Veteran-Centered Care in Education and Practice: An Essential Guide for Nursing Faculty addresses the mandate to improve veteran healthcare as a national priority, highlighting the tremendous impact nurses can make on improving veteran health. It provides guidance on how faculty can integrate veteran-centered care into nursing curricula, ultimately improving veteran-centered care at the bedside and in the community. The expert authors utilize a holistic approach to veteran needs, beginning with an overview of the importance of veteran health in nursing education and a primer of military culture and lifestyle, and transitions. A wide range of veteran-specific healthcare issues are addressed, including occupational and environmental exposures, common physical-related issues, mental-health issues, and special topics such as women's health and military sexual trauma, gender issues, and end-of-life concerns.This book offers innovative teaching and learning strategies to build a base of knowledge related to nursing prioritization of veteran health care needs, filling a notable gap in nursing literature. It includes teaching strategies for the classroom and clinical setting that graduate/undergraduate nurse educators may employ to integrate veteran content into existing courses or to build a Veteran Health elective or topics course. It outlines key competencies and essential knowledge faculty and students need to teach and provide basic veteran-centered care. Also covered are the expansion of Veteran-to-BSN programs, current research on veterans transitioning to the classroom, and strategies to enhance learning within this student population and maximize their skills and leadership abilities. Key Features: Discusses national and organizational efforts to improve veteran-centered care Guides nursing faculty on how to address the multifaceted nature of veteran health needs in existing nursing courses and curricula at all educational levels Outlines key competencies and essential knowledge faculty and students need to teach and provide basic veteran-centered care Includes evidence-based instructional strategies and resources to incorporate into classroom and clinical settings Features learning activities to enhance knowledge acquisition Details the unique needs of the veteran student population, as well as strategies to enhance their learning, while maximizing their skills and leadership abilities Purchase includes access to the ebook for use on most mobile devices or computers

The Sociology of the Military is an authoritative selection of articles providing an historical overview of the field and illustrating the major directions of contemporary research. The book considers the forerunners to a sociology of the military and the research trends in America and the rest of the world. Topics covered include models for comparative research, the military profession and the relationship between military and civil society. Finally, the book explores new roles for the armed forces in our changing world.

The process of military change management must be as well planned and as well led as any other military operation. This book considers the complex and challenging area of change management within military organizations. While the military can learn a lot from the wealth of existing civilian management literature, the unique circumstances of most military organizations often require different approaches. With an understanding of the important factors involved, military planners can approach change through a means that allows them to harness the inevitability and power of change to achieve their own ends.

The management of change within a military organization is neither a fire and forget process nor one that military leaders should avoid. In many respects it is like other operations. Leaders must first understand the nature and shape of the change battlefield that they are facing. On this battlefield they must dispatch their forces against those who will seek to oppose change. Through examination of various processes of change within the military, civilian managers will learn how change has succeeded or failed in organizations whose bottom-line is the physical safety and security of the countries and the people that they protect.

Large data sets arriving at every increasing speeds require a new set of efficient data analysis techniques. Data analytics are becoming an essential component for every organization and technologies such as health care, financial trading, Internet of Things, Smart Cities or Cyber Physical Systems. However, these diverse application domains give rise to new research challenges. In this context, the book provides a broad picture on the concepts, techniques, applications, and open research directions in this area. In addition, it serves as a single source of reference for acquiring the knowledge on emerging Big Data Analytics technologies.

Tuskegee Airmen 1941-1945 shares the memories of 22 original Tuskegee Airmen and their experiences as African American combat aviators during World War II. Filled with photographs, combat records, mission reports, official correspondence, newspaper clippings, and the personal annotations of the original document owners, Tuskegee Airmen 1941-1945 provides a singularly unique resource for anyone researching the history of these legendary aviators. The first aviation class of Tuskegee Airmen, which comprised 13 cadets, began at Chanute Airfield in Rantoul, Illinois, on July 19, 1941. These cadets received ground school training in subjects such as meteorology, navigation, and instruments. Successful cadets then transferred to Tuskegee Army Air Field in October 1941 to complete pilot training. From 1941 to 1945, more than 900 pilots were trained at Tuskegee, receiving their commissions and wings. Tuskegee also graduated a group of twin-engine pilots assigned to the 477th Bombardment Group. These black navigators, bombardiers, and gunners of the 477th were trained at Army Air Corps bases located elsewhere throughout the United States. Tuskegee Airmen 1941-1945 is organized in a format similar to that of a high school or college yearbook. A significant difference is that unlike in a school "Annual," the authors of this historical book have covered a four-year period recording, highlighting, and commemorating the accomplishments of their fellow Tuskegee alumni. This narrative has a manifold purpose, which has interwoven threads of deeds, actions, thoughts, and ideals into one composite story. It goes inside the lives of many of the surviving Airmen, recounting stories of racism within the military alongside the Airmen's tenacious heroism. Tuskegee Airmen 1941-1945 is a must-read for any serious student of American military, aviation or civil rights history of the 20th century.

