AIR ASSAULT SHARING MILITARY EXPERIENCE is vital for a wide range of readers and critics. For those who may loathe the military it shows that all is not jack-boot sadism. For those who would place the military on an alabaster pedistal, it gives a reality check: mistakes can occur, many of them the author's own errors. It gives critical insight for moms, dads, siblings, partners who basically want to know "what's it like", without a lot of rah-rah fluff. Important for new NCO's and junior officers it gives a checklist of "Lieutenant's Mistakes" with the hope these will not be repeated. Chapters are topical: fighting sequences, enlisted men, NCO's and officers, the critical factor of chow, those staples of all wars--going out and going home, "Shank Mechanics and Hospitals," with a concluding "What do you think about the war?" The writing is based on the experiences of the author, William Crisp, a rifle platoon leader with the 1st Battalion (Airborne) 8th Cavalry Regiment, First Cavalry Division (Airmobile) in Vietnam. This is not, however, just a "Vietnam" book. The issues span time and have immediate relevance.