nonfiction - women soldiers in Afghanistan (and the invaluable role they serve). These women's stories are so full of power and love and hard work; we all need to honor and respect our troops and veterans but many of us are still so detached from their separate and very different reality. ( )

Powerful memoir of women in military. Very moving. ( )

This book chronicles the development of the U.S. Army’s Cultural Support Teams, which were teams of women soldiers who assisted Ranger and Green Beret units with special operations in Afghanistan. While we get to know several members of the very first CST class, much of the book focuses on Ashley White, who would ultimately give her life in service to her country, as the first CST member killed in action.

It describes the CST’s brutal selection and training process and does an admirable job in explaining the human side of this effort—how stressful this was on both the soldiers and their families back home. With the idea of women serving in combat operations being such a controversial one, the author does an excellent job of getting the reader into the minds of these women who feel called to serve on the front lines to understand their point of view and motives for taking such a difficult challenge.

White and her fellow CST members made such an impact on the war effort in Afghanistan that they have paved the way for women soldiers to take on more jobs previously denied to them simply because of their gender. The Army brass have noticed and are taking steps that should eventually open up all positions to women, including combat roles. All these women soldiers wanted was a greater challenge in their military careers; they not only got that, but they also made history too!
( )

Before women were officially allowed into combat roles (a very recent change), U.S. military forces on the ground in Afghanistan realized the need for female soldiers to be able to communicate with Afghani women in order to meet their goals while remaining culturally sensitive. This book deals with the formation of a workaround group known as the Cultural Support Team (CST), which consisted of women attached to special operation forces, such as the Army Rangers. Essentially, these women were in combat roles but in an unofficial capacity.

The first part of the book deals largely with the rationale behind beginning the CST program, how the women who got involved in found out about it (as well as descriptions of their past experiences leading up to that moment, including military service), and then the rigorous selection and training processes involved in finalizing the unit. The second part of the book then discusses the 'boots on the ground' experiences had in Afghanistan and the aftermath of one tragic evening.

Despite the title, the book is not just about Lt. Ashley White, but all the women who served in the initial development of CST. For that reason, there are a lot of names and facts coming at you in this book. I found the narrative somewhat disjointed personally, which detracted a bit from my enjoyment in reading it. (As an aside, I think this book may have been better read in print than audio, so that the reader can flip back to the various names and dates as needed.) That being said, it was very informative and thought-provoking. ( )

With many reviews already posted, I simply want to add my recommendation that this be read by the many of us who are unconnected to the military. Now that the burden of war is not borne equally, but rather by almost a separate class of volunteers, it's important that others become more aware of the details and ideals of such service. Unusually for such biographies, this is highly accessible despite the necessary use of acronyms. It's not a long or difficult read. Please make time to honor these men and women by reading this one story. ( )