Author · Combat Veteran · Storyteller
Some stories are carried. This one had to be told.
Gods of War is the firsthand account of Blackhawk Company 1/23 Infantry—its transformation, its brotherhood, and the battles that forged its legacy in the streets of Mosul.
“A remarkable tour of contemporary combat.” — Kirkus Reviews
BLACKHAWK COMPANY · 1/23 INFANTRY
The Book
A company transformed.
A story preserved.
Before the fighting came the transformation: a Cold War Army becoming the nation’s first Stryker Brigade. Then came Iraq.
From the first combat casualties in Stryker Brigade history to a catastrophic rollover on the company’s first patrol—and ultimately a ten-hour battle in Mosul—Gods of War follows the soldiers of Blackhawk Company through fear, loss, resolve, and survival.
Built from Joe’s own experience, extensive research, and interviews with the men who were there, this is a record for the soldiers, their families, and the generations that follow.
I became the custodian of our story—a title and honor I do not enter lightly, nor take for granted.
— Joe Troutman
About Joe
Soldier. Witness.
Keeper of the story.
Joe Troutman is a retired U.S. Army combat veteran who served 18 years on active duty as a 13F Fire Support Specialist and Forward Observer, with multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.
From 2001–2005, he served with Blackhawk Company as the unit’s Fire Support Non-Commissioned Officer. More than twenty years later, the strength of that brotherhood—and the need to honor its legacy—led him to write the story he never expected to write.
Today, Joe continues to advocate for the generation of warfighters whose stories deserve to be heard.
Follow Joe’s Work ↗Featured Conversation
Holding the Line in Mosul
Joe joins Combat Story for an unfiltered conversation about the August 4, 2004 battle, the realities of urban combat, leadership under pressure, brotherhood, and survival.
Listen to the Interview ↗Featured Episode
A 10-Hour Urban Battle with Blackhawk Company
The legacy lives when the story is told.