Iraq and Afghanistan are two focal points in a broad arch of instability that runs across the Middle East and Central Asia. In Battle History of the United States Marine Corps: The Gulf Wars and Afghanistan, we examine the role played by the USMC in the last three wars to convulse the region--the First and Second Gulf Wars and the war in Afghanistan. The latter two have been the longest-fought conflicts in American military history. Devil Dogs: In March 2003, the American-led, Global War on Terror entered a new phase with the Anglo-American-led invasion of Iraq. The rapid advance of the US military forces and the quick collapse of Saddam Hussein's government resulted in only a temporary lull in the fighting. Within a few months of the end of formal combat operations against the Iraqi military, the country was wracked by widespread civil war and insurgency that saw Shiites versus Sunnis and an al-Qaeda-ins1pired insurgency by "I-Qaeda in Iraq" against American and other coalition forces. The United States Marine Corps was an integral part of the ground attack in the Second Gulf War and played a variety of roles throughout the period of combat operations. 1 MEF was a critical component of the US force that seized Baghdad and went on to take Tikrit, the heart of Sunni-dominated central Iraq. Eight years later, Marines are still on the ground playing a wide variety of combat, humanitarian, and training roles as the deployment of US military forces in Iraq nears its end. This is the story of those operations told through veteran accounts, informative maps, and dramatic combat footage. Terror Strikes Home: Following the attack by al-Quaeda on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, the US government declared a "Global War On Terrorism" and demanded that the Taliban government in Afghanistan hand over the leadership of al-Quaeda. When they refused, the US and its NATO allies launched Operation Enduring Freedom. Marines were deployed in Afghanistan in a wide variety of combat roles and figured prominently in the "surge" of US ground troops that occurred in 2008-2010. Now into its 10th year, the war in Afghanistan represents the longest war ever fought by US military forces. Operations in Afghanistan are ongoing, with Marine responsibilities ranging from combat and securitty operations to humanitarian efforts. This is the story of those operations told through veteran accounts, informative maps, and dramatic combat footage. In Oil and Empires we look at the history of the region, its repeated conquest, and the bloody wars that have been fought to control it. From the time of Alexander through the present era, Greeks, Persians, Romans, Arabs, Mongols, and Turks have fought for domination. The 20th century saw the European powers consolidate their grip on the area only to eventually cede control, while over the last 50 years the world's ever-rising need for oil has drawn the Unted States deeper into the affairs of the region. This is the story of those operations told through veteran accounts, informative maps, and dramatic combat footage.

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Disc 1: Oil & Empires -- Flash Points -- Reap What You Sow -- Building a Shield -- The Storm Breaks -- Disc 2: Terror Strikes Home -- Fatwa -- Call to Action -- Shadow War -- Axis of Evil -- Seal Team 6 and Death of Bin Laden -- Disc 3: "Devil Dogs" Unleashed -- Yellow Footprints -- Build Up -- Charge -- Dogs at the Gate