
Marching as to War
Personal Narratives of African American Women's Experiences in the Gulf Wars
Elizabeth F. Desnoyers-Colas(Author)
University Press of America
Published on 22. May 2014
Book
Paperback/Softback
138 pages
978-0-7618-6343-4 (ISBN)
Description
Since the American Revolution, African American women have served in every U.S. military conflict. Despite this dedicated service to their country, very little empirical research has been published regarding African American servicewomen, including those who have served in the Gulf Wars. Seen through the eyes of eleven African American servicewomen, this book explores issues such as health care, child care, sexism/sexual harassment, racism, religion, military promotions/career advancement, and serving in combat zones. Their stories illuminate the types of professional, sociological, and interpersonal experiences black servicewomen have encountered during their time in the Gulf Wars.
To learn more about Marching as to War, check out Elizabeth Desnoyers-Colas' blog post at http://rhetoricraceandreligion.blogspot.com/2014/05/stories-that-must-be-told-sharing.html
To learn more about Marching as to War, check out Elizabeth Desnoyers-Colas' blog post at http://rhetoricraceandreligion.blogspot.com/2014/05/stories-that-must-be-told-sharing.html
Reviews / Votes
Desnoyers-Colas fills in some gaps in the literature on African American women in the military. An African American and a retired US Air Force major, the author grew up in a military family and deployed to several sites in the Persian Gulf during recent wars. The first, and best, of her six short chapters contrasts media coverage of Iraq War POWs Shoshanna Johnson (black) and Jessica Lynch (white); the second provides a historical overview of African American women in the military, beginning with the Revolutionary War. Each chapter thereafter has a theme (duties and dangers, family and child care, racism and sexism, and Gulf War illnesses), introduced with the author's own story and illustrated with material drawn from interviews with other veterans of the Gulf Wars. The chapters are smoothly written but anecdotal, with a 'war stories' quality that begs for serious scholarly engagement. Material on PTSD in the last chapter, for example, strains credulity in light of the combat support roles the women performed. Some greater reflection on the racial and neocolonial subtexts of the wars would have made this a better book. Summing Up: Recommended. Public, general, and undergraduate collections. * Choice Reviews *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Lanham, MD
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 8 mm
Weight
215 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-7618-6343-4 (9780761863434)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Elizabeth F. Desnoyers-Colas
Marching as to War
Personal Narratives of African American Women's Experiences in the Gulf Wars
E-Book
05/2014
1st Edition
University Press of America
€35.49
Available for download

Elizabeth F. Desnoyers-Colas
Marching as to War
Personal Narratives of African American Women's Experiences in the Gulf Wars
E-Book
05/2014
1st Edition
University Press of America
€35.49
Available for download
Person
Elizabeth Desnoyers-Colas, PhD, is assistant professor of communication and the faculty coordinator of the African American Male Initiative Program at Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah, Georgia. A retired U.S. Air Force Major, her past military duties include serving as a speechwriter for senior DOD military and civilian officials on EEO/EO related issues and operating as the director of the Joint Task Force Information Bureau, Haitian Refuge Humanitarian Rescue Effort, and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. She also served in Operation Desert Storm and was deployed to Central Air Forces, Forward, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, as the director of Public Affairs/Protocol.
Content
Acknowledgements
Chapter One: Marching as to War: Personal Narratives of African American Women's Experiences in the Gulf Wars
Chapter Two: Why We Serve: An Historical Overview of African American Women's Military Service from the Revolutionary War Through the Gulf Wars
Chapter Three: "Sistahs" of Defense: Duties and Dangers of African American Women in Service in the Gulf Wars
Chapter Four: My Child Left Behind: The Family and Child Care Challenges Faced by African American Gulf War Servicewomen
Chapter Five: What Happens in the Desert Stays in the Desert: African American Women Confront Racism and Sexism in the Gulf
Chapter Six: Where My Health Comes From: African American Servicewomen Battle Gulf War Illnesses
Epilogue: Marching as to War?Final Thoughts
Bibliography
Index
Chapter One: Marching as to War: Personal Narratives of African American Women's Experiences in the Gulf Wars
Chapter Two: Why We Serve: An Historical Overview of African American Women's Military Service from the Revolutionary War Through the Gulf Wars
Chapter Three: "Sistahs" of Defense: Duties and Dangers of African American Women in Service in the Gulf Wars
Chapter Four: My Child Left Behind: The Family and Child Care Challenges Faced by African American Gulf War Servicewomen
Chapter Five: What Happens in the Desert Stays in the Desert: African American Women Confront Racism and Sexism in the Gulf
Chapter Six: Where My Health Comes From: African American Servicewomen Battle Gulf War Illnesses
Epilogue: Marching as to War?Final Thoughts
Bibliography
Index