Ashley’s War audiobook

As a female Army Veteran I was skeptical about this book. I received a free book to review from Library Thing, so I wasn't out money if I didn't like it or could not finish it. Not that far into it, it mentioned when the Army participated in the lioness details, where females would go out into the city with the male soldiers. I was a part of that movement for a while, years ago, so i was overwhelmed with joy that it had been recognized in passing :) I found the writing to be very accurate and detailed as to what female soldiers go through in a so-called man's world :) Ashley was such a strong soldier, it was inspiring to read about her. Even though I am now out of the Army and raising a family, reading her story reminded me of what i have been through and accomplished, and how i used to think i was good enough to do anything anyone told me i couldn't. It has inspired me to try and become that woman again.

This is one of those "if you don't read anything else this year, read this" books. Lemmon does a superb job of writing about the first women in the Cultural Support Team (CSTs) who qualified for and then carried out the goal of getting critical intel with Rangers on their missions in Afghanistan. Because they were able to speak with women and children when male soldiers could not, they contributed to the success of the missions and saved lives.Anyone who has ever trained for a goal after being told she/he couldn't do it will understand the intelligence, intensity, and sheer physical strength of these first CST women along with their early frustrations.Their performance was so pathbreakingly good it opened the administration to allowing all women to enter all armed forces jobs for which they qualified. While the book focuses on Ashley White-Stumpf, Lemmon also tells the stories of several of her colleagues.

At some point while reading Ashley's War, I started to read faster, flipping pages, and almost skimming. It must have been shortly after I realized that Ashley--the title character, but by no means the only female soldier documented in Gayle Tzemach Lemmon's book--was going to go to Afghanistan to serve on the front lines with special forces and wasn't going to tell her parents any more than that she would be an "enabler." They thought she was doing humanitarian work; Ashley was actually participating in raids with U.S. Army Rangers to capture insurgents in the dark of night.As the father of three daughters, it scared the living daylights out of me. If I wasn't gripped by the book before, I was after this. I couldn’t put the book down, and it was closer to sunrise than it was to sunset when I finally closed Ashley's War on the last page. Indeed, the entire book is gripping, fascinating reading, and Ashley’s War is a story that should be read by anyone seeking to understand American military policy, as well as the war in Afghanistan. The women Lemmon depicts in the story are admirable, incredible, and inspiring, and they deserve credit for their sacrifices. Ashley's War documents the creation of Cultural Support Teams by the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, a pilot program to put women on the battlefield to "enable" Green Berets and Army Rangers on sensitive missions in Afghanistan. Simply put, aspects of Afghan culture prevented U.S. Special Forces—comprised entirely of men—from interacting with Afghan women without offending and alienating the population they were sent to protect. Because women in Afghanistan play an important role in the community and were aware of the movement of insurgents, American soldiers missed out on vital intelligence gathering that could have helped their efforts. In contrast, American women are seen as something of a third gender by Afghans, being neither men (and so prohibited from seeing, communicating, or being seen by Afghan women) nor Afghan female. Cultural Support Team members--women--could build relationships with women in ways that men could not. They could go where American men could not.In great detail, Lemmon tells the stories of the women who heard about and applied to join the teams, the rigorous physical testing required of the applicants, and the bonding and friendships that grew during the experience. Lemmon is thorough and detailed in her reporting, relying on first-hand interviews with both the women and their families. The women are tremendous, every bit as brave, courageous and strong as the men they were joining on the front line. Lemmon’s writing is easy to read and understand, and she provides a level of background that allows anyone with any level of understanding about military affairs (or none at all) to read and enjoy. In 2016, the United States moves to full integration of women in the Armed Services. When the history of women in the military is written, the Cultural Support Teams and Ashley's War may be seen as a critical moment and test in the policy shift. That said, it was hard for me to read Ashley's War and not experience some reticence about America's foreign wars in recent years. Do America’s best and brightest need to be spending their best and formative years fighting, bleeding and dying in a faraway land? Has their sacrifice made America more secure? I believe in the men and women that have gone so far and given so much, and I was moved by the realization that far too few of us recognize or acknowledge the enormous burden that those few individuals have carried as a result of the war. I received a copy of the book for review from the publisher.

I'm leary of military non-fiction/memoirs due to past experiences where I have been unable to follow what was happening and/or it's written by war veterans who aren't primarily writers. This book definitely restored my faith in military non-fiction and I will be more willing to give it a chance in the future. The author does a fantastic job of portraying the information, individualizing each soldier and remaining objective, when this book could've easily detoured in preachy girl-power fluff. The story is so powerful at its core that the author does not need to add her own opinions in; it speaks for itself. Even though the story has a journalistic tone to it, I felt like Ashley was a living, breathing person who is characterized by her actions, speech, and manner. I found the story to have an excellent pace and never dumbed down the information for its readers but made it broad enough that a civilian could understand.This book was flawlessly constructed and I have so much respect for these women who are breaking down barriers in the American military but are not doing it for feminism or to make a statement. If the premise sounds interesting to you, I highly recommend it.

