The realities of combat and the emotional weight of homecoming often remain disconnected from public awareness. Many citizens observe Memorial Day without fully understanding the harsh truths of deployment or the solemnity of dignified transfers at military bases. This lack of awareness makes it difficult for the public to comprehend the actual cost of military service and the lasting effects on families.
To address this disconnect, retired Air Force Lt. Colonel Les Carroll draws on his 28-year military career in his novel, This Troubled Ground. Combining his background as an Afghanistan campaign veteran and an award-winning military journalist, Carroll delivers an authentic account of those affected by conflict. In this interview, we discuss the emotional toll of war, the process of writing military fiction, and the human side of military duty.
Q: Your career spans 28 years in the Air Force and Air National Guard, including tours in Afghanistan and Dover Air Force Base. How did these specific deployments shape the narrative of This Troubled Ground?
Les Carroll: As an Air Force and Air National Guard public affairs officer, I spent my career telling our stories – the successes of my unit and the men and women who contributed to those accomplishments. I wrote and produced a documentary film for the 60th anniversary of the South Carolina Air National Guard. The documentary was one of the most meaningful achievements of my career. My fighter wing had deployed many times, but as a support guy, I was not on those deployments. As I got late in my career, I did not want to retire without making a contribution to the “war effort.” So I volunteered, and the last five years turned my career from good to extraordinary and provided the anecdotal foundation for This Troubled Ground.
Q: The novel connects the story of an Air Force officer with a Gold Star mother’s search for answers. Why was it important to highlight both the combat zone perspective and the home front experience?
Les Carroll: I saw dozens of Gold Star families on the Dover AFB tarmac and then interviewed many Gold Star families for the documentary film “Bringing the Fallen Home.” I have sometimes thought that I saw more war on the aircraft parking ramp at Dover than I saw in Afghanistan. Gold Star families are reluctant heroes. They deserve to be recognized and their fallen loved ones must be remembered.
Q: You spent years as a military journalist and documentary filmmaker documenting the lives of service members. How does writing military fiction allow you to present the emotional truths of war differently than a non-fiction format?
Les Carroll: This Troubled Ground is based on my own experiences, but I didn’t engage enemy fighters face to face. The main characters in my other two novels – Charlie Minto’s Pyramid Scheme & Last Day on the Blue Wonder are combat warriors and heroes. Their experiences and backgrounds make them great characters for novels.
Q: Military leaders and early readers describe the book as an emotionally impactful and cathartic experience. What specific message do you want civilians to understand regarding the sacrifices made by military families?
Les Carroll: American service members don’t choose the conflicts. They go where ordered and put their lives on the line to do their duty. All veterans who have been to combat zones have their own experiences. Mine was unique, so I think it provides readers another look at what warriors and their families experience.
Q: Your 2025 novel, Charlie Minto’s Pyramid Scheme, shifts focus to a retired Marine taking action against a cartel-connected gang. Your most recent novel, Last Day on the Blue Wonder is also about combat heroes who come home to their own personal conflicts. How do these books continue your thematic focus on the cost of duty and personal reckoning?
Les Carroll: Charlie Minto experiences combat in Afghanistan, then comes home to a war in his own backyard. His objective is the same – engage and hold accountable an enemy who took innocent lives and threatens the peace and security of his family and community. I developed the story for Last Day on the Blue Wonder and then created the characters, who meet on an Afghanistan battlefield right in the middle of a horrific firefight. In their post-military lives, they rely on that same courage and selflessness to build a life together after surviving combat.
This Troubled Ground and Les Carroll’s subsequent novels provide a clear reflection on the sacrifices demanded by military service. By combining operational details with raw human narratives, Carroll delivers a sharp view into the physical and emotional aftermath of combat, highlighting the lasting impact on veterans and their families.
As the distance between military and civilian life grows, literature that accurately captures these realities becomes increasingly important. Providing the public with honest accounts of conflict is necessary to properly honor military sacrifices. Carroll’s storytelling offers a strong model for how fiction can deliver truth and bring critical awareness to the veteran experience.
To learn more, visit www.lescarroll.com