SOUND OFF!

An enlightening book about problems facing the growing number of American military servicewomen today. Dorothy and Cad Schneider first met American servicewomen when teaching college courses on bases in Japan and Korea; in talking to a number of them, the Schneiders felt there was an untold story, and eventually went out and interviewed 300 women from all different services at 16 military installations around the US. The women speak frankly here about their greatest problems. Not surprisingly, sexual discrimination and harassment are a major worry. The 220,000 women in the armed forces comprise only 10 to 11 percent of the total population, and women often find themselves isolated among large numbers of chauvinistic males: ""I am six years into the military, and these guys still see me as their little sister. I am not your little sister. I am a Sergeant E-5."" But even more important for career-minded servicewomen is the combat-exclusion policy. Like it or not, combat leads to meteoric rises in rank, and many women feel Congress is foisting an outdated, sexist program on the military: ""It's bad enough to see little Johnny blown away on the five o'clock news, but to see little Jane? No."" Finally, women worry about the stress caused by having families and, at the same time, keeping up with their military responsibilities. A well-researched and caring book that cuts through stereotypes and allows the reader to see the face of today's military women plain. Essential reading for any woman thinking about a career in the service.