This collection includes extraordinary accounts by women on active duty, retired officers, civilians who have worked for the armed forces, and civilian academics. The book offers insights into a variety of pressing issues, including the status of minority women and lesbians in the military, women in combat, the role of gender in weapons design, and the changing mission of the military. Through personal accounts and commentaries, this book dispels many myths about women and the military and explores the reasons for the persistence of misconceptions in the face of increased female participation. This comprehensive effort unfolds the truth about women in the armed forces and is a wake-up call to those who feel that the military is irrelevant to women.