Always Coming Back Home is an emotional tale of love, adventure, hope, and tragedy. Always Coming Back Home uses heartfelt stories and real-time emails sent from a deployed sailor to his bride, readers quickly become invested in this young family. The couple takes readers on adventures of sailing and scuba diving throughout the world. They also keep readers laughing as the couple becomes first time parents, anxious with them during military deployments, upset with them through miscarriages and family loss, and finally, heartbroken as it all comes to an end with a single phone call. Always Coming Back Home is a candid and raw account of two ordinary people coming together to accomplish extraordinary things.

The Kingdom of Bahrain's perseverance as an independent state in one of the world's most dangerous regions presents an enigma in the metanarrative of three centuries of near perpetual strife along the Arabian littoral. This mystery is due to Bahrain's size when compared to the very ambitious regional and international actors which have been eyeing Bahrain as a prize, a strategic stepping-stone to extending a form of hegemony over the region. Yet Bahrain is more than a pawn in the geopolitical games of larger states; it has its own set of skills and capabilities. It may be a small state in a dangerous region, but it is not weak. This work traces the long history of Bahrain and reveals how it has survived, especially since Revolutionary Iran has emerged as its main source of threat.

Military pedagogical research and teaching has made headways. There is still no internationally accepted unified field theory, but the diversity and heterogeneity of military pedagogy reflects the complexity of modern military tasks and enables the scientific debate on military ethics and morale, military education and interculturality. While political and educational developments have caught up with some of the topics addressed, changes in the military and the political and educational landscape will always necessitate this branch of academia to continuously adapt to the needs of the armed forces and their servicemen and -women. Insofar, the diverse contributions in this volume offer valuable insights into current military pedagogical thinking and acting.

Black members of the military served in every war, conflict and military engagement between 1861 and 1948. Beyond serving only as enlisted soldiers and non-commissioned officers, many also served as commissioned officers in positions of leadership and authority. This book offers the first complete and conclusive work to specifically examine the history of black commissioned officers.

During World War II, radio broadcasts were fundamental to the morale of the allied troops. When Americans attempted to establish their own network, the Armed Forces Network (AFN), the BBC initially resisted. This documented account of the disputes between Britain and the United States in regard to the airwaves illustrates how, despite the tensions and with the intervention of General Eisenhower and Winston Churchill, the relationship succeeded. It details the political machinations with which the BBC attempted to thwart the development of the AFN and the strategies by which the Americans established and operated the network. It was not long before the AFN captivated a wide British audience and introduced it to the American big bands, such as the Glenn Miller orchestra, and entertainers like Jack Benny and Bob Hope. The tensions and compromises between the two broadcasting networks reflected the disagreements and concessions characteristic of the overall Anglo-American alliance.

This lively chronicle of the frictions between the BBC and the AFN, and the portrait it paints of wartime Britain will appeal to a number of audiences, from scholars of the history of broadcasting, to wartime music buffs, to those interested in the politics of World War II, and to the veterans who served in the war.

This is the first and only comprehensive history of all military decorations and medals that may be awarded to men and women serving in the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force. The background and design of each medal is examined, as well as award criteria governing each decoration. The book first looks at the Army and Air Force Medals of Honor before continuing with lesser awards, including the Distinguished Service Cross, Distinguished Service Medal, Air Force Cross, Silver Star, Legion of Merit Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart. The histories of more common medals like the Air Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army and Air Force Commendation Medals and Army and Air Force Achievement Medals are also included. Photographs of each medal (obverse and reverse) accompany the text, along with selected photographs of recipients and the citations for their awards.

Studies of the military that deal with the actual experience of troops in the field are still rare in the social sciences. In fact, this ethnographic study of an elite unit in the Israeli Defense Force is the only one of its kind. As an officer of this unit and a professional anthropologist, the author was ideally positioned for his role as participant observer. During the eight years he spent with his unit he focused primarily on such notions as "conflict", "the enemy", and "soldiering" because they are, he argues, the key points of reference for "what we are" and "what we are trying to do" and form the basis for interpreting the environment within which armies operate. Relying on the latest anthropological approaches to cognitive models and the social constructions of emotion and masculinity, the author offers an in-depth analysis of the dynamics that drive the men's attitudes and behavior, and a rare and fascinating insight into the reality of military life.

