The Hunter and the Hunted: A Review of Hunting the Caliphate

• Pages: 313-320
• Date: 01 July 2025
• Published date: 01 July 2025
• Author: Major Kier M. Elmonairy
• Subject Matter: Derecho Civil

BOOK REVIEW

The Hunter and the Hunted: A Review of Hunting

the Caliphate

Major Kier M. Elmonairy*

SHEEEEWWWWW . . . SMACK! Another enemy rocket-propelled grenade

whistled over our heads. It struck the low-lying rocks just a few meters in front

of us off the west side of the road. The only thing that saved us—it was a dud.

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Before he departed for Jordan, General Austin’s last words to me were, “Be

ready Dana.”

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I. TWO HEADS ARE BETTER THAN ONE

Hunting the Caliphate, a co-authored book detailing the authors’ f‌irsthand

experiences of f‌ighting the Islamic State of Iraq and al Sham (ISIS) from the

summer of 2014 until the fall of 2015, provides a remarkably personal f‌irst draft

of history. Dana J.H. Pittard, the commander of the U.S. forces f‌ighting ISIS in

2014 and 2015 and an Army Major General (MG) at the time,

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provides a bird’s

* Judge Advocate, United States Army. Presently assigned as the Brigade Judge Advocate, 1st

Brigade, 3d Infantry Division. Masters 2025, Command and General Staff College, United States

Army, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. LL.M. 2024, The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and

School in Charlottesville, Virginia. J.D., 2019, Georgetown University Law Center in Washington,

D.C.; B.S., 2011, the United States Military Academy at West Point. Previous assignments include

Editor in Chief, The Army Lawyer, Professional Communications Program, The Judge Advocate

General’s Legal Center and School, United States Army, Charlottesville, Virginia; Chief of General

Crimes, Military Justice Advisor, and Administrative Law Attorney, Off‌ice of the Staff Judge

Advocate, Maneuver Center of Excellence and Fort Moore, 2019–2022; Deputy Strategic Planner,

7th Army Training Command, Grafenwoehr, Germany, 2015–2016; Executive Off‌icer, Headquarters

and Headquarters Company, 7th Army Training Command, Grafenwoehr, Germany, 2015; Executive

Off‌icer, C Troop, 1-91 Cavalry Regiment, 173d Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne),

Grafenwoehr, Germany, 2014–2015; Assistant S-3, 1-91 Cavalry Regiment, 173d Infantry Brigade

Combat Team (Airborne), Grafenwoehr, Germany, 2013–2014; Platoon Leader, A Troop, 1-91

Cavalry Regiment, 173d Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), Schweinfurt, Germany and

Afghanistan, 2012–2013. Member of the Bar of New Jersey. This paper was submitted in partial

completion of the Master of Laws requirements of the 72d Judge Advocate Off‌icer Graduate Course.

© 2025, Major Kier M.S. Elmonairy. Please note this piece appeared in RealClearDefense.

1. MAJOR GENERAL DANA J.H. PITTARD & MASTER SERGEANT WES J. BRYANT, HUNTING THE

CALIPHATE 29 (2019). For clarity’s sake, this book review will refer to the authors at the ranks they held

at the time they retired. Additionally, this book review will refer to the terrorist group which took over

large portions of Iraq in 2014 as the Islamic State of Iraq and al Sham (ISIS).

2. Id. at 38.

3. Id. at 325.

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