Bastard Soldier, Earnest Medic

By Michael Plotkowski

Bastard Soldier, Earnest Medic is a raw, darkly funny, and unflinchingly honest memoir that follows Joe's unlikely transformation from a wayward teenager into a soldier and army physician assistant forged in the chaos of three deployments.

What begins as a desperate courtroom gamble, spirals into a wild, unpredictable journey through the chaos and cruelty of basic training, the reckless escapades and misadventures of Fort Bliss, and the bizarre, often darkly comic theater of military life. Kosovo awakens Joe's curiosity for the world; medical training initiates him in the crude and intense; Iraq baptizes him in blood, trauma, and loss; and Afghanistan forces him to confront himself amid war's contradictions.

Through black humor, medical grit, and reckless choices, Joe stumbles toward purpose. He learns to laugh at the insanity and carry scars that don't fade. This isn't a flag-waving war story - it's a brutally human one: messy, vulgar, hilarious, and profound.

In the end, Joe doesn't find glory. He finds perspective. Bastard Soldier, Earnest Medic is the unforgettable story of a man who learns to own every absurd, appalling, and incredible piece of his past, finding unexpected purpose in the journey.

Raw, hilarious, and deeply human, Bastard Soldier, Earnest Medic will make you laugh, wince, and rethink everything you thought you knew about life in uniform.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0GFH1Z8JD
• ISBN13: 9798993814377
• Release Date: March 2026
• Publisher: Murphy Road Books
• Length: 202 Pages
• Weight: 0.61 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 9.0"