Called to Be a Soldier Memoir - Honest Combat-to-Homecoming

In this review of Called to Be a Soldier, readers get an unvarnished memoir meant for anyone seeking a personal account of combat and the long road back home. Major L. Wayne Smalls (Retired) writes from the heart, and the book's single biggest reason to buy is its candid first-person perspective that connects life in training, on Middle East battlefields, and the quieter, often painful, return to civilian life. This review focuses on how well the narrative conveys emotion, context, and the veteran experience for civilians, families, and fellow service members.

Key Features

• First-person military memoir: Smalls delivers a direct, personal account that brings readers into training grounds and combat scenes with clear, grounded detail.
• Candid emotional reflection: The book shares inner thoughts before, during, and after deployment, helping readers understand the psychological aftermath of service.
• Ground-level battlefield perspective: Descriptions of Middle East deployments give a realistic sense of the decisions, dangers, and daily routines of combat tours.
• Transition to civilian life: The memoir addresses the continued struggle to regain normalcy at home, offering insight for families and communities supporting veterans.
• Written from experience: As a retired Major who served combat tours in Afghanistan, Smalls provides credibility and lived detail that lifts the narrative above secondhand accounts.

Who It's For

Called to Be a Soldier is best for readers who want a personal, ground-level memoir of military service rather than a tactical manual or political analysis. Family members, friends, and community leaders seeking to better understand what a combat tour can mean emotionally will find the book especially valuable.

People looking for an academic history, a broad survey of operations, or a highly technical military study should look elsewhere, since the focus is intimate, narrative-driven recollection and personal truth rather than exhaustive strategic context.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Authentic voice from a retired Major gives the story strong credibility and emotional weight.
• Clear, heartfelt reflections illuminate the often-misunderstood homecoming phase for veterans.
• Concise battlefield and training scenes help readers visualize the soldier experience without sensationalism.

Cons

• Readers wanting a broad, analytical military history may find the memoir's personal focus limited.

Specifications

Title	Called to Be a Soldier
Author	Major L. Wayne Smalls (Retired)
Genre	Memoir / Military
Main settings	Training grounds, Middle East battlefields, homecoming
Perspective	First-person
Tone	Heartfelt, shocking, uplifting

Our Verdict

Called to Be a Soldier is a valuable, honest memoir for anyone who wants a human-centered account of combat and its aftermath. Readers seeking emotional truth about training, deployment to the Middle East, and the long work of returning home will find this book worthwhile and empathetic, making it good value for those wanting insight rather than technical military analysis.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this a firsthand account of deployment?
Yes. The book is written by Major L. Wayne Smalls (Retired) and describes his experiences before, during, and after a combat tour in Afghanistan.

Does the memoir cover life after service?
Yes. Significant portions focus on the transition back to civilian life and the ongoing challenges of seeking normalcy at home.

Is this book more narrative or technical?
The book is a narrative memoir centered on personal experience and emotion rather than a technical or strategic military study.