Colonel Carlos Alberto de Lima asserts that the most difficult period was faced in the early days of occupation when the media and civil society showed little confidence in the army's ability.

He details two outbreaks which devastated the soldiers and caused serious detriment to the mission at hand - the widespread contraction of hepatitis and dengue.

These illnesses left a significant swathe of the army population unwell and meant that senior officials had to rethink community hygiene logistics.

He describes the period of crisis in which the city experienced perpetual arson attacks by traffickers, details how partnerships were formed between military strategists and religious leaders, and describes the aggressively explosive reaction to the visit of Prince Harry of Britain.