Since the end of the Second World War, the role of women in the military has been evolving. Changes to laws and Department of Defense (DOD) policies have either eliminated or clarified restrictions on women serving in the military. A 2011 Military Leadership Diversity Commission reported that women comprise more than 50 percent of the recruiting pool for the officer corps. Public Law 113-291 included a provision for United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) to review the Armed Forces outreach and recruitment efforts directed at womens representation in the officer corps, among other things. This book evaluates the extent to which accessions of women into the officer corps have increased, and DOD and the Coast Guard have determined resources and funding to increase the accessions of women into the officer corps; and DOD and the Coast Guard have initiatives and an oversight framework to increase the recruitment and accessions of female officers.

Ground-breaking, thrilling and revealing, The Reaper is the astonishing memoir of Special Operations Direct Action Sniper Nicholas Irving, the 3rd Ranger Battalion's deadliest sniper with 33 confirmed kills, though his remarkable career total, including probable, is unknown. In the bestselling tradition of American Sniper and Shooter, Irving shares the true story of his extraordinary career, including his deployment to Afghanistan in the summer of 2009, when he set another record, this time for enemy kills on a single deployment. His teammates and chain of command labelled him "The Reaper," and his actions on the battlefield became the stuff of legend, culminating in an extraordinary face-off against an enemy sniper known simply as The Chechnian. Irving's astonishing first-person account of his development into an expert assassin offers a fascinating and extremely rare View of special operations combat missions through the eyes of a Ranger sniper during the Global War on Terrorism. From the brotherhood and sacrifice of teammates in battle to the cold reality of taking a life to protect another, no other book dives so deep inside the life of a sniper on point.

Under the Constitution, the war powers are divided between Congress and the President. Among other relevant grants, Congress has the power to declare war and raise and support the armed forces) while the President is Commander-in-Chief. It is generally agreed that the Commander-in-Chief role gives the President power to utilize the armed forces to repel attacks against the United States, but there has long been controversy over whether he is constitutionally authorized to send forces into hostile situations abroad without a declaration of war or other congressional authorization. This book discusses and assesses the War Powers Resolution and its application since enactment in 1973, providing detailed background on various cases in which it was used, as well as cases in which issues of its applicability were raised. It focuses on the several proposals for a new AUMF specifically targeting the Islamic State made during the 113th and 114th Congresses. It includes a brief review of existing authorities and AUMFs, as well as a discussion of issues related to various provisions included in existing and proposed AUMFs that both authorize and limit presidential use of military force. Appendices provide a comparative analysis of similar provisions in new AUMFs proposed in the 113th and 114th Congresses.

VA's adaptive sports grant program distributes $8 million annually to organisations that provide sports activities for veterans and service members with disabilities. The U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) played an intermediary role from fiscal year 2010, when the program was implemented, through 2013. USOC received funds from VA and subgranted them to selected grantees. VA is now responsible for selecting grantees and program administration. This book reviews how VA selected grantees to provide activities for veterans and service members with disabilities; how VA monitors grantees' use of funds; and what programs and activities were supported with fiscal year 2014 funds, and what is known about its benefits.

1,001 Opportunities to improve your score on the ASVAB AFQT If you have your sights set on a career in the U.S. Military but the thought of taking the ASVAB AFQT is having you seeing stars and stripes this test-prep guide offers 1,001 practice opportunities to increase your chances of scoring higher. Covering the four subtests, 1,001 ASVAB AFQT Practice Questions For Dummies helps you strengthen your test-taking muscles so you can perform your very best on the big day and qualify for the military branch and job you want. Since the test was first introduced in 1968, more than 40 million people have taken the exam. If you want to join the ranks and go on to enjoy a fulfilling and prosperous career in the Air Force, Army, Marines, Navy, or Coast Guard, it's essential that you achieve a passing score on the ASVAB AFQT the first four sections of the ASVAB. All the expert test-taking tips, strategies, and practice questions you need to do just that are a page away. * Includes free, 1-year access to practice questions online * Provides detailed answers and explanations for every question * Covers everything you can expect to encounter on exam day * Offers tips for using your time wisely If red, white, and blue are in your blood, the 1,001 practice questions inside will help you pass the ASVAB AFQT with flying colors.

