Steve Stratton started his military career at the White House Communications Agency supporting the needs of Presidents Ford and Carter, Vice Presidents Rockefeller and Mondale, and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. His work took him around the world introducing him to new cultures, ways of thinking, and the various agencies tasked with projecting and protecting American interests abroad. The jump to the US Secret Service was an easy transition but after several years and an election campaign, Steve left for the commercial sector.

Steve was awarded his Green Beret in 1986. From the 80’s through 2000, he deployed with 20th Special Forces on counter-drug and training missions in the SOUTHCOM region. His civilian contractor time includes support for USCENTCOM, USSOCOM, and several intelligence agencies. Today he is retired but advising cyber security companies that support the warfighter and intelligence community. When he is not writing, you can find him mountain biking, trout fishing, or hunting in Colorado.

Find Steve at: ⁠www.stevenstrattonusa.com⁠

IG: @stevestrattonusa

X:@strattonbooks

Shadow Sanction

‘Brining war back to the war on drugs’

Lance Bear Wolf and his black-budget Shadow Tier operators must stop the rebirth of The French Connection and its terror funding connection to the Taliban. By any means necessary.

When the resurgent Sinaloa cartel attacks Wolf and his wife, Elle Parker, on the Crow Indian reservation, the safety of his people becomes Job One—until the president of the United States orders Shadow Tier to stop the Taliban’s opium trade. The president’s underlying message: The drug war is a failure. Fix this now, or your black funding disappears.

Torn between saving his people and the president’s demands for direct action, Wolf sends Shadow Tier’s Bravo Squadron to Afghanistan to infiltrate the Taliban drug organization. He sends Kieran Kennedy, his executive officer, to stand up and train a new international Charlie Squadron in the U.K. While Wolf bends the rules to protect the reservation on the home front, the squadrons track opium with a mysterious United Nations connection out of Afghanistan to a new “French Connection” in Marseilles, France.

The teams identify a likely distribution hub and its leadership. But going deeper will take initiative and innovation. Kennedy takes the dangerous decision to operate in the open … as a drug cartel. The operation yields results, but there is a piece missing. Parker and Kennedy believe a government contractor providing logistics flights into and out of the war zones is involved.

Plans are made by the fake cartel for a large shipment of heroin to go to the mafia in New York City, where wholesale arrests will be made if all goes as planned. As the data pours in from three continents, the heroin network unfolds and things to do not go as planned. The takedown of a multi-national drug production, shipment, and sales operation is unlike any operation Shadow Tier has attempted.

For the president, it’s a no-fail mission or his administration is doomed. For Shadow Tier, it’s time to bring the war back into the war on drugs.

Special Operations Warrior Foundation

Should a Special Forces Operator parent make the ultimate sacrifice, Special Operations Warrior Foundation (SOWF) will be by the side of their surviving spouse and children. Our commitment is to ensure every child of fallen Special Operations Personnel receives a college education. As of November 2020, our expanded program eligibility now includes children of ALL Medal of Honor recipients as well.

Visit the ⁠Special Operations Warrior Foundation⁠

Donate to SOWF ⁠here.⁠

Don’t forget to check out ⁠⁠Blood Red Ivory⁠⁠ on Amazon or where ever books are sold. Ty Benhoff two coming soon.

Thanks to ⁠⁠Crush Limbo⁠⁠ for the music.

Tripecoh Media LLC.