Defense forces have always invested a great deal of their resources in training. In recent times, changes in the complexity and intensity of operations have reaffirmed the importance of ensuring that warfighters are adequately prepared for the environments in which they are required to work. The emergence of new operational drivers such as asymmetric threats, urban operations, joint and coalition operations and the widespread use of military communications and information technology networks has highlighted the importance of providing warfighters with the competencies required to act in a coordinated, adaptable fashion, and to make effective decisions in environments characterized by large amounts of sometimes ambiguous information. While investment in new technologies can make available new opportunities for action, it is only through effective training that personnel can be made ready to apply their tools in the most decisive and discriminating fashion. There are many factors which can have an impact on the efficacy of training and many issues to consider when designing and implementing training strategies. These issues are often complex and nuanced, and in order to grasp them fully a significant investment of time and energy is required. However, the requirement to respond quickly to ever-changing technology, a high operational tempo and minimal staffing may preclude many in today's defense forces from seeking out all such resources on their own. This edited collection provides brief, easy-to-understand summaries of the key issues in defense training and simulation, as well as guidance for further reading. It consists of a collection of short essays, each of which addresses a fundamental issue in defense training and simulation, and features an up-to-date reference list to enable the reader to undertake further investigation of the issues addressed. In essence, this book provides the optimum starting point, or first resource, for readers to come to terms with the important issues associated with defense training and simulation. The contributions are written by leading scholars from military research institutions in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, as well as selected researchers from academic and private sector research institutions.

Chaplaincy highlights the need for faith and society to re-engage with vital moral questions. Military chaplains continue to operate within the dynamic tension between faith communities, the armed services and society, offering a distinct moral presence and contribution. Drawing the reader into the world of the military chaplain, this book explores insights into the complex moral issues that arise in combat (especially in Afghanistan), and in everyday military life, These include the the increasing significance of the Law of Armed Conflict and the moral significance of drones. Through the unique chaplain's eye view of the significance of their experience for understanding the ethics of war, this book offers clearer understanding of chaplaincy in the context of the changing nature of international conflict (shaped around insurgency and non-state forces) and explores the response of faith communities to the role of the armed services. It makes the case for relocating understandings of just war within a theological framework and for a clear understanding of the relationship between the mission of chaplaincy and that of the military.

British army chaplains have not fared well in the mythology of the First World War. Like its commanders they have often been characterized as embodiments of ineptitude and hypocrisy. Yet, just as historians have reassessed the motives and performance of British generals, this collection offers fresh insights into the war record of British chaplains. Drawing on the expertise of a dozen academic researchers, the collection offers an unprecedented analysis of the subject that embraces military, political, religious and imperial history. The volume also benefits from the professional insights of chaplains themselves, several of its contributors being serving or former members of the Royal Army Chaplains' Department. Providing the fullest and most objective study yet published, it demonstrates that much of the post-war hostility towards chaplains was driven by political, social or even denominational agendas and that their critics often overlooked the positive contribution that chaplains made to the day-to-day struggles of soldiers trying to cope with the appalling realities of industrial warfare and its aftermath. As the most complete study of the subject to date, this collection marks a major advance in the historiography of the British army, of the British churches and of British society during the First World War, and will appeal to researchers in a broad range of academic disciplines.

Old sergeants say, "we're here to defend democracy, not to practice it!" But are they right? The special mandate with which defence and security organizations are tasked imposes unique constraints with respect to the accommodation of diversity which differs from those faced by any other public or private organization. Yet, the compound effect of demographic, political, economic, social and legal pressures is making diversity as inevitable in the defence and security sector as in any other organization in advanced industrialized democracies. Owing in part to a dearth of research on the way the defence and security sectors can leverage diversity to enhance their functional imperatives, such sectors have been reticent about diversity. The chapters in this volume strive to enlighten the debate by laying out the concepts, clarifying theoretical issues, and providing empirical evidence. The case studies draw on Canada, Guyana, the Netherlands, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. They examine ethno-cultural, gender, and sexual-minority diversity in a variety of missions, including Bosnia-Herzegovina and Afghanistan. The chapters are notable for their methodological pluralism and interdisciplinary range including political science, sociology, anthropology, and psychology. Although scholarly in nature, the book is readily accessible to professionals and practitioners alike. This book was published as a special issue of Commonwealth and Comparative Politics.

John Masters was a soldier before he became a novelist. Born in India, he was sent to England to complete his education before attending Sandhurst. It was there the rumour began about his ancestry, that (in the language of the time) he 'had a touch of the tarbrush'. This encounter with racist bigotry would be turned to good effect in his novel, "Bhowani Junction" (later filmed with Stewart Granger and Ava Gardner). At Sandhurst it just made him more determined to succeed. John Masters joined a Gurhka regiment on receiving his commission. Here, He depicts garrison life and campaigning on the North-West Frontier.

