War Front to Store Front, an inspiring new book by Paul Brinkley, ’89, ’91, recounts the story of a mission sponsored by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.
As Deputy Undersecretary of Defense, Brinkley established and led a team of civilian business leaders, geologists, and agriculture experts embedded with our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Addressing the shortcomings of the federal bureaucracy in providing civilian support to the troops, Brinkley tapped into the resources of Texas A&M, drawing upon the Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture led by Dr. Ed Price, fielding dozens of agriculture faculty and technologists, enabling the restoration of farms throughout Iraq, creation of modern curricula for colleges of agriculture, and the establishment of two new colleges of agriculture in Afghanistan.
Eventually expanding to incorporate efforts in Pakistan, Rwanda, and Sudan, Brinkley and his organization of hundreds of business volunteers struggled against bureaucratic policies to revolutionize foreign aid by leveraging America’s strength—its private sector. In doing so, his team demonstrated success in the midst of failure, and created hundreds of thousands of jobs in areas long written off by the civilian bureaucracy as hopeless.
This engaging account details:
Reviews - Testimonials from Key Thought Leaders:
“A great story about fighting bureaucracy and making a difference.”
George Casey, GEN, USA (retired), 36th Chief of Staff of the United States Army.
“Paul Brinkley captures America’s experience in Afghanistan and Iraq beyond the obvious. His fascinating narrative describes a Gordian knot of politics, personalities, culture, and economic realities that confronted, and often confounded, the best of intentions. A must-read for engagement in the modern world.”
Stanley McChrystal, GEN, USA (retired), Commander, International Security Assistance Force - Afghanistan, 2009-2010
“Paul Brinkley has written a compelling narrative about igniting economies through business creation in Iraq and Afghanistan in a war zone for two Presidents. The story of his heroic team of American citizens serving in harm’s way is a heart-warming and heart-breaking page-turner.”
Michael Mullen, ADM, USN (retired), 17th Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff
“This is an important book. Not only does Paul Brinkley capture the bureaucratic impediments to effective civil-military efforts in conflict zones, he also demonstrates how we can become more effective in development and stability missions. The lessons are not theoretical, they are practical and the author and his team demonstrated how to apply an entrepreneurial approach to difficult problems.”
H.R. McMaster, MG, USA, author of Dereliction of Duty: Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Lies that Led to Vietnam.
The book is currently available on Amazon, BarnesandNoble, BooksAMillion or in your favorite bookstore on the release date of February 18.
As Deputy Undersecretary of Defense, Brinkley established and led a team of civilian business leaders, geologists, and agriculture experts embedded with our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Addressing the shortcomings of the federal bureaucracy in providing civilian support to the troops, Brinkley tapped into the resources of Texas A&M, drawing upon the Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture led by Dr. Ed Price, fielding dozens of agriculture faculty and technologists, enabling the restoration of farms throughout Iraq, creation of modern curricula for colleges of agriculture, and the establishment of two new colleges of agriculture in Afghanistan.
Eventually expanding to incorporate efforts in Pakistan, Rwanda, and Sudan, Brinkley and his organization of hundreds of business volunteers struggled against bureaucratic policies to revolutionize foreign aid by leveraging America’s strength—its private sector. In doing so, his team demonstrated success in the midst of failure, and created hundreds of thousands of jobs in areas long written off by the civilian bureaucracy as hopeless.
This engaging account details:
- Fascinating insights of the inner workings of American government and its largest bureaucracy—the U.S. Department of Defense
- Vivid descriptions of a group of business leaders who sought to change how the Pentagon did business, and who wound up in a war zone, including a firsthand experience of a terrorist attack
- Detailed account of the American business model for foreign development that can improve the lives of war-ravaged citizens, at far less cost than existing military and foreign aid programs
- Inside details on the real business climate in Iraq, before and after Saddam Hussein, as well as its political landscape
- Detailed analysis of the future of Afghanistan, economically and politically, and how its democratic institutions struggle to gain a foothold
- Thorough breakdown of lessons learned in the Middle East and U.S. efforts to translate them to African nations, including Rwanda and Sudan.
Reviews - Testimonials from Key Thought Leaders:
“A great story about fighting bureaucracy and making a difference.”
George Casey, GEN, USA (retired), 36th Chief of Staff of the United States Army.
“Paul Brinkley captures America’s experience in Afghanistan and Iraq beyond the obvious. His fascinating narrative describes a Gordian knot of politics, personalities, culture, and economic realities that confronted, and often confounded, the best of intentions. A must-read for engagement in the modern world.”
Stanley McChrystal, GEN, USA (retired), Commander, International Security Assistance Force - Afghanistan, 2009-2010
“Paul Brinkley has written a compelling narrative about igniting economies through business creation in Iraq and Afghanistan in a war zone for two Presidents. The story of his heroic team of American citizens serving in harm’s way is a heart-warming and heart-breaking page-turner.”
Michael Mullen, ADM, USN (retired), 17th Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff
“This is an important book. Not only does Paul Brinkley capture the bureaucratic impediments to effective civil-military efforts in conflict zones, he also demonstrates how we can become more effective in development and stability missions. The lessons are not theoretical, they are practical and the author and his team demonstrated how to apply an entrepreneurial approach to difficult problems.”
H.R. McMaster, MG, USA, author of Dereliction of Duty: Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Lies that Led to Vietnam.
The book is currently available on Amazon, BarnesandNoble, BooksAMillion or in your favorite bookstore on the release date of February 18.