Includes index. Dust jacket and title page have the title as: In the gray area: a marine advisor team at war Verso of title page has title as: In the gray area: a marine advisor team in Iraq

Prologue : nightmare -- Advisor duty -- Contractors -- Training -- Gear -- Transit -- Cop south -- Arrival -- Humvees -- Introductions -- IAs -- Growing pains -- Storms -- Outside the wire -- Matters of importance -- Backing the wrong horse -- Al Gabaa -- Mistakes and mistrust -- Eye-opening reality -- Jibab Peninsula -- Personalities and paradigms -- Terps and tensions -- Uglat il Bushab -- Fear and paranoia -- Gifts and free lunches -- Abandonment issues -- Running out of patience -- Holding down the spring -- Critters -- A change of plans -- Leaving -- Dogs -- A way forward.