yards to hide behind the wall, and maybe you live another day...do you care if that kaffir Warrior has a set of balls between her legs?’

7 people found this helpful

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Ernest Kuncl

OD58's are great ships and take a beating....so do the pilots physically psyhcologically and need good CISD afterwards....

Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2016

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Amber is certainly a beauty . I had two grannies with gray hair (WO2 and 3) flying for me on Operation Clean Sweep on marijuana growing in Colorado before they made it legal - stupid! But both were IP in the high altitude center near Edwards CO and when I was a rescue Ranger at GRCA ( 17 yrs ) I often flew with tip of rotor within 8" (OD58 civilian version, less then 0.1 % of 1 P1 of 33' diameter of rotor disk.) of canyon wall and tail rotor over the river (kayakers watch out) and I consider that to be "Danger Close" and stupid but these were classic medevacs - mostly falls and sudden illnesses but one was astounding..... for malaria where the guy was out of country two months ago and now had intermittent abdom pain and orange urine periodically. So we evec'ed him ( he was from Boulder CO "22 sq miles surrounded by reality" ) Pilot was "Doc "and in other instances (I had 7 pilots and rotated them) one was Tom Caldwell who died in the 2 helo mid air coming in to the LZ at Flagstaff Hospital just a few years ago. Also lost friend and I delivered his first borne baby girl just months before accident, John Thybony who did a mid air with a Twin Otter at @ 6k coming up out of the GRCA back in 1986. I was just lifted off and heard a Mayday call from a sister TO behind the collision one . Landed and re vamped equipment and went to first scene of helo and then the TO ( 25 dead in seconds, 3 families wiped out at once, Dept of State nightmare, still gives me bad moments along with about 300 body recoveries along with 7 of my own! ). I have a spectacular Service Dog, Cocoa a choc lab pointer mix that was originally an EOD doggie, still alerts on PATN and Semtex we're both getting really old...also alerts on anyone within a few meters and is right by my side most of the time except for now when she is sleeping and dogs need 16 hrs a day at minimum..( I cannot have
her die before me! ) Opps, have to go get meds and milks...bye bye, shoot good, "Stay calm and return fire".... Amber, I recognize "Annihilator 24" on the TV now and then! "Canyon 505" & "Helo 210".....

2 people found this helpful

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A Forest Fan

A fine account from a family of air warriors

Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2017

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When you think of the advice that most fathers would give to daughters, it might involve how to avoid heavy petting on the first date. Smith's father instead related cautions on flying by instruments only and handling the cyclic. Amber Smith followed in her father's footsteps, creating her own legacy as a combat Kiowa pilot in Iraq and then a commanding combat pilot in Afghanistan. Her accounts of dealing with battles from within the Army command are often more harrowing than actual combat conditions. Those looking for a memoir of romantic flirtation miss the point. This is the story of a warrior who fought the fight, lost good friends to the enemy, and survived to return home. Amber was a true combat hero who shows that sometimes heroism is sometimes simply showing up to do the hard job that most would flinch at. Here's to Amber Smith for embracing the suck, it's a good read.

4 people found this helpful

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Shannon Tutor

Realistic and entertaining all the way through

Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2022

Verified Purchase

Amber's book and the events and feelings she chronicled put you right in the cockpit in Iraq and Afghanistan in what were tough years in both operations, not to mention the year of stress Screaming Eagles experienced in between those deployments. If only every Soldier could be so lucky as to serve in the 101st Airborne Division!

2 people found this helpful

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