Army Officer's Guide [Paperback]

Col. Robert J. Dalessandro USA (Author)

Book Description

Series: Army Officer's Guide | Publication Date: January 31, 2009

*Leadership and officership

*Rights, privileges, and restrictions

*Assignments, pay, career development, and promotions

*Uniforms, awards, and decorations

*Family matters and the social side of Army life

Published by Stackpole and its corporate predecessors for more than seventy-five years, this book is the bible for U.S. Army officers. Condensed from Army regulations--and the customs and traditions of the service--the guide provides the latest soldier information and frank advice on a variety of issues relating to service life. Also included is a directory of current Army web sites and installations worldwide.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Col. Robert J. Dalessandro is director of the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center and was previously chief of staff of the U.S. Army Chemical School. He graduated from the Virginia Military Insitute and earned master's degrees from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and the U.S. Army War College. He has commanded at the platoon, company, depot, and battalion level and has served staff assignments from the battalion level up to the Department of the Army. He lives in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Product Details

• Paperback: 688 pages
• Publisher: Stackpole Books; 51 edition (January 31, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811735281
• ISBN-13: 978-0811735285
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #16,648 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #33 in Books > History > Military Science

More About the Author

Robert J. Dalessandro (born 1958, in New York, New York) is an American historian and author who has written and presented extensively on the American Expeditionary Forces' contributions to the First World War.

Rob is retired Colonel in the U.S. Army and the current Assistant Chief of the U.S. Army Center of Military History at Fort Leslie J. McNair, Washington, D.C. He frequently leads battlefield tours to sites in the United States, France and Italy.

He has had a lifelong passion for military history and the material culture of the American soldier. Colonel Dalessandro graduated from the Virginia Military Institute with a degree in History in 1980. His graduate studies included work at the College of William and Mary, the U.S. Army War College and the George Washington University.

He has had a wide variety of Army leadership and staff assignments including time as a platoon leader, command at company, depot and battalion level and staff assignments at echelons of command ranging from battalion through Department of the Army level.

Colonel Dalessandro is widely published on the lifeways and material culture of the American Soldier in the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries. He is co-author of the Organization and Insignia of the American Expeditionary Forces, 1917-1923, he serves as editor of the Army Officer's Guide, co-author of Willing Patriots: Men of Color in the First World War and the forthcoming American Lions: the 332nd Infantry Regiment in Italy in World War I.[1]

Recently, his book, Organization and Insignia of the American Expeditionary Forces, 1017-1923 received the Army Historical Foundation award for excellence in writing.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not Much Changed From Prior Editions, September 12, 2009

By 

J. Diamond (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Army Officer's Guide (Paperback)

I'm an Army Major, who as a young Lieutenant purchased a much older generation of the Army Officer's Guide. A lot has changed in the last 15 years though, and I thought that the new edition would include those changes. Many of those changes are included, but I was left wanting in terms of the more recent adjustments to uniform policies, etc. Of course with that said, this book is a must have for any cadet, or newly commissioned officer just entering the service.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Much Needed Change for this Guide, October 4, 2009

By 

V. K. Shaw "MAJ Shaw" (DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Army Officer's Guide (Paperback)

Been using the Officer's Guide, like most, since I was a cadet. 11 years and four versions later, this edition incorporates much needed changes from antiquated notions and language. I never found the sections in previous versions addressing WWII sexually transmitted diseases useful--in fact, for years there were entire sections of this guide that instructed officers how to help a lost spouse at the airport and to help her with her bags especially if she was burdened with children and luggage. Seriously--in 2005??? This updated 2009 version, with a new author, is welcomed.

I also note that the annex on uniforms is very helpful in navagating the recent changes to insignia and wear of newly minted badges. With the recent major changes from Class A's to the ASU and BDU's to ACUs, this text expertly guides new and experienced officers alike to solutions with these new uniform adjustments. I, myself, was having trouble navagating through the seeminly conflicting barrage of ALARACT messages concerning implementation of the new ASU--and how to wear our current dress blues as Class A's and B's. Very confusing, Army!! Thanks to the authors of this book for deconflicting with ease for me.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good reference tool, February 1, 2009

By 

K. Requa - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Army Officer's Guide (Paperback)

I've never used the older editions of the Officers guide, but this book is pretty thorough. I'm a cadet in Army ROTC and this book was suggested to me by one of my Cadre members, so thats what led me to purchase it.

It's not a book i would sit down and read front to back but there are good sections worth reading start to finish. However some of it is information you wouldnt need to know unless you were about to go into that situation, for example the section about evening dining or funeral ceremonies. but it is packed with usefull information and if you're curious about a certain topic like uniform dress code or branch information you can just look it up and turn to the section.

It's a helpfull tool to have if you're training to become an officer like myself and want a quick reference that you know is up to date and Army approved.