Customer Reviews

Deployed: How Reservists Bear the Burden of Iraq

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In Deployed, Musheno and Ross connect the reader to the oft-neglected impact the war in Iraq on our citizen-soldiers. This portrayal of the men and women in America's reserves provides the average American with a vivid picture of the reality of war and the effects of deployment on both the citizen-soldiers and their families.

Authors interviewed citizen-soldiers in an Army Reserve Unit trained as military police. Reservists came from many walks of life with different motivations for serving and with differing reactions to deployment. Musheno and Ross delved into effects of deployment both state-side and in a prison camp in Iraq, relations with family at home, hopes for the future, perspectives on the war, and the role of citizen-soldiers. Some reservists were more soldier than citizen and found the experience empowering while others viewed themselves as more citizen than soldier. The conflicts and effects of extended and repeated deployments emerge as different for "citizen-SOLDIERS" and "CITIZEN-soldiers."

Authors contextualize the experience of today's citizen by providing a historical review of the role of reservists in previous generations. Readers are left to ponder whether today's reservists are subject to conscription as they are deployed more often and for longer periods of service.

Deployed is a powerful book that enlightens, challenges stereotypical views, and connects the reader to what it means to serve one's country.

The authors compile some moving and human stories in this important book, providing a much needed tribute to the stories of reservists all too often neglected by the news media. The book is well written and is compelling reading. Recommended for those who want to understand what their loved ones are going through, as well as for those desiring to understand the true costs of this war.

I hope a lot of American's get the chance to read this book. Newspaper stories tell us the new homeless are veterans. America wonders how that can be. This book will tell you how that can happen.

The book tells a story to few know about and even less live. That is the story of the "weekend warriors" in this decade long war over in the Middle East. This is the story of an average Army Reserve unit in the earlier part of the decade. The actual identity of the unit and the soldiers interviewed is hidden. However their stories are engaging and haunting.

If you are in the system or just out there is nothing here that will surprise you. The stories are very common and probably could be found in scores of units across the country. The book tells the stories of these "weekend" warriors that sign up for a variety of reasons. Then the authors interview them when they come back from Iraq. There you can learn the issues they faced when they come back. Some people come back well. Some soldiers come back with problems. At times these problems are caused by circumstances. At times the problems were there before deployment.

This book really tells the readers of the hidden conscription system, the hidden Army. Readers can learn about the difficulty of balancing two different worlds. As one soldier in the book said, "being a reservist is the most difficult job." You aren't really in either world, Army or Civilian. The Army part changes how mentally and you don't quite fit in the civilian world. That is sort of hard when you get called up every few years. After reading these stories you can understand how after coming back home veterans can't quite keep it together. A string of events like your wife leaving you, your civilian boss fires you because he/she doesn't want another deployment, or whatever else can push the strongest person into the street.

Few other books tell any story about the Reservists. This part of the Army is hidden. This book casts a light on a very important subject; all should read it.

The first book I have ever read where I feel compelled to write a review so that others could share in the experience that I have had. Deployed is a powerful read that has managed to capture the feelings and stories of reservists struggling to cope with homegrown responsibilities while simultaneously trying to fulfill their military commitment. The interviews, written in first person, definitely put you in the heads of the reservists and have given me new perspective on what motivates these individuals to make these sacrifices.