Customer Reviews

This Woman's Army: The Dynamics of Sex and Violence in the Military

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This book reflects the experiences of one woman, not of all military women. Many of the "facts" presented are personal opinion and are not corroborated by statistical documentation.

The book provides a startlingly realistic view of the current state of gender affairs in today's Armed Forces. The author provides her own career and experiences as a framework for discussion. The views expressed show a unique understanding of how women are treated in the all volunteer Army and how today's social engineering has led to a dual standard for women in the armed forces. While Ms. DeYoung's opinion of the role of women in the Army flies in the face of the feminist movement, the basis for her opinion is fact, not political expediency. This book is a must-read for any commander or leader in a mixed gender unit.

There are two or three recent reviews that are quite inaccurate portrayals of my book. One writer suggested that my work was based on opinion, and that I did not hold men responsible for their behavior. At the same time, when I recounted personal experiences where I and other soldiers HAD held men responsible for their harassment and misconduct, she claimed to do so was "vindictive."
First, let all young people who are being aggressively recruited for the military know that this account is a first-hand historical account of events that happened, for which there are documents that are testaments to the mistreatment that many men and women experienced at the hands of men and women in uniform -- because of their race, their gender, their religion.
Second, if you read all of the book, you will find that I recount solid military training, solid military prevention strategies, and solid men AND women who rose to the occasion to hold men AND women accountable to the highest levels of performance and personal conduct. At the same time, I recounted many episodes where men and women, and sadly, Army Chaplains, who chose to violate the standards of fairness and integrity that are part of the professional code.
Third, most of the issues I raised in this book have been borne out since Operation Iraqi Freedom commenced:
--- The Army could not do the combat service support mission with the large number of 'nondeployable soldiers' that the Army is paying, and so, contracted out fifty thousand positions in Iraq that should be filled by soldiers.
---Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo are both testaments to Army leadership's failure to stop religious harassment and degrading sexual behaviors between soldiers when in life and death deployments.
Where were the chaplains at Abu Ghraib or Guantanamo? I suggest that if, for the last fifteen years, chaplains had not been allowed to spread terrible religious prejudice and intolerance for any person who do not adhere to right-wing fundamentalist beliefs, soldiers AND chaplains would have had the courage to speak out and to stop the bad acts at Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib before they spun out of control.
Finally, to any soldier, DOD civilian or contractor who is aware of bad actors and acts that are immoral, unethical or illegal but is afraid to speak out: I invite you to read my book. It contains many stories about my own experiences and the experiences of hundreds of soldiers who did the right thing in real time when confronted with harassment, fraud, or other immoral acts. To speak the truth about bad actors is not vindictiveness. This is what is required of every soldier, every civilian who serves our government. If you are interested in the public policy analysis that I wrote about all of these issues, I suggest that you read my second co-authored book, "Women in Combat: civic duty or military liability?" Sincerely, Rev. Marie E. deYoung

As a female soldier I was disgusted with this book! Not only are most of her claims false and extremely biased, but she didn't even try to back them up with facts. Probably becuase she knew she couldn't. Please don't read this book if your considering military service and if you do read this book, don't believe it!

This Woman's Army offers readers a glimpse into the dysfunctional social engineering that the Army undergone in its failed attempts at dealing with issues of gendern and violence. Marie DeYoung is to be highly commended for her stance against the double standards in sexual harrassment/rape cases, the inadequacy of the chaplaincy to deal with those problems and the inept leadership in trying to correct those issues. Much of what DeYoung says has some merit but most of her work is not backed by facts and indeed sounds more like someone with a chip on their shoulder who wants to get lash out at an organization that has "failed" them. Such a tone makes the reader not take seriously some of the things that the author brings out.
DeYoung leaves the impression that every pregnant female soldier got that way because she is trying to get out of deployments. She also implies that mixing female soldiers with their male counterparts inevitably leads to the lowering of standards and combat effectiveness. If this is the case then females shouldn't be in the Army. Male soldiers are not held accountable for their actions.
As a chaplain DeYoung is critical of the chaplaincy corp's inability to address the sexism, racism and denominational prejudices that it harbors in its midst. Once again, DeYoung comes across as one who is vindictive against her fellow chaplains and doesn't offer any constructive insights regarding the corp's internal problems.
For readers who are not in the military I would say that this book is not the definitive work in addressing the issues that DeYoung brings forth. It is highly opinionated, fails to provide concrete facts and is more of a bitter denunciation of the Army. Read it with a grain of salt and temper its verbal assaults by reading more balanced works about women in the Army.

I felt this book was an excellent read. Marie deYoung gives an honest portrayal of her life in the Army. Her views about the double standards upheld for women are thought provoking. Any woman considering military service should read this book. In fact, those double standards affect all women. You'll be forced to consider your role in society. I'll look forward to her next effort.