Posted on 06/01/2007 4:15:16 AM PDT by the right reverend
Though many of them have never met, the women of the armed services are a band of sisters.
And Jacksonville resident Kirsten Holmstedt wants the world to know their story.
(Excerpt) Read more at jdnews.com ...
And Jacksonville resident Kirsten Holmstedt wants the world to know their story.
Holmstedt's first book, "Band of Sisters: American Women at War in Iraq" will be published by Stackpole Books on Monday. It explores the stories of some of the more than 155,000 American women who have served in Iraq since 2003, some holding a combat role that women have never had before.
"I wanted to show how this experience is playing out for the first time in history," she said. "I wanted to shine the spotlight on these women."
Holmstedt spent more than three years working on her thesis for a Master of Fine Arts at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington by interviewing women all over the country who served in the war. She was inspired by the stories she was told from the first pilot to be shot down and survive to a 21-year-old turret gunner defending convoys.
"All of the women in the book make it sound like dropping bombs or firing missiles or looking for IEDs at night is just another day in the office," Holmstedt said. "To them it is, but to us civilians it's amazing."
The women featured in the book span all of the armed services and range from a nurse and a medic to a truck driver and a public affairs chief.
They're all stories she calls inspiring.
"We named the book 'Band of Sisters' because this is the biggest band of sisters to ever serve in combat," Holmstedt said. "There is the girl who is looking for an IED, the nurse that's holding the Marine's hand while they're dying and she's the last face he sees, and the medic and truck driver who were wounded."
She hopes other women will read the book and want to connect with them.
"I want them to get recognition," she said. "There are no victims in this book, either. They're all tough women, and I admire them for their bravery. I hope the book raises the awareness of the sacrifices and accomplishments of the women in combat."
Such sacrifices have been made by women like Gunnery Sgt. Rose Noel, a mother of two, with Marine Aviations Logistics Squadron 26 at the New River Air Station. Noel, featured in the book, received a Purple Heart for wounds from shrapnel in Iraq in August 2005.
"I'm just proud to be a part of this project," she said. "It just shows that we are out there, we are doing those things, we are bleeding. I get to look in a mirror every day - my scar on my face is three inches long."
First Sgt. Yolanda Mayo, a Marine reservist with 4th Landing Support Battalion and a protocol coordinator for II Marine Expeditionary Force, is just as proud. The mother of two spent time in Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Mayo was part of one of the first female public affairs teams to go into Iraq.
"I got to go so many places and meet so many people because of my job," said Mayo, who is featured in the book. "It's a totally different world in Baghdad, going out for trips to Ramadi and Jordan, interviewing the first female Iraqi soldiers and Prime Minister (Alad) Allawi (of Iraq). I can't believe when I'm looking back now some of the things I actually did. I became part of history I guess."
Mayo said it's "a true honor" to be a part of "Band of Sisters," which has already won the Founder's Choice Award for 2007 by the Military Writer's Society of America. She hopes it brings more awareness to women in combat.
"I'm not taking anything away from the men - they're our brothers in arms - but you don't hear as much about the women," Mayo said. "We love our country just as much as any man. We're trying to make a difference, too."
Sgt. Chrissy DeCaprio, 22, a turret gunner with the military police featured in the book, said she learned a lot in combat.
"It's pretty rewarding," she said. "To think that somebody like me, a small little girl, can go out there and make a big difference, it's definitely a really good feeling."
DeCaprio conducted numerous convoys and security patrols in the scout vehicle looking for improvised explosive devices.
"I was the only female of my whole team, and I was put in charge after being promoted," she said. "Sometimes it was difficult, but it was really rewarding. We came across IEDs all the time."
Those experiences helped her grow.
"It definitely taught me that I could actually do this, I could actually go out into combat and lead Marines successfully," she said. "And the fact that I could bring every single one of those Marines back was rewarding."
Mayo said she is thankful she was given the chance to tell her story.