Sure to be found controversial by some, compelling by all, this is the only available book-length examination of the way the U.S. Army and Department of Defense have tried to create the capabilities promised by the high-tech Revolution in Military Affairs. Of more immediate concern, it is also the only in-depth account of the effect RMA and transformation concepts had on the American operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Many of the problems in both Iraq and Afghanistan, Adams argues, arose from the DoD's implacable desire to implement RMA-driven transformation concepts-whether they were appropriate or not. What we need to do, he maintains, is to fight the war we have, not the war we want. Over the last several decades, military theorists and others began to believe that new technologies were generating a "revolution in military affairs" (RMA), capabilities so revolutionary that they would redefine warfare. Spurred by these beliefs, and led by President George W. Bush and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, the Department of Defense (DoD) set out to transform the U.S. armed forces by adopting RMA concepts-and spending billions to make the hypothetical capabilities real. The entire structure of the armed forces changed as a result. This vision, however, was totally dependent on a set of unproven suppositions and often nonexistent capabilities, especially a network of information technologies. Moreover, the services, the media, Congress, and industry each had its own agenda, all of which continue to come into play in the development of RMA strategies. The interplay of politics, technology and military reality offers a fascinating narrative.

In this extraordinary book, 15 recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor tell the stories of the actions for which they received their awards. The stories themselves present true examples of valor, courage, and sacrifice. More than stories, however, they recount moments of significance in the life of our country. The Congressional Medal of Honor is the highest award given to American servicemen for valor in battle. Only slightly more than 200 recipients of the Medal of Honor are alive today. In this extraordinary book, 15 recipients tell the stories of the actions for which they received their awards. Heroes from the Marines, the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force recount their stories of action in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. Together, their stories present a definition of heroism in battle. Individually, they are fifteen profiles of the Hero. The stories, based on interviews with the recipients and written by Kent DeLong, the attending physician of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, are well-told and exciting. They present true examples of valor, courage, and sacrifice. But they are more than just stories. They are the oral history of significant moments in the life of our country.

Admiral William H. McRaven is a part of American military history, having been involved in some of the most famous missions in recent memory, including the capture of Saddam Hussein, the rescue of Captain Richard Phillips, and the raid to kill Osama bin Laden.Sea Stories begins in 1960 at the American Officers' Club in France, where Allied officers and their wives gathered to have drinks and tell stories about their adventures during World War II -- the place where a young Bill McRaven learned the value of a good story. Sea Stories is an unforgettable look back on one man's incredible life, from childhood days sneaking into high-security military sites to a day job of hunting terrorists and rescuing hostages.Action-packed, inspiring, and full of thrilling stories from life in the special operations world, Sea Stories is a remarkable memoir from one of America's most accomplished leaders.

This new paperback edition of Stephen E. Ambrose's highly regarded history of the United States Military Academy features the original foreword by Dwight D. Eisenhower and a new afterword by former West Point superintendent Andrew J. Goodpaster.

