The Forlorn Hope

I think this was Drake's first full length military science fiction novel and it's a classic. Right from the beginning, it's non-stop, shock inducing, action sequences, with well flushed out, diverse and interesting characters. I love that Drake seamlessly weaves female soldiers into the Company and combat (long before most Western nations seriously considered it). He also utilizes and passes no judgment on LGBT characters. There is a reason he's the standard in military science fiction and this early book demonstrates it.