Listen here:

Linsay Rousseau Burnett (right), a sergeant in the U.S. Army, spent one year as an Army journalist in Iraq. Source: Linsay Rousseau Burnett

Many Americans assume that women in the U.S. military are stationed far from the fighting. While it’s true they can’t train for frontline combat positions, the changing nature of the Iraq war has placed many women at the center of the conflict. Yet the women serving and dying for the U.S. have received very little attention. Who are they, why did they join and what are their experiences and points of view?

On this edition, Sarah Olson speaks with veterans of the U.S. Army, Navy and Marines, and to one active duty soldier who served for a year as an Army journalist in Iraq. Each woman has a unique story, but all share an understanding of the power politics of the U.S. military and the price that is paid by women seeking to serve their country.

Featuring:

Anuradha Bhagwati, Former Marine Captain; Maricela Guzman, Former Information Technician in the U.S. Navy; Linsay Rousseau Burnett, Sergeant U.S. Army, first brigade combat team 101st Airborne division; Stefani Pelkey, Former Army Captain.

For more information:

Vets for Vets

Iraq and Afghan Veterans for America

Iraq Veterans Against the War

Women of Color Resource Center

Women Veterans of America

Tags: veterans, war and peace, women

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 27th, 2009 at 12:00 pm and is filed under Women's Desk. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.