Committed to her Country and to her Children

Air Force MSgt Denise LeBarb Malloy is a 39-year-old single mom. No one knows the struggles of being committed to her country and her children better than Malloy. She has been in the Air Force for 21 ½ years and is on her third deployment. She served one tour in Afghanistan and two in Iraq. She is currently working in personnel in Baghdad.

“My heart is definitely in two places. If I look forward I keep walking in the sand. If I look back, I see that I need to return and raise my children.”

Denise, thank you for your service!

Say it isn't so?

Beaufort Books has commissioned an additional 50,000 copies of OJ Simpson’s “If I Did It,” the ghostwritten account of how the ex-football star would have murdered Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. The book, which came out last week and on Tuesday ranked No. 2 on Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com, now has 200,000 copies in print.

Are you kidding me? Come on people. Is this what our society values? We can do better than this. Please, if you are looking for something to read, pick up a copy of Band of Sisters. Choose to read about people with substance, values, ... Read about female service members, their sacrifices, their courage, and amazing attitudes. Give credit where credit is due.

Don't reward OJ. He may have been a football hero once but those days are long gone. That person doesn't even exist anymore. Reward the women who are serving bravely beside our brothers-in-arms, women who have made a conscious choice to make America a better place. Read their stories and not OJ's. Celebrate their accomplishments and not OJ's. Stop looking to the past and look at the NOW. Where is he now--in a cell. Where are the women--making the ultimate sacrifice to ensure the safety of our homeland.

West Point

In mid-September, I spent an amazing couple of days at West Point with Robin Brown (second chapter in Band of Sisters), a former Army captain and Kiowa helicopter pilot who was shot down just outside of Fallujah in Iraq.

I’d like to thank the Margaret Corbin Forum, BGen Kaslen, Michelle Nadeau-Schaff, Maj. Langkamp, Col. Swope, Col. McMahon, Cadet Abbey Carter, and everyone else who helped to make our visit a success.

My goal was to inspire the next wave of female cadets and I hope I accomplished this objective. I do know that these young women inspired me. They are intelligent, curious, brave, enthusiastic, and eager to contribute to our national security. I look forward to hearing about their great successes in leadership roles in the years to come. In the meantime, I wish them the best as they continue to pursue their education and dreams at West Point and beyond. I feel honored to have met them and to have personally shared the experiences of the women in Band of Sisters with them. I will treasure the memory.

Radio Interview

I just had an interview with Davis Rankin of KURV radio in very southern Texas. Thanks, Davis!!

A lot of civilians wonder how accepted women in the military feel. I would love to hear your comments. I have my own opinion based on what women have told me but what are your experiences in today's military? Are you being treated as equals, with respect, ...?

Davis asked me what surprised me most about the women while writing the book. I was surprised by the strength, resilience, and ability that women displayed on the battlefield. When I started writing Band of Sisters in 2003 I had no idea how women were going to perform on the battlefield. While I was growing up, society was still setting limits on what women could and should do. We were still told that we weren't strong enough or smart enough or aggressive enough to pursue certain occupations. Not any more. Any questions I had, or that society had, should be laid to rest. Women are getting the job done. They are living up to and exceeding expectations. They are breaking down barriers every day.

Reader Reviews for Band of Sisters

Below are just a few of the e-mails I have received from those who have read Band of Sisters. Enjoy!

“Telling you your book, Band of Sisters, was well written would be an understatement of the first degree. It was wonderful! You captured the essence of each of those women and allowed the rest of us to ‘be there’ with them.” Karen

“You truly did an incredible job! I know that those who have reservations about women in the service will think differently if they read this book. And I would like to say thank you for doing this the only way it should have been done...with great care, concern and respect.” Natalie

“I heard about the upcoming release of your book on the Marines.mil website. I immediately did a search to find out where I could get it—the book was not yet released. On the day of its release, I went to Borders, bought it, and read the whole book that day. I absolutely loved your book. As a wife of a veteran of the Marines, a volunteer at the USO, and as a woman wishing to join the military, I thank you for writing Band of Sisters. I have already recommended your book to many people and hope that many Americans will read your book. Thank you again for writing Band of Sisters.” Heather

First let me say, I served in the US Marine Corps for eight years and for me, your book was very inspirational. I served during Desert Shield/Desert Storm so I was able to relate to some of the stories you superbly documented. If you're a leader, you lead the way. Not just the easy ones, you take the tough ones too. That quality was exhibited by many of the women highlighted in your book and let me say, I would have been honored to serve with them. Andrew

“I absolutely think your book on these heroes is awesome. I have cried after reading each story because they are all filled with heart-felt emotion. My favorite story was Robin Brown’s story about being shot down and able to react fast enough to save her and her partner’s life. This was an amazing story to read about and I wish there was a way to contact these brave young women to speak with them about their experiences and how the military helped shape their lives into who they are today. Your book is absolutely fascinating and I appreciate all of your hard work, dedication, and time spent on this wonderful book.” Andrea

I just wanted to let you know that I read the entire book during a flight last Thursday. It was great. Thanks for bringing these stories to life... These women are true heroes and their stories deserve to be known. Catherine

“I finished your book - I loved it! I don't know how you did it but you managed to capture the essence of the experience. I will admit to having been very reluctant to talk with you - my thought being "this can only hurt me." And until I read the book, I still had reservations. Clearly I was wrong. You have my complete trust and respect.” Necia

“I used to somewhat buy the story that women shouldn't become firefighters because they couldn't carry heavy equipment, etc. After reading Band of Sisters: American Women At War in Iraq, I now know that is all bull shit. Something in the body kicks in, it's called adrenaline and women, properly trained, can do anything men can do. If you still possess this outmoded thinking, read this book and your mind will be opened.”

Book Review: "Band of Sisters"

From WMA'Nouncements
Official Publication of the Women Marines Association

They command C-130 squadrons; fly combat missions in F-18s, Cobras and Kiowas; man 50-caliber machine guns in turrets on Humvees; check and clear buildings and get involved in fire fights; and moving aircraft around on the flight deck of a
carrier, they risk being blown overboard with one misstep. They love their country and serve it proudly. They sacrifice, sweat, love and die, just like their brothers and their stories are told with candor, honesty and raw emotion in the new book “Band
of Sisters – American Women at War in Iraq”, published July 4th. Written by Kirsten Holmstedt and published by Stackpole Books, the book profiles the experiences of twelve women (Marine, Army, Navy and Air Force) who have served in Iraq. Following September 11th, author Kirsten Holmstedt became immensely curious about the experiences the largest contingent of women who have ever served our country were having and found that the information available from conventional sources left her wanting more. From her vantage point as a resident of Jacksonville, NC, home to Camp Lejeune, she started to seek out those who were just back from Iraq and ended up during the course of three years, traveling to MCAS Beaufort, Pope Air Force
Base, Ft. Bragg and off the coast of Florida, flying aboard the USS Harry S. Truman. Some of the women were happy to share their stories, others needed convincing and a few declined. The end result is a compendium of stories as different as the women who experienced them and I consider this a must read book.

Sheryl Young
Area 3 Director
Women Marine Association (WMA)