The American military is currently experiencing its largest demobilization in history. Nearly two million soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen have been deployed in the recent conflict and most will be coming home. Every family will be concerned about their warrior, why his behavior may have changed so dramatically, and what they can do to help her make the transition to the next phase or her life. Unlike service members who live with their colleagues in arms and remain connected to them after their time in service, many family members do not have these kinds of connections nor do they have access or knowledge of the resources that can help them understand and cope with all the changes. The bureaucratic hurdles and paperwork may feel overwhelming for family members and they may not be aware of all of the benefits they have earned. The deployment can also have an enormous psychological impact on the service member and on the family members in ways that they may not even be aware. And when service members are wounded or disabled during the conflict it will frequently fall to the family members to bear the additional responsibilities of caring for the service member and providing rehabilitation.
The American military is currently experiencing its largest demobilization in history. Nearly two million soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen have been deployed in the recent conflict and most will be coming home. Every family will be concerned about their warrior, why his behavior may have changed so dramatically, and what they can do to help her make the transition to the next phase or her life. Unlike service members who live with their colleagues in arms and remain connected to them after their time in service, many family members do not have these kinds of connections nor do they have access or knowledge of the resources that can help them understand and cope with all the changes. The bureaucratic hurdles and paperwork may feel overwhelming for family members and they may not be aware of all of the benefits they have earned. The deployment can also have an enormous psychological impact on the service member and on the family members in ways that they may not even be aware. And when service members are wounded or disabled during the conflict it will frequently fall to the family members to bear the additional responsibilities of caring for the service member and providing rehabilitation.
The book begins with a series of chapters that describes the current situation for the family of service members. These chapters answer questions about how deployment impacts the family of the warrior and what happens (and what emotions occur) during and immediately after the warrior returns home and how families can best cope, survive, and thrive. With multiple deployments becoming more common another early chapter addresses the impact of multiple deployments on the family. Since resilient family members are better able to cope with the reintegration another chapter describes how families can build their resiliency. Suicide has become a big problem in the military (more service members dying by suicide than dying on the battle field) so another chapter describes why they commit suicide and provides guidance on how family members can prevent it from happening. Drug and alcohol abuse are also rampant among service members so the book provides guidance on warning signs and ways to help the family member. Other chapters provide parenting tips. The needs of blended families, engaged couples, single warriors and other non-traditional families are also addressed. Other chapters offer advice on how to help the service member look for a job, go back to school or start college, and how to rekindle a couple's intimacy and sex after deployment. The special needs of female warriors and their spouses and family members of Reservists and Guard members are also addressed. The needs of disabled and injured service members (and the impact on family members) are also addressed with guidance provided on how the family can cope and thrive with these new challenges.

The Veterans of Future Wars (VFW) was a short-lived student movement that came in response to the bonus paid to World War I veterans in 1936. The VFW began at Princeton University, but quickly spread across the United States, attracting attention from all groups of American citizens. It was extremely popular on college campuses, but it engendered vocal and intemperate opposition from the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, chambers of commerce, and other citizens. The student leaders were branded as Communists, Fascists, or other similar subversive groups. The group attracted attention from political leaders; some members of Congress were supportive, but others attacked the group on the floor of the House of Representatives. The student group ended about four or five months after it began. Despite its short life, it was a successful movement that attracted wide support and caused serious discussion about the role of the federal government in providing bonuses to veterans.

During the Civil War, Confederate military courts sentenced to death more soldiers from North Carolina than from any other state. This study offers the first exploration of the service records of 450 of these wayward Confederates, most often deserters. Arranged by army, corps, division and brigade, it chronicles their military trials and frequent executions and offers explanations of how a lucky few were able to avoid their fate. Focus on court activity by company allows for comparisons that emphasize the wide disparity in discipline within a regiment and brigade. By stressing the effectiveness of these deadly decisions as deterrents to others, this work maintains that an earlier and wider reliance on execution would have strengthened the Confederacy sufficiently to force a negotiated end to the war, thus saving many Confederate and Federal lives.

