“An extraordinary, riveting, page-turning account—finally cleared for publication by the CIA—of the once highly classified effort by the CIA and special military units to develop a truly game-changing, transformational capability: armed drones. Few, if any, developments in recent decades have had a more significant impact on how we have been able to fight our enemies in the wars of the post-9/11 era. And it all started with the intrepid, innovative, tenacious individuals described in Never Mind, We’ll Do It Ourselves. They were the Wright Brothers of the Predator era, and this book captures their actions beautifully!”—General David Petraeus, US Army (Ret.), former Commander of the Surge in Iraq, US Central Command, and US and Coalition Forces in Afghanistan, and former Director of the CIA
"Never Mind We'll Do It Ourselves will give every American confidence that 'the right stuff' still exists in the DNA of our intelligence and military professionals. Their boldness, ingenuity, courage, and commitment changed the face of warfare forever and saved countless lives in the process. As a wartime commander, I will always be in their debt."—Admiral William H. McRaven, U.S. Navy (Retired) former Commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command
“What a stunning, fine read is Never Mind We'll Do It Ourselves! Alec Bierbauer, Col. Mark Cooter, and Michael Marks tell the real story behind the birth of US drones, armed and dangerous, in the dawn of the War on Terror. The first shot came in October of 2001 when the World Trade Center was still smoldering in ruins. This is not about high-ranking poohbahs taking courageous decisions. It is about guys with nicknames: Boom Boom, The Man With Two Brains, Joker, Albert. How they used velcro and duct tape to wire together control systems and Hellfire Missiles strapped below Predator Drones, the Lawnmower Machine. Read it! Enjoy it! Learn from it!”—Joseph L. Galloway, coauthor, We Were Soldiers Once . . . And Young, We Are Soldiers Still, They Were Soldiers, and Triumph Without Victory: A History of the Persian Gulf War
Never Mind, We'll Do It Ourselves
The Inside Story of How a Team of Renegades Broke Rules, Shattered Barriers, and Launched a Drone Warfare Revolution
