AWOL

Militaryservicewasoncetakenforgrantedasanaturalpartofgoodcitizenship，andAmericansofallclassesservedduringwartime.Notanymore.AsKathyRoth-DouquetandFrankSchaefferassertinthisgroundbreakingwork，thereisaglaringdisconnectbetweenthe"allvolunteermilitary"andtherestofus.Andasthatgapbetweenthecultural"elite"andmilitaryrank-and-filewidens，ourcountryfacesadangerouslackofunderstandingbetweenthoseinpowerandthosewhodefendourwayoflife.InAmerica，itisincreasinglythecasethatthepeoplewhomake，support，orprotestmilitarypolicyhavenomilitaryexperience.Asaresult，theprivilegedmissthebenefitsofmilitaryservice--leadership，experiencehelpfultotheirfuturerolesinpubliclife，andexposuretoabroadercrosssectionofcitizens--whilethemilitaryfeelsunder-supportedandmorallydistancedfromtherestofthecountry.AndwhenonlyahandfulofmembersofCongresshavemilitaryexperienceorapersonallinktosomeoneinuniform，perhapsitbecomestooeasy(ortoohard)tosendthemilitaryintocombat.Basedonresearchandincludingthevoicesofmanyyoungmilitarymemberswhounderstandfirsthandthevalueofservice，AWOLisalsoaverypersonalbook.FrankSchaeffer，fatherofaformerenlistedMarine，knowstheanguishandpridethatmillionsofAmericanparentsfeeleverydayastheirchildrenareofffightingawarinaforeignland.KathyRoth-Douquet，wifeofacareerofficer，hasexperiencedthestruggleoftryingtokeepthefamilytogetherwithahusbandatwaraswellastheoftenuntoldsatisfactionofraisingchildreninanethicofservice.Totheauthorsandnumerousotherfamilieswhoareintimatelyacquaintedwiththegloryandthesacrificeofmilitaryservice，Americaneedsawake-upcallbeforeit'stoolate.