The U.S. Armed Forces started integrating its services in 1948, and with that push, more African Americans started rising through the ranks to become officers, although the number of black officers has always been much lower than African Americans' total percentage in the military. Astonishingly, the experiences of these unknown reformers have largely gone unexamined and unreported, until now. The Black Officer Corps traces segments of the African American officers' experience from 1946-1973. From generals who served in the Pentagon and Vietnam, to enlisted servicemen and officers' wives, Isaac Hampton has conducted over seventy-five oral history interviews with African American officers. Through their voices, this book illuminates what they dealt with on a day to day basis, including cultural differences, racist attitudes, unfair promotion standards, the civil rights movement, Black Power, and the experience of being in ROTC at Historically Black Colleges. Hampton provides a nuanced study of the people whose service reshaped race relations in the U.S. Armed Forces, ending with how the military attempted to control racism with the creation of the Defense Race Relations Institute of 1971. The Black Officer Corps gives us a much fuller picture of the experience of black officers, and a place to start asking further questions.

First published in 1990, this is an authoritative account of defence spending and policy in both developing and developed countries. The book provides case-studies and comparitive materiel for policy-makers, civil servants, and military staffs throughout hte world. It will also be of great use to students of economics, politics, international relations, and policy studies.

With the United States' involvement in numerous combat operations overseas, the need for civilian social workers with the clinical skills necessary to work with members of the military returning from combat, as well as their families, has never been more critical. In this practical and important book, each chapter is written by specialists in a particular area devoted to the care of service members and includes case material to demonstrate assessment and intervention approaches. The reader is introduced to the world of the military and the subsequent development of mental health services for returning men and women. Chapters look at special populations of service members with specific needs based directly on their experience in the military, discussing post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, sexual harassment and assault during their service, and the physiology of the war zone experience. The challenges faced by reintegrating service men and women are explored in detail and include family issues, suicide, and substance use disorders. A section on services available to returning service members looks at those offered by the Veterans Administration and at the use of animal-assisted interventions. The book concludes with a section devoted to unique concerns for the practitioner and explores ethical concerns they may face and their own needs as clinicians working with this population.

Military Police units worked to keep the peace in Europe from the occupation after World War II to the end of the Cold War. This text examines the MPs, from the arrival of the U.S. Constabulary, which was the only law enforcement force on the continent. It provides unit histories, discusses the advancement of law and order programs, and covers the provision of nuclear weapons security, customs regulations and traffic enforcement. Robert L. Gunnarsson, Sr., served as an MP in the 1960s and later worked in law enforcement. He is a writer and researcher.

The military imposes unique and often severe challenges to couples, which clinicians - particularly the growing numbers of civilian clinicians who see military couples - often struggle to address. These problems are only compounded by misunderstandings and misconceptions about what it means to be part of a specific branch of the military and part of the military as a whole. Handbook of Counseling Military Couples includes a clear, thorough introduction to military culture and to couple relationships in the military. But more than that, it provides readers with expert analyses of the special types of issues that come up for military couples and shows clinicians how to address them productively. In the chapters, readers will find the answers to questions such as how are military couples' rights different from those of civilians? What attitudes and beliefs about relationships might military members bring to a session, and how are those different from those of civilians? What is the state of marriage and divorce in each of the branches and within the military in general? For a particular treatment modality, how does research in with military members compare to that of civilians? When should particular treatment strategies be used, and why - and how?

Normandy, Flanders Field and other cemeteries for American war dead buried outside the United States are well known. However, lesser-known burial sites exist all over the world - in Australia and across the Pacific Rim, in Canada and Mexico, Libya and Spain, even as far north as the Russian Arctic. The story of who these soldiers were and how they ended up in foreign cemeteries traces the evolution of American attitudes toward its war dead and simultaneously offers a new perspective on the nation for which they died. The text provides the names of the war dead and the location of individual burial sites.

"Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more. You should never wish to do less." —Robert E. Lee The southern generals of the Civil War spoke of honor, duty, and the courage to fight for one's beliefs. While their cause was trampled on the battlefields of Dixie, their names live on in glory. Robert E. Lee, long regarded as preeminent among the southern generals, has been described as a "wholly human gentleman." His sentiments and those of his fellow generals vividly reveal the gallantry and noble character that made them heroes. This collection of brief quotes from General Lee and comments about him from leaders who knew him well illuminates the convictions of these fighting men. Face with a. war of tragic proportions, they were steadfast in their loyalty to the states they called home. May I Quote You, General Lee? reveals the sprit that elevated General Lee and those who followed him to greatness.

May I Quote You, General Forrest? is a collection of quotations from Nathan Bedford Forrest, the Confederate general whose innovative tactics set him apart from other military leaders of his time. His reputation as a cunning tactician and commander has only increased over time.

Here is a vivid portrayal of a hero of the Confederate army through his own words and through the words of those who knew him best. Stonewall Jackson's remarks paint a lucid portrait of the era and one of its most celebrated leaders.