Band of Sisters: Women at War in Iraq

This was a good book. It wasn't a page turner like Bellavia's "House to House" that I just finished reading (in less than two days), though I turned the pages on this book for the sheer interest in the subject. The book is not first person accounts. It's written by the author based on interviews and collected information. In fact, the book reads somewhat like Hall's "Home of the Brave". It was a straight forward accounting of women in the military, serving in various roles in the battle for Iraq and some of their experiences.

These women included fixed and rotor wing aviators, a flight commander, public affairs, MPs, medics, nurses, doctors, long haul truck drivers, aviation boatswain's mate (air craft carrier) and several other military occupations. It gave a good sense of the types of occupations that these women served in and what might be expected on deployment.

The book did an excellent job of simplifying military terms and descriptions of occupations, equipment and weapons. I would highly recommend this book to young women or young men who might be interested in the military, but have no close association with it. I would recommend this book to the general readership here because it high-lights women in the military and their contributions that most have not heard about outside of the few women who have received specific medals.

For the most part, the book avoided being preachy about women in the military. It took the tone I believe that most of the women portrayed in the book wanted the book to take: the women were not exceptions, but a few of many who were already serving alongside their male counterparts. In fact, there were a few who either declined to be interviewed to avoid portraying themselves as the exception and many who participated who refused to make their stories about being an exception. They just wanted to tell their story and maybe inspire other young women to serve.

Such as Captain Vernice Armour, Cobra pilot and first black female aviator in the Marines who flew missions on the march to Baghdad and to support in Najaf during Sadr's first uprising. She originally dismissed the idea of being in the book, but then decided that she might inspire other young black women to strive for something more, to be anything that they wanted. Her motto: "Do what average people do, have what average people have."

At one point, Cpt Armour's Cobra has a problem with the weapon's system and coordinates a laser guided missile attack using another helicopter's laser and their Cobra's missile while taking heavy fire. That is not the thinking of the uneducated and unthinking.

Many of the women had been in combat or close to combat. Army Captain Robin Brown had her Kiowa helicopter shot down while in enemy territory, during a CAS (close air support) mission and had to use "escape and evade". Spec. Rachelle Spor was severely injured when the ambulance she was driving to the site of another attack that injured marines was hit by an IED. Her friend and fellow female medic was killed in the same attack in the seat next to her. LCpl Chrissy DeCaprio, MP and gunner, was in several fire fights while escorting convoys. Then there were Lance Corporals Kispetik and Blais who were tasked to go with some "grunts" to do cordon and search, searching women and children, but ended up in a gun battle near where Zarqawi was first injured in a JDAM attack.

Besides Cpt Armour, my two favorites were Gunny Sgt Mayo and Lt Col. Montgomery. GSgt Mayo is in public affairs and was with the Marines on the march to Baghdad 2003. Back at Camp Lejuene, the Gunny was always on AFN. During one fire fight, with Marines down in fox holes, the Gunny went to check on "my marines". As she went from fox hole to fox hole, a young Marine looked up and said, "Aren't you the lady from TV? What are you doing here?" The Gunny replied, "Fighting a war. What are you doing here?"

At another point during the march up country, with an embedd from the BBC in tow, an incident occurred that had the Gunny threatening to throw the reporter out of the truck on his head. Later, the Gunny thought, "Oh, my God! I killed a reporter." You'll have to read the book for that story. In short, Gunny Mayo was a marine Gunny through and through. I think that's what hooked me. Sort of Clint Eastwood type of Gunny from Heartbreak Ridge except not quite as leathery.

Lt. Col Polly Montgomery impressed me because she seemed like the an extremely good leader with both the operations of her combat airlift wing and with her personnel. She seemed steady and capable. Everyone that the author interviewed had nothing but great praise and kind regards for their peer or superior. She appeared to be the type of leader that many wish they could become, man or woman. She was the first female commander of a combat squadron in the United States Air Force.

In the book, LTC Montgomery came across as straightforward and not particularly dwelling on being a woman and a mother as a particular hardship. She noted that, yes, she had missed her children when she deployed, but many of her junior officers, enlisted and NCOs were also married with children and deployed. She was very balanced.

Her C130 was shot at several times with SAMs and anti-aircraft guns. During one take off, twenty minutes in, they lost an engine. Deciding to return, a few minutes from landing, they lost another engine on the same side. On a C130, that's like trying to fly a bowling ball. They made it back and landed safely with some excellent flying skills from LTC Montgomery.

Again, this is a great book if you want to read about women in the military as they truly are: simply a steady and growing part of our military operations and traditions.

If you're interested in more information about this author and the book tour, she has her own blog: Band of Sisters. Main website with additional information on the book and the women featured is also "Band of Sisters"