"There have been many other histories of West Point, but this is the best... From this excellent book every American will find interest and take pride in this truly national institution that has played so great a part in the building of the country." -- Historical Times

"The title of this first-rate account of the United States Military Academy is drawn from the Academy's motto... [Ambrose] follows the long gray line through history, skillfully re-creating the administrations of West Point's outstanding superintendents (Sylvanus Thayer and Douglas MacArthur), telling some amusing anecdotes about cadets 'who simply refused to conform to the West Point mold' (James McNeill Whistler and Edgar Allan Poe)." -- New York Times Book Review

"The conception of West Point, as Ambrose makes clear in his short history of the Military Academy, was immaculately Jeffersonian. It was a school to train engineers -- that most liberal, nonaristocratic, and socially useful branch of the military service -- not in order to create a corps d'A(c)lite but to provide the reservoir of military expertise which was needed if the militia ideal were to become a practical reality... Ambrose has told this story clearly and well; he is at his best in tying it to the larger context of American politics, social attitudes, and higher education." -- Journal of American History

"A welcome addition to the growing literature on military education. Ambrose covers the wholehistory of West Point, from the first feeble beginnings under President Jefferson down to the present. He has carefully examined both the published and unpublished sources and has rounded out the basic data with numerous interviews." -- Journal of Higher Education

After surviving three years flying the mighty Phantom, the RAF's greatest and most terrifying fighter (for those in the cockpit), Tug Wilson was sent to RAF Brawdy in Pembrokeshire and then to RAF Valley on the Isle of Anglesey to teach the flying skills he probably should have known when posted on the Cold War front line. At Valley, Wilson quickly discovered that being an instructor was much more than just teaching: it was falling out of the sky after a stall at just 300 feet, inches from pulling the ejection-seat handle; it was zooming into cloud at low level knowing there's a hill somewhere straight ahead; it was suffering the horror of nearly killing your student by chasing him too hard in air combat; it was being a mentor, a father figure, a best friend and a worst enemy if needs be; and it was the joy of guiding the struggling but hard-working ones away from the brink of being 'chopped' and towards their dream of becoming confident aviators, ready to join an operational squadron. Confessions of a Flying Instructor is a gritty, unvarnished, highly entertaining account of what it was like to be a tactics and flying instructor on an RAF squadron in the early 1990s-the banter, the egos, the insecurities, the cock-ups, the tragedies, the friendships, the triumphs, and the pure, unadulterated exhilaration of raging around the sky in a Hawk T1A day after day. Have you ever wondered what a fast-jet pilot needs to go through to learn how to win in air combat? Or how to cheat in dogfighting, for that matter? This book is an intimate, revelatory memoir of an often overlooked but intrinsic aspect of the RAF.

Bringing to searing life the terrifying intimacy of hand-to-hand infantry combat, "House to House" is far more than just another war story. Populated by an indelibly drawn cast of characters, it develops the intensely close relationships that form between soldiers under fire. Their friendships, tested in brutal combat, would never be quite the same. What happened to them in their bloody embrace with America's most implacable enemy is a harrowing, unforgettable story of triumph, tragedy, and the resiliency of the human spirit.

"House to House" is a soldier's memoir that is destined to rank with the finest personal accounts of men at war. An instant classic in hardcover, this timeless story features a new afterword and a question and answer section with the author.

Culture has an enormous influence on military organizations and their success or failure in war. Cultural biases often result in unstated assumptions that have a deep impact on the making of strategy, operational planning, doctrinal creation, and the organization and training of armed forces. Except in unique circumstances culture grows slowly, embedding so deeply that members often act unconsciously according to its dictates. Of all the factors that are involved in military effectiveness, culture is perhaps the most important. Yet, it also remains the most difficult to describe and understand, because it entails so many external factors that impinge, warp, and distort its formation and continuities. The sixteen case studies in this volume examine the culture of armies, navies, and air forces from the Civil War to the Iraq War and how and why culture affected their performance in the ultimate arbitration of war.

In Our Veterans, Suzanne Gordon, Steve Early, and Jasper Craven explore the physical, emotional, social, economic, and psychological impact of military service and the problems that veterans face when they return to civilian life. The authors critically examine the role of advocacy organizations, philanthropies, corporations, and politicians who purport to be "pro-veteran." They describe the ongoing debate about the cost, quality, and effectiveness of healthcare provided or outsourced by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). They also examine generational divisions and political tensions among veterans, as revealed in the tumultuous events of 2020, from Black Lives Matter protests to the Trump-Biden presidential contest. Frank and revealing, Our Veterans proposes a new agenda for veterans affairs linking service provision to veterans to the quest for broader social programs benefiting all Americans.