They were called Easy Company--but their mission was never easy. Immortalized as the Band of Brothers, they suffered 150% casualties while liberating Europe--an unparalleled record of bravery under fire. Dick Winters was their commander--"the best combat leader in World War II" to his men. This is his story--told in his own words for the first time.
On D-Day, Dick Winters parachuted into France and assumed leadership of the Band of Brothers when their commander was killed. He led them through the Battle of the Bulge and into Germany, by which time each member had been wounded. They liberated an S.S. death camp from the horrors of the Holocaust and captured Berchtesgaden, Hitler's alpine retreat. After briefly serving during the Korean War, Winters was a highly successful businessman. Made famous by Stephen Ambrose's book Band of Brothers--and the subsequent award-winning HBO miniseries--he is the object of worldwide adulation.
Beyond Band of Brothers is Winters's memoir--based on his wartime diary--but it also includes his comrades' untold stories. Virtually all this material is being released for the first time. Only Winters was present from the activation of Easy Company until the war's end. Winner of the Distinguished Service Cross, only he could pen this moving tribute to the human spirit.

The extraordinary story of British junior officers in the First World War, who led their men out of the trenches and faced a life expectancy of six weeks. During the Great War, many boys went straight from the classroom to the most dangerous job in the world - that of junior officer on the Western Front. Although desperately aware of how many of their predecessors had fallen before them, nearly all stepped forward, unflinchingly, to do their duty. The average life expectancy of a subaltern in the trenches was a mere six weeks. In this remarkable book, John Lewis-Stempel focuses on the forgotten men who truly won Britain's victory in the First World War - the subalterns, lieutenants and captains of the Army, the leaders in the trenches, the first 'over the top', the last to retreat. Basing his narrative on a huge range of first-person accounts, including the poignant letters and diaries sent home or to their old schools, the author reveals what motivated these boy-men to act in such an extraordinary, heroic way. He describes their brief, brilliant lives in and out of the trenches, the tireless ways they cared for their men, and how they tried to behave with honour in a world where their values and codes were quite literally being shot to pieces.

Irishman John-Paul Jordan, still only in his thirties, has led an extraordinary life ... from the Foreign Legion and security in Iraq to serving his country in Afghanistan for which he was awarded for his leadership and bravery ... and on to 'herding' journalists on the front line in Libya ... and hunting for gold in Afghanistan ... However, once back in Civvy Street, the camaraderie was gone; he found himself a prisoner of war to PTSD. Dehumanised by those professionals who he had turned to for help, this Special Forces veteran and former Legionnaire was brought to his knees. His marriage was over; his home was lost. In isolation, his world unravelled, and the seeds of destruction had been well and truly sewn. Knowing he would never see military action again and faced with the realisation of the war raging within him in the spiral of PTSD, John-Paul felt condemned as a man. But, on 1 April 2016, he surrendered - life, too, it would seem, has a sense of humour. He asked for help ... and found the answers within. In war, John-Paul was the first to batter down the door, whether he was facing bullets or bombs. His story is a testament to the strength of the human spirit: to get back up and to lead from the front. He did not go through 'all that' just to go through 'all that'. This is his story of his return to freedom and joy. Buckle up, because this veteran doesn't do anything by halves...

WINNER: Independent Press Awards 2021 - Career Figuring out your next move after transitioning out of the military should start before your last day. Prepare yourself emotionally and professionally to put those hard-earned skills in context of the civilian world. The transition from military to civilian life is more than just a title change; it is a whole new life experience with the sense of excitement and possibility that accompany a transition. Whether you're preparing to retire or separate, Success After Service is written to help all veterans succeed in the civilian workplace. Success After Service provides the tools, resources and strategies to help you adapt to the civilian workplace and evaluate post-military career options. Whether you become an entrepreneur, move into the corporate world or pursue higher education, you will learn how to develop a portfolio of career assets, including your resume, elevator pitch, online profiles, interview acumen and professional network, empowering you to begin your new career with confidence and clarity. Success After Service is the perfect guide for transitioning military and veterans who seek a coherent set of strategies, resources and steps for building a meaningful, deliberate and rewarding post-military career.

