The men who stared at goats

A delightful narrative about the lack of common sense that governs sectors of the American Armed Forces in the war on terror. In 1979, a secret unit was created by the brightest minds in the U.S. military. Defying all prevailing military practice—and the laws of physics—the select group believed soldiers could wear invisibility cloaks, pass through walls, and perhaps kill goats just by looking at them. This was the First Earth Battalion. And they weren't kidding. To write this narrative, Ronson interviewed the main characters in this curious story and traced the evolution of the bizarre activities that took place within the secret unit over the past three decades. Through connections and associations, the author shows that these practices remain alive in the Department of Homeland Security and in post-war Iraq.