While They're at War

by Henderson, Kristin

• ISBN13: 9780618773459
• ISBN10: 0618773452
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-11-03
• Publisher: Mariner Books

Summary

Many Americans will never experience the gut-wrenching act of sending a loved one off to war, or the joy and stress of welcoming him or her home. Still less known to most of us are the anxiety-ridden moments between these two scenes, the day-to-day reality of life in a military family when a loved one is deployed in a combat zone. While They're at War takes us inside hearts and homes to illuminate the unseen aspects of this critical American story. We meet two very different women, Marissa Bootes and Beth Pratt, both newlyweds experiencing life alone at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, while their husbands are fighting in Iraq. Through the extraordinary stories of these and other military spouses, Kristin Henderson reveals the overwhelming effects of separation -- from fears of death to worries about financial stability and marital fidelity. She also explores the official and unofficial support systems that strain to help homefront families endure some of their greatest challenges.

Author Biography

KRISTIN HENDERSON has written frequently about military issues, including two cover stories for the Washington Post Magazine, where this book had its origins. A practicing Quaker and occasional amateur racer of Corvettes, Henderson is married to a Navy chaplain who served with the Marines in Afghanistan and Iraq, and she is active in the Marine Corps’ Key Volunteer family readiness program. The idea for Hidden Homefront came to Henderson when her husband was in Iraq and a neighbor asked, “Wow, what is that like, having him in harm’s way?” Henderson says, “It hit me then, that most Americans no longer personally know what it’s like to send someone you love to war.”

Table of Contents

1. Welcome to the Sisterhood	1	(8)
PART I Leaving Home
2. The Waiting	9	(7)
3. Uncle Sam Wants You	16	(24)
4. Preparing for Goodbye	40	(17)
5. Green Ramp	57	(8)
PART II The Homefront
6. The Knock at the Door	65	(24)
7. Connections	89	(23)
8. Live from Fallujah	112	(9)
9. Different Planets	121	(18)
10. Honorary Sisters	139	(10)
11. Dreamland	149	(11)
12. Pigeons in the Desert	160	(25)
13. Hitting the Wall	185	(21)
14. Peace Also Takes Courage	206	(19)
PART III Coming Home
15. Back to Green Ramp	225	(27)
16. The War at Home	252	(26)
17. The Real News	278	(14)
18. The Terrible Relief	292	(13)
Selected Sources	305