This book was so enlightening. I first only wanted to read this book because the lovely Reese Witherspoon told me too via instagram (by me I mean she posted and told everyone to read it... it's the same thing. We are tight, obviously). Then I learned more about it and I itched to read it.Kathe Mazur does a marvelous job narrating this book. I usually find it hard to get through books that aren't actual stories, because my mind loves a good story to live in; but Mazur kept my attention and made my heart break.This is a story per say, meaning this is something that actually happened/happens. Women struggle to be seen on the same level as men. You got it folks, Feminist 101, Army edition.Women have longed to be on the front line along side the men when fighting for our country. Not just nursing or technicians (even though those are just as important) because they want to fight. They want to hold the gun, find the bad guy, and do what is right for the country that they love. But for so long, that hasn't been an option because women aren't held to the same standards. Women have a lower amount of sit ups, push ups, running distance, etc than men because women aren't built the same."SO WHAT?" is my question. As proven in this book, many women can do just as much as men and are at the top of the able-list and can do just as many things as hard as men can.CST: Cultural Support Team(s)The world finally realized that they needed women to help them in the war, because some things only women can do (espeically like searching women for bombs in the Middle East, and talking to them without offending them and without a supervisor-male-family-member present). So a team called CST was put together to work besides some of the toughest men in the army: the Rangers.This book follows events and the troubles of Ashley, Nadia, Lane, Anne, Kate and many other women who were apart of the first to join this new elite team. You get to learn back stories of each of the girls and learn more about women in the army. For example, they still wore make up when they wanted to but they worked out just as hard and as often as their male companions. You learn you can be an army woman and still act and look like a woman. The writing in this book was wonderful. I am so in love with this book. It will break your heart while enlightening you on what really goes on beyond what the news tells you. I encourage anyone and everyone to read this book. It was really spectacular.

I wanted to give this book 5 stars just out of gratitude for the women who are contained in its pages. It's an interesting look at brand-new developments in warfare, in terms of female soldiers who are badder and smarter and more awesome than anybody else on the planet, and compared to their male counterparts, they have to do it all backwards and in heels. This is the telling of their efforts to make a contribution as women warriors, at a level of competence and power that I doubt many men achieve. They are stellar in every way, well capable of their high level of service in a war zone, and America is lucky to have them.However, there are some flaws in the structure of the book. The first half is backstory and getting to know the female soldiers, then their selection and training process. So for half the book, we're being introduced to many different women and their individual backgrounds. Interesting, but more like extended bios rather than an actual story. Finally they go to Afghanistan, which is where it became compelling for me. It was quite a long buildup before we got the actual war-zone story. And I was disappointed not to get any resolution with Nadia. She was a fascinating person, but her story just ends when she has a set-back on the battlefield. We never hear what happened to her. The book was fact-heavy and could have used more emotion but as an inside look at the experience, it's almost our patriotic duty to read this book, because there are people out there doing heroic things for our country that we don't even know about. So it was well worth the read and I recommend it.

I pre-ordered a copy of the book as I have a personal connection with Ashley. While I did not know her well, I am struck by how spot on she is portrayed through the words of Gayle Tzemach Lemmon. I'm inspired by her courage, and the fortitude of her sisters in arms in the inaugural CST class. I am so glad that her story and the legacy of the CST program is being shared through this book and the upcoming film. May Ashley's memory live on.

This is a neat and compelling story about a group of women who became among the first females to accompany Army Ranger units and other Special Operations forces on mission. Until now, I had never specifically heard of the CST unit to which the were assigned as "enablers". Although, I do recall reading one memoir by a SEAL who had mentioned a female solider accompany his team on a night op and that she was tasked with doing the precisely what this group of woman were trained to do. The book reads like a novel, complete with conversations between the various characters. Kind of like a "Lifetime" episode with a tough-girl flair to it, this is a story. Where the author is not a veteran or closely familiar with military concepts, it is different in many ways from a typical military biography. But I think the author did a fantastic job extracting all the necessary details from her sources. Even though some parts seemed cheesy in a way, I think the author did a great job. It was well-written and I was enthralled throughout. I deeply admire the woman as they are described in this story. Any woman, in my opinion, who can prove to have the same physical aptitude, mental discipline, and toughness as ranger infantry are truly bad-ass. Ashley and her teammates are heroes. There is no doubt about that.

Outstanding read and recap of the plank owners of the Army CST. The book could have gone the preachy route (IMO) but instead stuck to the facts and was a hard nosed recap of the formation and building of a very unique sisterhood. One thing I would have like to have seen would have been a "Where are they now?" section. Highly recommended.

