Beyond the Call: Three Women on the Front Lines in Afghanistan

By Norma Caamal

ISBN 9780306903076
DOI: 10.21061/jvs.v4i1.88

License: CC BY 4.0

Norma Caamal

Beyond the Call: Three Women on the Front Lines in Afghanistan, recounts the stories of three US military service women who served in various capacities in Afghanistan. Each service woman led a female engagement team (FET) on missions with the potential to acquire Taliban intelligence from Afghan women, to help these women start businesses to obtain financial independence, and to educate women and girls. However, the original FET leaders met resistance from their commanding officers, who did not allow service women to leave the forward operating bases unless accompanied by male infantry members thereby hindering FET mission execution. Even when the female warriors got permission to catch a ride with a convoy, the service men persistently limited the amount of combat engagement in which the FETs could participate, restricting the FET’s planned missions. Although many of the missions they engaged in involved combat fire and enemy raids, the US government did not recognize the accomplishments of these FET leaders as combat veterans. Having actually engaged in military combat was a significant determinant in eligibility of military promotions, health and retirement benefits for service women and veterans. Military policy prohibited combat engagement by women but many FET service women fought, sustained injuries, and died in combat. Without any proof, service women could not claim their well-earned benefits during or after military service as veterans, driving them to sue the military forces.

Keywords: Female Engagement Teams (FETs), Military Gender Barriers, Combat Recognition, Afghanistan War, Women in Combat, Veterans’ Rights