Band of Sisters

Band of Sisters: American Women at War in Iraq is a 2007 book by Kirsten Holmstedt about the Iraq War and women in the military with a foreword by Tammy Duckworth. Band of Sisters presents twelve stories of American women on the frontlines including America's first female pilot to be shot down and survive, the U.S. military's first black female combat pilot, a 21-year-old turret gunner defending a convoy, two military policewomen in a firefight, and a nurse struggling to save lives. Holmstedt claims that women need greater protection from hazing and abuse by fellow soldiers, but that they are as strong as men and should be given full combat roles. Author Kirsten Holmstedt is a journalist who writes about the military. She has published two other books: The Girls Come Marching Home: Stories of Women Warriors Returning from the War in Iraq (2009) Stackpole. Soul Survivors: Stories of Wounded Women Warriors and the Battles They Fight Long After They've Left the War Zone (2016) Stackpole.