Veterans and Military Student Resources: Women Servicemembers/Veterans

"The 9/11 attacks fundamentally transformed how the US approached terrorism, and led to the unprecedented expansion of counterterrorism strategies, policies, and practices. While the analysis of these developments is rich and vast, there remains a significant void. The diverse actors contributing to counterterrorism increasingly consider, engage and impact women as agents, partners, and targets of their work. Yet, flawed assumptions and stereotypes remain prevalent, and it remains undocumented and unclear how and why counterterrorism efforts have evolved as they did, including in relation to women. Drawing on extensive primary source documents, A Woman's Place traces the evolution of women in US counterterrorism efforts through the administrations of Presidents Bush, Obama, and Trump, examining key agencies like the US Department of Defense, the Department of State, and USAID. In their own words, Joana Cook investigates how and why women have developed the roles they have, and interrogates US counterterrorism practices in key countries like Iraq, Afghanistan, and Yemen. Analysing conceptions of and responses to terrorists, she also considers how the roles of women in Al- Qaeda and Daesh have evolved and impacted on US counterterrorism considerations."-- Provided by publisher.

"On June 29, 2009, Air National Guard major Mary Jennings "MJ" Hegar was shot down while on a Medevac mission on her third tour in Afghanistan. Despite being wounded, she fought the enemy and saved the lives of her crew and their patients. But soon she would face a new battle: to give women who serve on the front lines the credit they deserve. After being commissioned into the U.S. Air Force, MJ Hegar was selected for pilot training by the Air National Guard, finished at the top of her class, then served three tours in Afghanistan, flying combat search-and-rescue missions, culminating in a harrowing rescue attempt that would earn MJ the Purple Heart as well as the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor Device. But it was on American soil that Hegar would embark on her greatest challenge--to eliminate the military's Ground Combat Exclusion Policy, which kept female armed service members from officially serving in combat roles despite their long-standing record of doing so with honor. In Shoot Like a Girl, MJ takes the reader on a dramatic journey through her military career: an inspiring, humorous, and thrilling true story of a brave, high-spirited, and unforgettable woman who has spent much of her life ready to sacrifice everything for her country, her fellow man, and her sense of justice." -- Publisher's description.

When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Cornelia Fort was already in the air with a student. They barely made it back to ground that morning. When the U.S. Army Air Forces put out a call for women pilots to aid the war effort, Fort was one of just over 1,100 women from across the nation made it through the Army's rigorous selection process to join the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). Not authorized to serve in combat, the WASP helped train male pilots for service abroad, and ferried bombers and pursuits across the country. Thirty-eight WASP would not survive the war. When the program was disbanded, the women were forgotten by the country they served. Landdeck shows how they came together to fight for recognition as the military veterans they were-- and for their place in history. -- adapted from jacket

Presents the story of First Lieutenant Ashley White and a groundbreaking team of female American warriors who served alongside Special Operations soldiers on the battle field in Afghanistan.

"Liz served in Iraq with her trusty military working dog, Ender, by her side. But now that her tour is over, she has to readjust to life in her small New Hampshire town. Despite being surrounded by people she's known her whole life, Liz feels entirely alone and soon gets trapped in a downward spiral of flashbacks and blackout drinking. Things seem destined for a bad end, but when Liz's on-again-off-again boyfriend, Ben, almost hits a stray dog while she is in the car, things start to change. Brutus might just be the only thing that can bring her back from the brink. Brian David Johnson, Jan Egleson, Laila Milevski, and Karl Stevens have created a searing and honest portrait of reentry to civilian life after war and a touching exploration of the bond between dog and human,"--Amazon.com.

Recruited by the U.S. Army and Navy from small towns and elite colleges, more than ten thousand women served as codebreakers during World War II. While their brothers and boyfriends took up arms, these women moved to Washington and, under strict vows of secrecy, learned the meticulous work of breaking German and Japanese military codes. Their efforts shortened the war, saved countless lives, and gave them access to careers previously denied to them. Ordered never to reveal the details of their wartime work, these women were all but written ouf of history. Through archival research and interviews with surviving code breakers, Liza Mundy has brought to life this vital story of American courage, service, and science.

This encyclopedia contains entries on all of the major themes, organizations, wars, and biographies related to the history of women and the American military. The book traces the evolution of their roles - as leaders, spies, soldiers, and nurses - and illustrates women's participation in actions on the ground as well as in making the key decisions in developing conflicts. From the colonial conflicts with European powers to the current War on Terror, coverage is comprehensive, with material organized in an easy-to-use A-Z ready-reference format

The debate about women and torture has, until recently, focused on women as victims of violence. But when photographs were released from the Abu Ghraib prisoner-abuse scandal, one featured a woman holding a prisoner by a dog leash. Overnight, she became a symbol of women's capacity to inflict pain and suffering--and soon, many in America were questioning why the infliction of violence has always been seen as inherently male. This collection deals specifically with this issue. In her foreword, Barbara Ehrenreich wonders why she once assumed women possessed an innate aversion to violence. Her essay serves as a launching point for the rest of the contributors, which include academics, journalists, and activists, each grappling with women's involvement in torture and the abuse of power. Thes essays challenge and examine the expectations placed on women while attempting to understand female perpetrators of abuse and torture in a broader context.