When he decided to compile
Warriors in 2004, Loren W. Christensen identified 37 of the finest warrior authors, warrior trainers and warrior scholars around, and asked them to tell in their own words what being a warrior meant to them. The original contributors came from a diverse mix of fellow warriors, from soldiers, cops and SWAT officers to martial art masters to experts in the fields of workplace violence, theology, and school safety.
Warriors struck a chord among readers all over the country. Reviewers praised the book for providing insight into why, when something bad happens, a few people - the warriors among us - run toward the danger while the majority of us run away. Along with the praise, Christensen also received recommendations for other warriors who should be included in the book. So he decided to expand the book to include the following warriors:
- Kit Cessna, a retired U.S. Army officer who served with C-Squadron Delta and 2nd Ranger Battalion, and who was part of the SWAT response in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
- 1st Sgt. Mark Deutsch, who served in Operations Desert Storm, Provide Comfort, and Iraqi Freedom III, during which he and his unit conducted more than 800 combat operations.
- Mark Mireles, a two-time recipient of the Medal of Valor, the highest award for bravery given by the Los Angeles Police Department.
- Maj. Matthew Hing, a flight surgeon and Airborne infantry physician who currently is serving as the Task Force Eagle surgeon in Afghanistan.
- Richard R. McGovern Sr., a combat veteran with both Operations Iraqi Freedom and Desert Storm.
- Jennifer Fulford, an officer with the Orange County (Florida) Sheriff's Department, who was shot 10 times in the line of duty in 2004 while trying to protect a young child.
All these warriors speak candidly on what it's like to sacrifice, to train, to fear, to protect ... even to kill ... to accomplish what needs to be done. These warriors don't run and call 9-1-1; they are 9-1-1!
Loren Christensen is a Vietnam veteran, a retired police officer with 29 years of law enforcement experience and a martial artist since 1965. As a writer, Loren has penned 40 books and dozens of magazine articles on a variety of subjects.