In the Shadow of Greatness: Voices of Leadership, Sacrifice, and Service from America's Longest War Tapa dura - 2012

After receiving his commission, Joshua Welle became a Surface Warfare Officer. When not serving at sea, he earned two master's degrees from the University of Maryland in politics and business administration. He was an instructor at the Naval Academy teaching International Relations and was the special assistant to Admiral William Crowe, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He was an economic advisor for NATO in Afghanistan and conducted counter-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and frequently publishes on military and foreign affairs. A former Navy Lieutenant with service aboard two warships and a tour of duty as a Pentagon speech writer and special advisor to the Chief of Naval Operations, John Ennis left the Navy for work in Lockheed Martin's International Business Development Group. He is currently an account manager for IBM's Software Group, working with the U.S. Navy. After commissioning, Kate Kranz completed the Naval Flight Officer training pipeline in Pensacola, FL and received wings of gold as an E-2C Hawkeye NFO, serving with the VAW-113 Black Eagles, flying 3 deployments with Carrier Air Wing 14 and the USS Ronald Reagan Strike Group. Following orders as a special assistant to the commandant back at the Naval Academy, she served as a NATO Rule of Law Field Support Mission advisor and liaison officer for the commander in various locations in Afghanistan. In previous assignments, Graham Plaster served as a Surface Warfare Officer aboard the USS Reuben James (FFG 57) out of Pearl Harbor, deploying in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom to the Persian Gulf. Subsequently he joined the staff of Destroyer Squadron One in San Diego and deployed in support of Counter Drug Operations in South America. Following DESRON ONE, he assumed duties as Assistant Dean of Students at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. Now a Naval Foreign Area Officer, he is currently a Liaison Officer supporting U.S. military deployed to UN Peacekeeping missions in Israel, Egypt and Iraq. He also serves as webmaster for the Foreign Area Officer Association (FAOA.org). He is currently writing a book on social media's influences on democratization in Iran. LT Plaster lives in Annapolis, MD with his wife and their four children.