The US Army maintains an armored company-size force capable of deploying anywhere in the world within ninety-six hours. The tank- and armored-vehicle-equipped team provides the firepower, protection, and shock power for rapidly developing contingencies against formidable foes. This team is known as the Global Response Force.
These stories are fictional and any parallels to real events or real people are unintentional.
The world order teeters on the brink of war as China flexes its military might in the South China Sea. With events spiraling toward a crisis, Captain Scott Jansen and his tankers and mechanized infantry of Team Knight are suddenly thrust into the mission of the rapid deployment Global Response Force, ready to deploy in ninety-six hours.
When the balloon goes up, Scott and his team find themselves at the tip of the spear in unfamiliar circumstances against a determined and resourceful enemy. Team Knight joins the Marines in an amphibious landing on the claustrophobic island of Fiery Cross Reef, deep into enemy waters.
Isolated and with nowhere to run, Scott must harness all of his courage and creativity to seize Fiery Cross and save as many of his soldiers as possible. But when the Chinese attacks are too perfect, too targeted, not everyone will survive…
Russian invasion of Ukraine is imminent and Captain Logan Trondfjell, commander of the tanks and scouts of Lightning Troop, rushes from Fort Carson in Colorado to Dnipro as part of a rapid deterrence force. In a free moment, Logan meets Captain Erin Haag, and is taken by her beauty and charm.
As Russian forces invade and bullets fly, Logan must find and stop the invaders. On a sprawling battlefield, frontlines are fragmented. Russians shoot down Erin’s MEDEVAC chopper. Alone, she survives the crash and flees into the Ukrainian countryside. She must seek out her own salvation.
Complicating both efforts, Erin’s vindictive ex-boyfriend, Captain Michael King finds himself in a position to thrust Lightning Troop into the heart of danger — and wipe his competitor off the map. In modern warfare, despite the best courses of action, everything is fraught with peril.
After six months stagnation on the Ukrainian battlefield, NATO’s counteroffensive looms. Captain Logan Trondfjell and the armored warriors of Lightning Troop will guard the right flank. On the eve of battle, Logan moves up to squadron staff, pulling him farther from his old battle buddy, Sergeant First Class Running Bear. Opposite no-mans-land, Russian divisions mass to crush the counteroffensive. Behind the Russian divisions, a top-secret prisoner of war camp contains Americans the Russians would rather kill than return. Only a daring raid by Captain Sam Gentry’s U.S. Rangers can rescue their fate. As Russian President Voroshilov’s war climaxes, a blizzard isolates all and stirs the swirling chaos.
Praise for the Global Response Force series book:
“REDCON ONE is the book I have been waiting for…” –James Rosone, Amazon Top 100 Author and author of the Monroe Doctrine, Red Storm, and Falling Empires series.
“REDCON ONE puts the reader in the middle of intense action. Written by a combat veteran who has been there, done that, this military thriller shows what it’s like to serve. Complete with a cast of complex characters and authentic military operations, this book will keep you on the edge of your seat cheering for the good guys.” -Joseph Badal, Amazon #1 Best-Selling Author of The Danforth Saga
“Galen Peterson has done a remarkable job bringing modern warfare to life in REDCON ONE. As a reader, you’ll be plunged into the story, not just told it. In combat, you’ll sense the fear, feel the adrenaline rush, get lost in the smoke and confusion. You’ll be overwhelmed by the noise, blood, and death. Peterson knows what he’s writing about. He’s a West Pointer and a wounded combat veteran. He shed his blood in Iraq where he served as a tank platoon leader. And he doesn’t forget to illuminate the human side of war—to remember the families and friends who wait and worry. REDCON ONE is a terrific achievement. It doesn’t glorify war. It slams you into its deadly reality. REDCON ONE should be number one on your reading list.” —H. W. “Buzz” Bernard, multi award-winning author of the WHEN HEROES FLEW series.
“Galen Peterson has crafted an exceptional piece that highlights the challenges of small unit leadership in the realities of 21st Century Great Power Competition that should serve as a primer for company grade officers and NCOs.
“This is much more than a work of contemporary military fiction, it is well researched, rooted in a real mission, with a realistic threat scenario, and accurately portrays the unique personalities, problems, and tasks of a company-level team tasked as the heavy component of the Global Response Force.
“Galen’s personal understanding and experience of Army leadership and the unique responsibilities of the GRF, coupled with his firm grasp on joint-military doctrine and global affairs, presents not just a great piece of contemporary military fiction, but provides a handbook for company-level leaders. This should become an important part of every leader’s professional development library.” – David Simms, PhD, Lieutenant Colonel, USA (Retired)
“Galen D. Peterson puts the thrill in his latest thriller, REDCON ONE. You feel the intensity of this well-crafted story as Galen’s battlefield experience explodes on every page with his authentic military descriptions and attention to detail during the mission. By the end, you are so into the heads and hearts of his characters that their pain is your pain, and their unbelievable achievements are also yours because you went through the battle and journey with them. What a ride — mission accomplished! Well done, Galen!” — Robin Hutton, Author of the NY Times Bestseller, Sgt. Reckless: America’s War Horse
“Task Force Thunderbolt is as realistic a novel of combat as I have ever read… What I particularly appreciated was the author’s unwillingness to paint the enemy combatants as anything other than what they truly were – just young men following the same orders as the Allied soldiers. The inter-personal relationships within the troop, especially once they received an embedded journalist in their midst, were fascinating and also went a long way to reinforce the humanity and frailty of these great warriors. There is plenty of fascinating military strategy and battlefield action for the true aficionado of war novels, but there is equally a softer, gentler, human side to the characters, and that is what makes this story so well-rounded and ultimately enjoyable to a wider reading audience. I loved this book and highly recommend it.” —Readers’ Favorites
Galen d. Peterson and Knight Books 