We often forget that there are more players in a war than what gets the headlines. In IOF, one of the workhorse aircraft was the F-18 Hornet as flown by the USMC and the RAAF. Yes, the RAAF. Few realize the contribution provided by one of America's staunchest allies.

Despite the occasional difference of opinion on specifics, the US and Australia have been very close since WWII when the two nations got together to stem the tide of Japanese advancement in the Southwest Pacific. Were it not for Australia's contribution, things may well have worked out quite differently, something that many Americans should stop to consider from time to time.

Anyway, this book by Tony Holmes covers the general scope of Hornet ground operations during IOF. No mass of air to air kills in this war; in fact, I don't think a single Iraqi aircraft was destroyed in the air, though a few coalition aircraft were downed by AA guns and missiles. The author covers the period from well before the war until near today's time frame, though the majority of the book is set in the 1 month period of 20 March to 20 April.

It is all there, the missions, the jargon (and plenty of it), a great selection of color photos, and the expected color profiles (24 of them plus tail markings). It gives one a superb look at what it like to perform the air mission in the Iraq theater, from supporting the ground troops to the use of new weapons systems. A book that the modern warfare fan shouldn't do without.

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