The Few. The Proud.
Women Marines in Harm’s Way
by Sara Sheldon
Foreword by Tracy L. Garrett

On a dark night in February 2005, Sara Sheldon arrived at Camp Fallujah, outside the dangerous ancient city for which it was named. At first glance, she could have easily been mistaken for a Marine at the late hour of her arrival as she donned a Kevlar helmet and a state of the art flack jacket. But at the age of 70, armed only with a camera, a laptop, and notepads, it was clear her mission was different. She was a spectator to the war who secured permission to embed with the 1st MEF and observe and interview "Marines who happened to be women" then posted at Camp Fallujah. In the time she spent there, Sheldon interviewed women in the Corps who held ranks from corporals to colonels to gain a broad and varied perspective of the experiences representative of female Marines throughout Iraq. Americans are aware that women are actively serving in the armed forces, but few understand what exactly is expected of women in the military, the duties they perform, and the limitations and restrictions placed on them, especially in a combat zone. Sheldon reveals much about her subjects. In some ways they mirrored their male counter parts, enlisting only for four years to receive educational benefits or an opportunity to escape their home environment while others make the Corps their career serving as commissioned officers. Beyond them are others who were recalled to active duty to serve with their representative guard units. Sheldon uncovers their stories: the preconceived notions that they possessed when the enlisted in the Corps, how the experience of serving in Iraq has changed them, and what they ultimately take home from the battlefield. She also sheds light on the day-to-day grind that all American service personnel face in Iraq, but never loses her main focus. Far removed from the Green Zone, Sheldon and her subjects spent their days in harm's way but she avoids a running commentary on policy and instead remains committed to examining how women tasked with various missions at the lower levels of command and field duties are impacted by their experiences.