Since the end of the Cold War, the United States and Great Britain have developed "rapid reaction forces," ready to be deployed at short notice to counter spontaneous outbreaks of violence in the world. This book describes deployment exercises by the top forces, includes the British 16 Air Assault Brigade, the U.S. 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions, and the U.S. Marine Expeditionary Units. See full-color images of the specialized helicopters, aircraft, and weapons in action, including an account of British rapid deployment operations during a civil war in Sierra Leone in May 2000.