America’s Military Today

Challenges for the Armed Forces in a Time of War

An unvarnished look at today’s armed forces, by leading experts

“Important reading for all Americans, this book outlines what exactly they are paying for with their hard-earned taxes, and how discriminatory and dangerous the American military machine has become.” —Helen Caldicott

In the face of seemingly unending resistance in Iraq and growing difficulty with recruitment at home, the U.S. armed forces are under increasing scrutiny from Congress, the media, the public, and even from within. America’s Military Today provides an eye-opening survey of the way the modern U.S. military enlists, trains, and deploys its all-volunteer force. Long-standing soldiers’ rights attorney Tod Ensign brings together a range of expert commentators to examine hot-button issues, including:

• The techniques used by the Pentagon to recruit and train a required 200,000 volunteers each year
• The controversial arguments being advanced for a return to the draft
• The military’s reputation as an exemplar in the promotion of racial minoritie
• The ongoing challenge of gender discrimination, sexual assaults, and bias against gays and lesbians
• The appropriate role of the armed forces in policing post–9/11 America
• The future of war fighting, with an emphasis on the continued relevance of the ordinary foot soldier

The book also includes first-person accounts from soldiers on active duty in Iraq, providing a harrowing and poignant picture of life at the sharp end of combat duty today.

Praise

“Fascinating.”
Los Angeles Times Book Review
“A great resource for activists as well as scholars, for young people considering military service, and those currently on active duty . . . well written and thoroughly documented.”
Z Magazine
“For a general readership, no better primer on this subject exists in print today.”
Toward Freedom

Goodreads Reviews