I just finished this and all I can think to say is...holy crap. For those interested in the war in Afghanistan, women in combat in the modern age, or just a damn fine military biography in general, this book is a must read.And to the author: Thank you, from a 75th Ranger vet. Well done.

Compelling stories of incredibly impressive women. They're inspiring in their strength. An important book, and moving.

This was an amazing read. Compelling for sure. Un-put-down-able! If you've ever deployed, then you know. You can't stop. And when it's over (for you) you want to come home . . . and you don't. Truth is, some never come home. This war has been going on for over twenty years. Thirty, even, depending upon how you count. For instance, there was the 1983 bombing of the Marine compound in Beirut, Lebanon, that killed 241 US service personnel. However, this is a war that quite largely doesn't exist, or seemingly so. Still, we do ask and they still do sign up and go. The "comes with the territory" and the "they volunteered" platitudes certainly don't cut it anymore (never did, actually). It's time for all Americans to own up. Why are we there? What's the goal? What's the end "game"? What do we actually expect to get out of this war? Is it realistic? Or some fantasy? It's a national discussion that deserves expression and more than five minutes of thought.Or do we just not think about it anymore. Outta sight. Outta mind. If we are here and they are there, does that make the war less than real in our minds? Do we pretend that it's not happening? That it's not OUR war, too? It's time to acknowledge that others are paying the (huge) price much, much more than others. When someone else pays, that just doesn't feel good . . . no matter how many songs, parades, speeches, plaques and slogans we print on hats. We ask. They went. They're still going. Ten. Twenty. Thirty years. It's still on. The babies at the time of the 9/11 attacks are now adults serving in combat zones in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Africa and "other" places.Ashley's War brings it all "home" so to speak. Makes it all real. Not as "real" as actually being there living it every day, of course. No more with the "outta sight, outta mind."I simply dare you to read Ashley's War, bring it all home and stow it in your heart.

I did not know that women were not allowed to serve on the front lines of battle in the US Military until just a few years ago. I did not know that part of that change stemmed from a special ops unit of women in Afghanistan who were attached to Army Ranger units, the women soldiers were instrumental in working with the women and children who often surrounded and/or protected insurgents, male soldiers were unable to search or even really speak with those women, but these special ops women and their interpreters could bridge that gap. This book tells the story mostly of Ashley White who served in Afghanistan in 2011, but also details how the unit of these women came into being, and what their overall experience was like. I do have some quibbles with some of the writing (firstly, I really hate when women or groups of women are always referred to as "female" or "girls" (or "chicks" or whatever) because it seems dehumanizing. I will say that at the end of the book a high ranking Special Ops Boss Guy was giving a speech, and he ONLY referred to these soldiers as women, not chicks, not females, not girls, but women of value and importance to the work they were doing on the ground.)

I started this book with great trepidation. I do believe that the true definition of feminism is a womans right to live her life the way she pleases but I did not want to read three hundred pages of feminist propaganda. I support a womans right to choose what is right for her without a governing body interfering as long is it brings no harm to others. I have never enjoyed reading books with a "hidden" political agenda so I wasn't quiet sure I would be able to enjoy this.I was in for a surprise. The author told the story of these amazing soldiers wonderfully. She did not try to preach to the reader and she rarely ventured outside Ashley Whites story except to give the reader a bit more understanding of the situation or another person's backstory. This particular book gave a true accounting of what it is like to be a female soldier who desires to serve her country to the fullest of her abilities without the government telling her she isn't capable. The female soldiers who joined CTS (the cultural support team to the Seals, Green Beret, and Rangers) are an amazing group of women. They accompanied the special ops teams out during patrols as enablers to help provide better ential that would save lives. After reading this I have decided that I am officially converted to supporting women who choose to be in the infantry and take part in combat. The women who earned a spot in the coveted CTS teams didn't want to be given their position. They wanted to earn it under the same circumstances as any soldier. They didn't see themselves as female and they didn't see the Rangers and Green Berets as men. They were all just soldiers trying to serve their country with honor. The members of CST were the first to admit that if they could not pass the same physical and mental tests as their male counterparts then they had no business being in combat. I found that to show the true strength and nobilty of a soldier.One thing stood out to me that I think needs to be noted. The small group of women who make up this book did not try to be men. They did not try to be alphas. They put on eyeliner and mascara before leaving base to be dropped into the city for patrols. They kept their hair long and baked bread. They did not in any form try to hide their feminity. Having never been in the military I don't know from personal experience but it seems that women in the military get a bad rap. Either they're husband hunting or playing at being male. I've read many biographies and historical accounts of female nurses during WWll and Vietnam. They all seemed to be respected by the majority of soldiers and treated kindly in deference of their gender. In Ashleys War the females were treated as soldiers. The gender barrier didn't exist once the soldiers were use to having them around. It was as new to those Seals ans Rangers as it was to the women in CST. I hope this begins to show a trend and bodes well for the future of our armed forces.I would recommend this book to anyone so I hope you try it!