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Title details for Ashley's War by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon - Available

Ashley's War

The Untold Story of a Team of Women Soldiers on the Special Ops Battlefield

by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon
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The New York Times–bestselling account of an elite team of female soldiers is "compelling. . . . In battle as in life, these women refuse to quit" (Christian Science Monitor).
In 2010, the Army created Cultural Support Teams, a secret pilot program to insert women alongside Special Operations soldiers battling in Afghanistan. Their presence had a calming effect on enemy households, but more importantly, the CSTs were able to search adult women for weapons and gather crucial intelligence. They could build relationships—woman to woman—in ways that male soldiers in an Islamic country never could.
In Ashley's War, Gayle Tzemach Lemmon uses on-the-ground reporting and a finely tuned understanding of the complexities of war to tell the story of CST-2, a unit of women hand-picked from the Army to serve in this highly specialized role. The pioneers of CST-2 proved for the first time that women might be physically and mentally tough enough to become Special Ops.
The price of professional acceptance was personal loss and social isolation: the only people who really understand the women of CST-2 are each other. At the center of this story is a friendship and the shared perils of up-close combat. At the heart of the team is the tale of a beloved and effective soldier, Ashley White.
"An unforgettable story of female soldiers breaking the brass ceiling. . . . This book will inspire you." —Sheryl Sandberg, #1 International bestselling author of Lean In
"A tremendous story. . . . Very moving." —The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
"Ashley's War shares the remarkable stories of one of the first teams of women serving in the U.S. Army Special Operations Command." —Senator John McCain

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    June 11, 2024

  • Formats

    • Kindle Book

    • OverDrive Read

      • ISBN: 9780062333834
      • File size: 1189 KB

    • EPUB ebook

      • ISBN: 9780062333834
      • File size: 1831 KB

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Library Journal

      July 1, 2015

      Journalist Lemmon (The Dressmaker of Khair Khana) delivers an inspiring account of the women chosen by the U.S. Army to serve as combat agents during the conflict in Afghanistan. By 2010, the army recognized that it could no longer ignore the need for female operatives to help gather intelligence in this war zone. (Cultural differences virtually forbid male personnel from approaching Afghan women.) As a result, a program for female soldiers to work alongside army rangers and other special operation units as cultural support teams (CST) was developed. Though women were officially banned from ground combat, the CST program allowed for these highly trained females to assist in treacherous battlefield Intel missions. At the center of this story is First Lt. Ashley White, an unassuming young American whose dedication, strength, and courage forged a path for her peers who also desired the recognition and respect that military service can bring. The increasing scope of the work of women in the armed forces has been explored by such insightful works as Helen Thorpe's Soldier Girls. VERDICT This compassionate and intimate expose addressing the female battlefield experience will resonate with readers interested in the woman warriors of today's military.--Mary Jennings, Camano Island Lib., WA

      Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • Library Journal

      December 1, 2014

      From the author of the New York Times best-selling The Dressmaker of Khair Khana: the story of the Cultural Support Teams, created in 2010 by the U.S. Army Special Operations Command to put women on the battlefield (though not in combat) in the belief that they could bond with Afghan women as U.S. male soldiers could not. Lemmon focuses on the army unit ST-2, particularly 1st Lt. Ashley White, the first Cultural Support Team member killed in action.

      Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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