Beyond the Call: Three Women on the Front Lines in Afghanistan

Abstract

Beyond the Call: Three Women on the Front Lines in Afghanistan recounts the stories of three US military servicewomen who served in various capacities in Afghanistan. Each soldier led a female engagement team (FET) on missions with the potential to acquire Taliban intelligence from Afghan women, to help these women start businesses to obtain financial independence, and to educate women and girls. The FET leaders met resistance from their commanding officers, and when the female warriors finally got permission to ride with convoys, the male soldiers limited the scale of FET missions. Although many of the missions they engaged in involved combat fire, the US government did not recognize the accomplishments of these FET leaders. This recognition was a significant determinant in eligibility of military health and retirement benefits for female soldiers and veterans.

Keywords

• female veteran, servicewomen, afghanistan, female engagement teams, fet, lioness