This book takes an in-depth look at the function of public relations as it exists in the U.S. military in the 21st Century.There have been several books and journal articles covering the military/media relationship but none that delve into breadth and depth of the responsibilities of today's military public affairs officer. This book discusses the concept and foundations of military public affairs (relations), the changing strategic landscape in communications, operational planning and execution and the people who practice military public affairs. The goal is to broaden knowledge and understanding of this vital, but little discussed, area of public relations among civilian and military public relations and communications professionals, faculty and staff in public relations programs, military leaders, as well as the U.S. civilian populace, and research scholars specializing in military public relations or public affairs operations.

This is an extremely thorough 4 volume guide to the regimental march tunes and other parade music which inspired loyalty, pride and battlefield motivation for generations of Germans over three centuries. Built around a translation of the previously unpublished works of two great German military music historians, the late Lieutenant Colonel Joachim Toeche-Mittler and Lieutenant Colonel (Retd) Werner Probst, it describes the history of every march in the official collections sanctioned by successive kings of Prussia, German Emperors, and later by Chief Inspectors of Music of the German Republic and Third Reich. This work is no apology or eulogy for a militaristic culture now long gone amongst the German people, but a description of the international and home sources for the march repertoire, and the personalities involved in composing, commissioning, and dedicating marches to the leading personalities of the age, and their adoption as regimental music by the fighting units of Prussia and the other Old German States, Imperial Germany, and the later German Reich and Post War Republics of East and West Germany. The series will provide information about how the regimental bandsmen and signaller musicians on fife, drum and bugle paraded and performed this repertoire, the manufacture and embellishments of their instruments, Schellenbaum 'Jingling Johnnies' and Drum Majors' Staffs, and their employment and deployment in the ranks of the fighting units on parade and in battle. After a short introduction, Volume 1 concentrates on the vast official Royal Prussian collection of'regimental' and 'neutral' quick marches. Translated from previously unpublished original research by the late Luftwaffe Lt. Col. Joachim Toeche-Mittler, it provides a definitive description for each march, its composer, and how and by whom it was used, in many cases on campaign as well as on parade. With only one exception before 1914, every Prussian, and most non-Prussian regiments, had their regimental march from within this collection.

They were among the sporting elite of 1914 - the stars of the Northern Union - idolised by thousands of enthusiastic men, women and children up and down the land. Yet despite their heroic status in what was soon to become known as rugby league, these warriors of the playing field were willing to sacrifice their careers - and then lives - on the World War One killing fields, for King and Country. Other sports have honoured their Great War fallen over these past 100 years, producing Rolls of Honour to ensure that their ultimate bravery is never forgotten; not so rugby league - until now. The Greatest Sacrifice - Fallen Heroes of the Northern Union - rights that wrong. It tells the story of talented sportsmen who, when war was declared on 4 August 1914, duly departed for France, Belgium and beyond, never again to see the rugby league towns and grounds they once so famously graced. Among those who fell were three members of Great Britain's 1914 summer tour to Australia and New Zealand. A number of other former internationals died too, as did many more who had earned top domestic honours with their clubs. Some of the youngest players were just embarking on professional careers and therefore never able to fulfil their potential. Each player featured has a different tale to tell - from childhood to rugby stardom to enlistment into the British Army and, finally, the greatest sacrifice of all.

