Scouts Out!

A Kiowa Warrior Pilot’s Perspective of War in Afghanistan

By: Ryan Robicheaux

Narrated by: Timothy G Little

The OH-58D Kiowa Warrior—a deep reconnaissance scout and attack aircraft—was legendary to those it supported. Regularly flying mere feet off of the ground while intentionally drawing enemy fire, almost everyone called Kiowa pilots crazy. Responsible for hunting elusive enemy fighters and protecting those under their charge, Kiowa crews displayed a fierce and intense devotion that was unparalleled.

Through the vantage point of a Kiowa Warrior helicopter pilot in the US Army's Air Cavalry, Scouts Out! offers a truly unique view of the war in Afghanistan. This is accomplished by revealing a deeply personal journey through two deployments, documenting the day-to-day life, struggles, combat, and extreme challenges faced. The after effects of these experiences can be witnessed as Ryan's outlook and very personality are forever altered and changed in unexpected ways. Drawing from copious journals and notes, everything captured in Scouts Out! is raw, real, and in-the-moment.

Scouts Out! presents an essential and accurate narrative of the conflict in Afghanistan. Devoid of the filler and misleading propaganda that is so pervasive in modern media and writing, Scouts Out! is an engrossing true story from America's longest and least understood war.

©2021 Rotorhead Publishing LLC (P)2023 Rotorhead Publishing LLC

Great story

Very real story especially about the feelings of combat felt by our helicopter crews and the way the military treats it’s own people.

Semper Fi!
HMH-465
OIF- 2006-07

Very detailed, great storytelling.

This book was excellent. I enjoyed the detail of life deployed and the aircraft as well as his personal story. Great narrator choice. One of the better Kiowa and military aviation books that I have read or listened to. Thanks for telling your story.

Underrated!

Not only was it a fascinating story. But it was interesting to see the authors personality change over time. Not to mention narration

Raw and real

3-17 CAV pilot Ryan Robicheaux hit the nail on the head with his book "Scout's out!" If you have any interest or curiosity at all about the war in Afghanistan, his book is an unvarnished look at what the war was like for Kiowa pilots at that time.
He touches on things I've never been able or willing to articulate to friends and family, both inside and outside the military. His strength to open himself to the world through his memoir is awe inspiring.
This book is a must read/listen.

Superbly told!

Down and dirty story from the front edge of a war that wasn’t really about survival but standing ground as a declaration of a free people.

Great Audiobook, Great Story

I found this to be attention grabbing and gritty real, more relevant than any news broadcast I ever heard during the war. Glad he made it home, though many others didn't, he was able to bring part of their stories home in his.
I enjoyed this audiobook, and found myself sitting in parking lots or my driveway (I listen while I'm driving) to get to the end of the chapter, or sometimes the next chapter.

Eye opening

I had the impression political constraints placed upon our troops made this unwinable war even more unwinable. However, I had no idea how accurate that impression was until reading this book. In particular, the zero risk CYA driven strictures of our ROE by 2012 were absurd. And to find yet another instance of U.S. not giving troops in combat everything they need to be successful is shameful. Does every post WW II generation in our nation have to re-learn this lesson?

Interesting stories of deployments in Afghanistan

There are many missions that were described in generic terms. More details about tactics, helicopter capabilities and how the weather was affecting the operations would have added to the stories. It’s sad to hear how politics and higher commands are clueless. The narrator wasn’t to my cup it tea.