November 10, 2025

From down-time to go-time, war changes by the moment and is often a matter of millimeters. Cpl. Matthew Piano, 2nd Squad Leader of Battalion 3/1, found this out firsthand in a brief exchange with the enemy in Fallujah. As the rest of his squad still leisurely prepared for the battle, he began engaging with a lone gunman in the distance. That day, fortunately, he had an angel watching over him.

The Last 600 Meters: The Battles of Najaf and Fallujah