Ashley's War

The New York Times-bestselling account of an elite team of female soldiers is 'compelling. . . . In battle as in life, these women refuse to quit' (Christian Science Monitor).In 2010, the Army created Cultural Support Teams, a secret pilot program to insert women alongside Special Operations soldiers battling in Afghanistan. Their presence had a calming effect on enemy households, but more importantly, the CSTs were able to search adult women for weapons and gather crucial intelligence. They could build relationships-woman to woman-in ways that male soldiers in an Islamic country never could.In Ashley's War, Gayle Tzemach Lemmon uses on-the-ground reporting and a finely tuned understanding of the complexities of war to tell the story of CST-2, a unit of women hand-picked from the Army to serve in this highly specialized role. The pioneers of CST-2 proved for the first time that women might be physically and mentally tough enough to become Special Ops.The price of professional acceptance was personal loss and social isolation: the only people who really understand the women of CST-2 are each other. At the center of this story is a friendship and the shared perils of up-close combat. At the heart of the team is the tale of a beloved and effective soldier, Ashley White. 'An unforgettable story of female soldiers breaking the brass ceiling. . . . This book will inspire you.' -Sheryl Sandberg, #1 International bestselling author of Lean In'A tremendous story. . . . Very moving.' -The Daily Show with Jon Stewart'Ashley's War shares the remarkable stories of one of the first teams of women serving in the U.S. Army Special Operations Command.' -Senator John McCain