From hallucinogenic mushrooms and LSD, to coca and cocaine; from Homeric warriors and the Assassins to the first Gulf War and today's global insurgents - drugs have sustained warriors in the field and have been used as weapons of warfare, either as non-lethal psychochemical weapons or as a means of subversion. Lukasz Kamienski explores why and how drugs have been issued to soldiers to increase their battlefield performance, boost their courage and alleviate stress and fear - as well as for medical purposes. He also delves into the history of psychoactive substances that combatants 'self- prescribe', a practice which dates as far back as the Vikings. Shooting Up is a comprehensive and original history of the relationship between fighting men and intoxicants, from Antiquity till the present day, and looks at how drugs will determine the wars of the future in unforeseen and remarkable ways.

The Brereton report - the findings of a long-running inquiry into war crimes allegations involving members of the Australian Special Operations Task Group during their 2005-13 deployment to Afghanistan - was publicly released on 23 November 2020. Veiled Valour, from one of Australia's most respected military affairs analysts, explores the background to these allegations - the gradual demise of the Afghan state and society, the decision to deploy Special Forces personnel to Central Asia after 2001, the inquiries into apparent mistakes and alleged misconduct, and the shocking hearsay and rumours that led to a formal inquiry. Ending the day before the Brereton report's public release, Veiled Valour sheds light on why the inquiry was necessary, how its investigations were conducted, where the media influenced its direction and what the public expected to be told about its military elite.

Between 1939 and 1945, over two hundred German and forty-five Allied servicemen were interned in neutral Ireland. They presented a series of extremely complex issues for the de Valera government, which strove to balance Ireland's international relationships with its obligations as a neutral.

In the global theatre of contemporary warfare, courage and endurance are crucial for overcoming adversity. However, for Caroline Paige, a jet and helicopter navigator in the Royal Air Force, adversity was a common companion both on and off the field of battle.In 1999, Paige became the first ever openly serving transgender officer in the British military. Already a highly respected aviator, she rose against the extraordinary challenges placed before her to remain on the front line in the war on terror, serving a further sixteen years and flying battlefield helicopters in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan.Detailing the emotional complexities of her transition, Paige reveals the external threats she faced in warzones around the world and the internal conflict she suffered while fighting prejudice at home. The result is a story of secrecy and vulnerability, of fear and courage, of challenge and hope.Criss-crossing battle lines both foreign and domestic, True Colours is the unflinchingly honest and inspirational account of one woman's venerable military career and the monumental struggle she overcame while grappling with gender identity on the quest for acceptance.

The number of older war veterans receiving disability benefits is steadily growing and is predicted to rise in the next decade. This book provides comprehensive knowledge about health and psychosocial concerns of veterans aging with disabilities and unmet needs and compares policy in three countries that have been involved in massive warfare in the 20th century--the United Kingdom (UK), the United States (US), and Israel. Using a cross-national comparative study of the policies, legislation and services provided by these three countries, which have significant numbers of aging disabled military veterans, this book provides evidence-based knowledge on the trajectories and attendant mental-health and psychosocial problems this sub-group faces when aging with a disability. It sheds light on the paradox in which most veterans with disabilities in the UK, USA and Israel are older, while the current legislation and budget target younger veterans with disabilities. The book reflects the current debate regarding the desired policy toward older veterans with disabilities in these countries and whether to provide them with proactive health services prior to retirement to prevent "accelerated aging". It also evaluates the dilemma of whether to serve aging veterans separately as a unique population or to provide them with the same services used by the general population. This book will be of interest to all academics and students working in disability studies, rehabilitation studies, gerontology, psychology, sociology, social work, social policy, and law more broadly.

Chronicling the many faces of the WWII effort, these contemporary black-and-white portraits of the longest surviving veterans remind us that the war comprised a collection of Americans from all walks of life. Their penetrating gaze captures the ethos of the endeavor of war. Intimate memories offer glimpses into the horrifying, and at times awe-inspiring, reality of war. The faces of these veterans, from all branches, are juxtaposed with images of their youthful selves and serve as a visual representation of the expanse of their life experiences. Appealing to the families of soldiers, academics, history buffs, and veterans of other wars, this collection is a testament to the spirit of patriotism and strength of a collective American effort.