In this highly entertaining and informative book, Christopher Joll and Anthony Weldon have captured the careers, accomplishments, follies and the occasional crimes of over three hundred of the officers and men who have served in the seven Regiments (two Household Cavalry and five Foot Guards) of the sovereign's personal troops. The pages of The DRUM HORSE IN THE FOUNTAIN will reveal a whole parade of remarkable and unusual characters... In the world of the arts - theatre, film, music, and writing - and sport there are many notable, and some surprising, Guardsmen including * two Oscar winning film stars - one of whom was drunkenly responsible for dispatching a Drum Horse into "The Fountain" in front of Buckingham Palace. And some of the most eccentric men ever to have been let loose on the public including * The irresponsible officer in charge of the Tower of London guard who had to break back into the Tower by climbing the mast of a barge on the Thames and then onto Traitor's Gate; * The VC who rallied his troops with a hunting horn; * The officer who dressed as a nun to entertain the Duke of Wellington; * The unfortunate officer who Queen Victoria thought was addressing her when he was actually trying to admonish his unruly horse - she was not amused; * Traitors, conmen, bigamists, a purveyor of `honours for cash' and three accused of murder - as well as at least five murder victims, one of whom died in a Chicago bootleggers' shoot-out. On military service the officers and men of the Household Division have * earned forty-four Victoria Crosses; * been founding members of SOE, SAS, Commandos, operated behind enemy lines and pioneered military parachuting; * acted as spies, double agents and spy masters; * been supported through the fiercest fighting of WW2 by a remarkably loayl tea-lady in her NAAFI wagon. As well as Prime Ministers and politicians, churchmen also feature prominently with * a Cardinal who, had he lived, might have been Pope; an Archbishop of Canterbury, known as `Killer', with an MC (as well as four padres awarded MCs), a bishop, two monks, three Lord Priors of the Order of St John, and two Grand Masters of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (who rank as Cardinals). Were this not enough, amongst actual, as well as aspiring, royalty and their progeny - legitimate and otherwise, there was * the aristocratic candidate for the throne of Albania (who, although almost blind, fought as a regimental officer in WW1 without actually enlisting). ...and, not to be forgotten, are * one regimental wolfhound in the 1930s which dispatched the Italian Ambassador's greyhound, three bears (one stuffed), two WW1 milking cows who took part in the 1919 Victory Parade, one monkey with the rank of Corporal of Horse and a very alert goose called Jacob.

How does an Army recruit attain an identity with soldierhood? What do they give up and what do they gain? What happens when a young officer, indoctrinated in a military way of thinking, is thrust into the academic, free-thinking environment of a university? When military units are deployed in insecure environments to enhance security and governance while facilitating reconstruction and development, what separates the humanitarian from the soldier? And are the roles in fact compatible? The New Zealand Army is facing challenges in recruiting and retaining women - how does the Anzac legend and national identity contribute to that? Can a modern warrior be a woman? Do NZDF personnel on deployment really 'punch above their weight' or is this a myth? What happens when our forces overseas move into policing? All these major issues are addressed in this fascinating and compelling book, in which expert authors delve deep into New Zealand's modern-day Army.As the foreword notes,this book delves 'into some of the seemingly idiosyncratic aspects of the New Zealand Army's culture, value system, enculturation practices and operational learning with vignettes, case studies, and observations that help explain military purpose, action and effect. It shows how the New Zealand Army's traditions, practices and values seek to fit its members to cope, survive and succeed in contemporary operational settings.'

Lieutenant-Colonel (Retd) Diane Allen had 30 years' experience in the British Army. She was one of the first women at Sandhurst. Sandhurst was so unprepared there were no boots small enough for women and no beds for them (a recurrent theme). She served in Northern Ireland and Germany in the regular army, then 25 years in the reserves, alongside a career in the public and private sector. She moved through the ranks into more senior military leadership, creating new intelligence units. But with each success she achieved, resistance from those in charge increased. In November 2018, Diane was awarded the OBE for services to military intelligence. But by November 2019, she had started a messy divorce with the Army. She isn't leaving voluntarily - she has been pushed out. This is her account of her time in the army; the comical, the tragic, the painful and the honest story of a woman for whom the Army will always be her true family.

Could the event that triggered the 'war to end all wars' have been prevented? The shot that killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand and directly led to the outbreak of the First World War is known as the 'shot heard around the world'. Far less widely known is the fact that the Archduke owned, but on that fateful day did not wear, a bulletproof vest manufactured by Polish priest-turned-inventor Casimir Zeglen. Using a reconstructed bulletproof vest and a Royal Armouries Browning Model 1910 pistol identical to that used by the Archduke's assassin, Lisa Traynor highlights the risks associated with power and status in the early 20th century. Assessing the design and composition of Zeglen's armours, she charts the technological development of pistols used during this period's assassination plots. Testing her findings on a replica of the Archduke's bulletproof vest, Traynor poses the haunting question: had Franz Ferdinand been wearing body armour on the day of his assassination, would it have saved his life? Featured in the BBC TV series Sword, Musket and Machine Gun: Britain's Armed History, this fascinating book breaks new ground in our understanding of the outbreak of the First World War.