Book Review: A Soldier Against All Odds

"Against All Odds" isn't just part of Lt. Col. (ret.) Jason G. Pike's memoir of his time in service is the theme of his life. He was diagnosed with a learning disability at a young age and with what should have been a crippling bone disease just a few years later. It didn't stop him from pursuing academic achievements and more than three decades of service to his country.

At age 17, Pike enlisted in the U.S. Army as a private. It was 1982, and he still had a year of high school left. The National Guard never asked about the osteomyelitis that dissolved the bone in his knee, and Pike never told them. He went to basic training and served in the Guard while working through college at Clemson University's ROTC program. 

As an active duty officer, he served with the 10th Special Forces Group, served in medical roles at Aberdeen Proving Ground and the Defense Logistics Agency, as well as serving three tours in Korea. He also earned two master's degrees and deployed twice to Afghanistan. He spent much of his fascinating Army career as an entomologist, preventing insect-borne disease among soldiers. 

His memoir is an honest account of the ups and downs of 31 years in uniform: the deployments, an unorthodox career, the challenges, and more. Most interestingly, Lt. Col. Pike talks about his arrest, Army investigations, and the hurdles of living the Army life while facing intellectual and physical disabilities. His story is a testament to the dogged tenacity Americans have come to expect from military members.

Through it all, Pike completed his service, deployment, and tours in nine countries and retired at age 48 with more than 30 service awards and badges. 

"In 'A Soldier Against All Odds,' I show that It is possible, through determination, careful application, and bold strategy, to overcome or compensate for personal humiliation brought about primarily by my own mistakes, being haunted by investigations, academic difficulty, arrests, many ass-chewings, and physical frailty. I did pay the price for being me. This is how I did it, but most importantly, how I survived it," Pike writes.

"A Soldier Against All Odds" by Lt. Col. Jason G. Pike is available in paperback, hardcover, Kindle, and audiobook on Amazon, starting at just $9.99.