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Becoming and Being: The Journey of the Woman Warrior

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Handbook of Military Psychology

Abstract

The confluence of societal changes in expectations, policies, and protections, combined with the realities of the wars waged in Iraq and Afghanistan, has led to significant changes in the military. This chapter discusses women’s increasingly expanded and integrated roles in the military, examines women’s experience as leaders in the military, and highlights the challenges for women in garrison, deployed settings, in combat and as they transition out of the military. The chapter also includes excerpts from a number of women we interviewed who demonstrated numerous aspects of “Grit,” that is, a willingness to work very hard with lots of practice, and utilize critical feedback, input, and passion to achieve long-term goals. We conclude by providing guidance for individuals and commanders on the conditions necessary for women (and men) to succeed in integrated units and beyond.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    An aide-de-camp serves as a general’s or admiral’s executive assistant, typically managing correspondence and taking notes at meetings, planning travel, itineraries, and social events, coordinating protocol, and assisting in personal matters, depending upon the individual’s preferences.

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Correspondence to Arlene R. Saitzyk .

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Saitzyk, A.R., Harvey, S., Landes, A., Long, C., Porter, R. (2017). Becoming and Being: The Journey of the Woman Warrior. In: Bowles, S., Bartone, P. (eds) Handbook of Military Psychology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66192-6_24

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