The term is used to convey the belief that military success can only be achieved through the direct physical presence of troops in a conflict area.
As terminology, it was coined to concisely express a counter-view against the position that other means, such as aerial bombardment (as used both by Germany and the Allies in World War II, and massively by the United States in Vietnam), economic incentives, or satellite intelligence could achieve victory.
Zinsmeister, a frontline reporter embedded with the 82nd Airborne, seeks to convey the detailed planning and technical execution that make up today's warfare.
The book brings to life local firefights and the constant air-ground interactions that are one of the key innovations of modern precision combat.
B. Fuqua Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where his research has spanned demographic and social trends, economics, politics, and cultural topics.