U.S. Military Service

This work is a fascinating overview of Americans’ complex and occasionally uneasy relationship with military service, from World War II to the age of global terrorism.The end of the Cold War ushered in a new kind of war that has already made conventional tactics and strategy obsolete. How has the U.S. military responded?In U.S. Military Service: A Reference Handbook, Cynthia Watson, professor of strategy at the National War College, analyzes the major issues that are reshaping the military in the era of global terrorism—problems of recruitment, urban warfare, effective use of electronic media, and rebuilding failed states. She also examines the unprecedented policy of relinquishing military duties to the for-profit sector, which has occurred in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Through a combination of detailed analysis and broad overview, the work shows how the U.S. military is quickly transforming itself into a leaner, more agile force.Up-to-the-minute coverage of personalities including important figures from the war on terrorism and an extensive list of resources, including print and electronic media and blogsPrimary documents include a speech by Bill Clinton on gays in the military and a transcript from an NPR interview with Donald Rumsfeld

Cynthia Watson, PhD, is professor of strategy at the National War College, Washington, DC. Her published works include ABC-CLIO's Nation-Building: A Reference Handbook and U.S. National Security: A Reference Handbook, which was named one of the 2002 Books of the Year by CHOICE magazine.