"(Holmstedt) really immersed herself into this book to find out what our lives are really like," she said. "Although she's never put on the uniform, she empathizes with us. She wants to tell our story, and that in itself was an honor. If nobody even read the book, she at least had the courage to step up and say their story needs to be told, and I'll be forever grateful for that."
The public is invited to the kickoff for "Band of Sisters" on Thursday, June 28 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Jacksonville Country Club. For more information on the book or how to buy it, visit the Web site www.bandofsistersbook.com.
I dont care about their story.
What crawled up your butt this morning ?
How touching that you spit on those who put their lives in danger to protect your freedom of speech, simply because they happen to be female.
These ladies are true patriots and 180 degrees away from the likes of Pelosi, Hillary, and Schroeder.
Ugh...put your bra back on sister [if you can fill one out].
I dont care what their gender is...I’m just tired of hearing every other subset of our country whine for attention.
Yes, you’re women, you roar etc, etc. Get over yourselves already...oi...
Misogynist, doesn’t support the troops, and makes personal insults. You must be a real hit with the ladies. The inflatable ones, anyway.
Forgive me.
I'm just finding all of our so called Conservatives [specifically] and Americans in general to be grossly incompetent anymore.
I work for DoD Intel and every day I am going over real, cogent situations and circumstances that require our attention.
I come to FR anymore and instead of seeing discussions about things that really are important...every other dummy is whining for some self-serving reason or how Nancy Pelosi is a boor or about how Little Pepe snuck into the country. Can we just filter out all of the non-essential BS, get the job done and let someone else toot the horn for us?
Is that [to me] foundational process just too much to ask anymore?
Hell, WE act like Liberals even more than they do sometimes.
I’m sorry...did you say something? Ugh.
Did you read my response?
Of course I didn't. What the hell do I care? They are not doing anymore or any less than every other Soldier in combat. Singling out women for special attention is ridiculous.
You gonna do your thesis on the sacrifice that MEN ALONE make in combat?
Of course not.
No doubt you'd be labeled a misogynist too.
The whole issue is brutally shallow and so today.
Dude, maybe you just need a long vacation, get laid... or something. I can understand getting pissed off if this was an anti-military screed, but it isn’t, it’s a positive piece on women in the military (I mean, how many positive, pro-military pieces do we get these days ?).
As for the rest, some of us do think that it’s important that Marxists like Pelosi run Congress and that we’re up to our hairlines in illegals (one of whom violently mowed down a lady with his car at the corner of my street, and another charming gent brutally murdered a mother and daughter not too far away), along with this shamnesty crap being foisted on us by supposed “Conservatives.” I mean, I’m not quite sure what you specifically consider “important” or “real” situations or issues to be. You’re just not being particularly clear here.
Ah, wisdom cries in the streets.
Dude, seriously... you need to just go and... you’re just wound up too tight, man. You sound like you’re about a week away from walking into your office with a semi-automatic.
Yeah...I kinda got the indepth analysis schtick the first time around.
Well, man, what do you expect ? You’re so friggin’ angry, and all your posts come off that way. That’s not a good thing, dude. I mean, I have some anger issues myself, but you’re making me look as sunny and optimistic as Mr. Rogers. That’s kinda frightening, y’know ?
And for heavens’ sake, lighten up on the ladies. These aren’t Klingon women or even the NOW crowd, sheesh. Lastly, I wouldn’t mess with Conservababe, she’s an archer and quite fit, and could shoot your noogies off with one well-placed aim.
Again...yes, I get it. You truly believe that what you have to share can somehow have an impact on something other than the keys you’re typing on. Kind of a Doctor Phil complex thing. Got it.
Honestly, I picked it up before the first sentence. Really it was not that hard.
So what? Other people do. The world does not revolve around you.
I don't care about misogynists' little physical inadequacies, either.
Damn! Yours must be really tiny! Sucks to be you, huh?
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