AWOL: The Unexcused Absence of America's Upper Classes from Military Service — and How It Hurts Our Country

by Kathy Roth-Douquet, Frank Schaeffer

Military service was once taken for granted as a natural part of good citizenship, and Americans of all classes served during wartime.

Not anymore.

As Kathy Roth-Douquet and Frank Schaeffer assert in this groundbreaking work, there is a glaring disconnect between the "all volunteer military" and the rest of us. And as that gap between the cultural "elite" and military rank-and-file widens, our country faces a dangerous lack of understanding between those in power and those who defend our way of life.

In America, it is increasingly the case that the people who make, support, or protest military policy have no military experience. As a result, the privileged miss the benefits of military service -- leadership, experience helpful to their future roles in public life, and exposure to a broader cross section of citizens -- while the military feels under-supported and morally distanced from the rest of the country. And when only a handful of members of Congress have military experience or a personal link to someone in uniform, perhaps it becomes too easy (or too hard) to send the military into combat.

Based on research and including the voices of many young military members who understand firsthand the value of service, AWOL is also a very personal book. Frank Schaeffer, father of a former enlisted Marine, knows the anguish and pride that millions of American parents feel every day as their children are off fighting a war in a foreign land. Kathy Roth-Douquet, wife of a career officer, has experienced the struggle of trying to keep the family together with a husband at war as well as the often untold satisfaction of raising children in an ethic of service. To the authors and numerous other families who are intimately acquainted with the glory and the sacrifice of military service, America needs a wake-up call before it's too late.

Genres: Nonfiction, Military Fiction, Politics, Public Policy, Unfinished, Military History

241 pages, Hardcover

First published May 9, 2006

Reviews

[Rebecca]

I just discovered this book today and cried when I read this part of the Washington Post's review of this book:

'The greatest problem with an isolated military, however, is even less tangible. "When those who benefit most from living in a country contribute the least to its defense and those who benefit least are asked to pay the ultimate price, something happens to the soul of that country," write the authors. That argument makes for the most powerful reading in the book: "We are shortchanging a generation of smart, motivated Americans who have been prejudiced against service by parents and teachers. Their parents may think they are protecting their children. Their teachers may think they are enlightening them. But perhaps what these young people are being protected from is maturity, selflessness, and the kind of ownership of their country that can give it a better future." '

[Evan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kathy and Frank have a very interesting perspective on this big issue and I thought had lots of good anecdotal evidence, but were woefully lacking in hard evidence. Overall kind of disappointed because they were more appealing to an emotional connection with stories that played up their point rather than trying to use hard data to illustrate why this is such a big issue, and how it has changed over time.

- Evan

[Ailish · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this read. It made me think about public service and the common good through the lens of the military and made me think about the impact of the increasing divide between the military and civilian experience. Some interesting ideas behind compulsive ‘service’ (military or otherwise) that Americans could/should owe their country. Def recommend for folks who also don’t know much about the military

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A startling exposure of the obvious .... those that most often attack others on points of "class separation" in America turn out to be most guilty in perhaps the most important of all values, service.
Authors are two liberal democrat's that come to find themselves, for different reason, as "military family's". Their journey and discovery shames us all.

[Anthony Locke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Might not be a five-star book for everyone, but I found the content thoroughly thought-provoking. Initially heard about the book through Buttigieg's bio. Both authors found themselves accidentally involved in the military community and were forced to shed their biases: one married a marine, the other had a son go into the military. The authors argue that there is a class divide in military service - the "elites" (or anyone who adopts their values) have retreated from military service which is ultimately bad for our country. This contributes to the hyper-partisanship we see today. Many who join military service now are Evangelicals and Republicans while many who disparage the military tend to be left-leaning who don’t really know anyone in the military. The authors point out that this has not always been the case – i.e. Roosevelt and Churchill both had kids who served in WWII, esteemed political families like the Kennedy’s and the Bush’s have served in the military. One of the most stimulating part of the book was when the authors put forward different policy solutions to the issue. This hit close to home for me because I recognize that I grew up in a culture where nearly everyone avoided going into the military. It was outside my plausibility structures for a good life or one of many good paths to take to maturity and adulthood. This made me want to talk to some older family members more about their military experience (coastguard, doctor in Iraq) to gain a better understanding and connection to these roles and communities of service.

[Brett Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

AWOL was a really awesome book! It is based off of soldiers overseas that illegally left the battlefield to return home. It takes place during the wars over in Iraq and Afghanistan, and it tells the stories of a wife of a soldier that has been going through a lot of stuff. The wife of the soldier's name is Kathy, and she just had a baby. Her husband is overseas and she wants him to come home, but she knows that it is against the law for him to come home. Her husband disregards the law, and he comes home anyways, and Kathy is very disappointed in him and tells him to turn himself in. The author depicts the process in how a soldier who goes AWOL serves punishment in prison. It tells about the dark times in the soldier's life, about how he had depression when he was overseas. Also, it talks about how the upper class is always involved in cases of people going AWOL. The upper class thinks its entitled to doing whatever they feel like doing. The author expresses his feelings by making the main character feel angry about how the system works. I really would recommend this book to everyone that is curious about how the military works if a soldier goes AWOL, which is highly against the law. It is a very interesting book and gives details about the behind-the-scenes things that go on overseas in the military. This book is really good for reading in your free time.

[Melanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've long said that if I could change one thing about the Constitution, it would be to require a minimum of a 4-year enlistment for anyone running for president, with no exemptions for physical disabilities or medical separations. (After reading this book I'd also require that each state have at least one Senator who meets the same criterion.)

Anyway, the most creative idea that the people who wrote this book came up with was re-instituting a draft where you can't bribe your way out of being selected. Boring, and it won't work anyway. Give the "upper classers" incentives that they'll respond to, like the aforementioned Presidential/Senatorial requirement. It's really important for the people who are making decisions about the lives and deaths and actions of servicemembers to have firsthand experience in these realms.

[Oliver · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciated the message though as part of the target audience it did feel a bit dated. Written in 2006-2007 at the peak of the anti war sentiment — some of the anti military stuff they talk about just doesn’t seem that relevant today on college campuses. Also found the peek into the future section bizzare and off putting to the broader message.

[Glenn S · Rating 5 out of 5]

This message that the nation's elites used to consider military service as an essential part of their obligations will remain an important story to repeat to remind everyone of what the elites have not only stopped doing, but also demean.

[Gerald Kinro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Missing from today’s military service are the elite of America’s society who feel that the defense of our country is someone else’s duty. Thus the gap between the military and the rest of America widens, and those who make or influence defense policy have no military experience. Symptoms are legion such as the discouragement of military recruiters on Ivy League campuses.

This work was well researched and written with excellent documentation. For one, subjects such as this interest me, and I was able to read it in one sitting. The authors, one a democrat and one a republican, illustrate the problems of such a system and offer solutions that, yes, will include some form of conscription (draft light). While their individual solutions do not always agree with one another. Collectively, however, this makes for a very good and more balanced work.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 4 out of 5]

The authors make a convincing case that the USA is is turning into a society divided by class . The financial, political, and intellectual elite feel that they an their families are about and exempt from serving their country in the military. Americans give lip service to the men and women who defend this country but don't positively back up the military. A prime example of this is the current push that would give illegal entrants into this country a path to citizenship just for attending school, in their minds equating this to the sacrifices of miliary service and hardships. College places one in a position for more money while military service calls for sacrifice by self and family. True patratism is no longeer fashionable in America. This elitism is one of the reasons the Roman empire fell. Is america doomed by self-indulgence? This is a tghought provoking read.

[Chris Norton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up in, and now reside in, a highly educated demographic that fits the description of the Upper Classes noted in the title of this EXCELLENT book. Many of my classmates from high school and college are primary school educators, in higher educat...ion, or in positions of current or future great influence. Many of them, i am sure, also do or will echo the "not my child" sentiment noted in here. If I had the means to send 100 copies out, I would. As a 13-year veteran of the armed forces, I find myself guilty of the "us versus them" mentality described in it as well. Highly recommend this for all those serving, as well as any parent as well as those in positions of influence.

[Michael Gawlinski · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that this book should be retitled. The title comes across as something written by a left-wing academic who has little to no actual connections to the military when it's actually written by two people who's lives and outlooks on the military changed significantly when someone close to them joined the military.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very thought provoking and well written. If some of these principles were applied, it's amazing how much different our society and culture could be. And when we look back in just a few years and wonder why kids are so spoiled and selfish, we should realize that we have no one to blame but ourselves.

[MC]

Well, since the author (Kathy) and I share a fair amount in common (our backgrounds, our marrying into the military, our grad school), she advised me at a talk she gave on the book that I was likely to find many of the stories in it very familiar and interesting. I'm looking forward to it!

[alwz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I could not agree more with the premise of this- American elites see the military as "other" and don't want themselves or their children to serve, at the same time they swear to"support the troops". The last chapters dragged, and were pointlessly speculative.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really powerful stuff about current politics, the military and how we have screwed things up in the US

[Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pushes the idea that more of the rich should serve in the military.

[Griff · Rating 4 out of 5]

"""The Unexcused Absence of America's Upper Classes from Military Service and How It Hurts Our Country"" Given to me by CPT Stephen Trynoski at Army Captain's Career Course. Though Provoking."

[Annette · Rating 1 out of 5]

This sounded like a really interesting premise. It was not at all scientific, though, and hardly about what the title promised.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommend for anyone who has a child, relative, or friend who is entering the military or serving. Interesting discussion book and enlightening thoughts about out current culture.

[Cameren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bookclub #7