Shoot Like a Girl: One Woman's Dramatic Fight in Afghanistan and on the Home Front by Mary Jennings Hegar (Audio Book)
Synopsis -
On July 29, 2009, Air National Guard major Mary Jennings “MJ” Hegar was shot down while on a Medevac mission on her third tour in Afghanistan. Despite being wounded, she fought the enemy and saved the lives of her crew and their patients. But soon she would face a new battle: to give women who serve on the front lines the credit they deserve...
After being commissioned into the U.S. Air Force, MJ Hegar was selected for pilot training by the Air National Guard, finished at the top of her class, then served three tours in Afghanistan, flying combat search-and-rescue missions, culminating in a harrowing rescue attempt that would earn MJ the Purple Heart as well as the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor Device.
But it was on American soil that Hegar would embark on her greatest challenge—to eliminate the military’s Ground Combat Exclusion Policy, which kept female armed service members from officially serving in combat roles despite their long-standing record of doing so with honor.
In Shoot Like a Girl, MJ takes the reader on a dramatic journey through her military career: an inspiring, humorous, and thrilling true story of a brave, high-spirited, and unforgettable woman who has spent much of her life ready to sacrifice everything for her country, her fellow man, and her sense of justice.
Soon to be a major motion picture!
I do love memoirs, and I love reading about strong women, but I am not usually drawn to books military books. So I was surprised at how much I loved Shoot Like a Girl. And I was really glad I chose to listen to it as an audio book. Not only is the author a great speaker and story teller, she also manages to recreate the accents of others she mentions in the book that are spot on.
Meet the Author -
Major Mary Jennings Hegar, one of Foreign Policy Magazine’s 100 Leading Global Thinkers of 2013 and one of Newsweek’s 125 Women of Impact of 2012, was commissioned into the Air Force through ROTC at the University of Texas in 1999. In 2004, she was selected for pilot training by the Air National Guard. Upon completion of her training at the top of her class, she served three tours in Afghanistan flying Combat Search and Rescue as well as medevac missions. On her third tour to Afghanistan on July 29, 2009, she was shot down on a medevac mission and sustained wounds resulting in her being awarded the Purple Heart. Her actions on this mission saved the lives of her crew and patients, earning her the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor Device. Today, MJ lives in Austin with her family. She continues to advocate for marginalized communities as well as write and speak publicly about both her experiences in the military and her fight for increased military readiness through equality.
Connect: Website
After being commissioned into the U.S. Air Force, MJ Hegar was selected for pilot training by the Air National Guard, finished at the top of her class, then served three tours in Afghanistan, flying combat search-and-rescue missions, culminating in a harrowing rescue attempt that would earn MJ the Purple Heart as well as the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor Device.
But it was on American soil that Hegar would embark on her greatest challenge—to eliminate the military’s Ground Combat Exclusion Policy, which kept female armed service members from officially serving in combat roles despite their long-standing record of doing so with honor.
In Shoot Like a Girl, MJ takes the reader on a dramatic journey through her military career: an inspiring, humorous, and thrilling true story of a brave, high-spirited, and unforgettable woman who has spent much of her life ready to sacrifice everything for her country, her fellow man, and her sense of justice.
Soon to be a major motion picture!
Follow Your Heart Because It Knows You Best/TedTalks
Synopsis -
I do love memoirs, and I love reading about strong women, but I am not usually drawn to books military books. So I was surprised at how much I loved Shoot Like a Girl. And I was really glad I chose to listen to it as an audio book. Not only is the author a great speaker and story teller, she also manages to recreate the accents of others she mentions in the book that are spot on.
While I learned a lot about how hard the journey to become a pilot can be, the anti-woman bias that still exists in the military today, and what being a part of a rescue mission in a war zone is like, my personal take-aways were much, much bigger. I read this book at the right time for these messages to land.
First there was the authors determination. Doors slammed shut on her time and time again - bad injuries at important moments, superiors who felt women didn't belong flying or working in combat zones, and more. Her acceptance into flight training kept getting delayed, in fact by several years. But each time it happened, she shifted. She looked for a Plan B option to keep her moving forward towards her her goal, and she embraced the new direction with determination. At each new assignment she gave 100% every moment and strove to be the best of the best. Eyes on the prize.
Another strength was her determination to learn from mentors supporting her goals, and her ability to listen fully to their guidance. It impacted how she approached her work, how she dealt with set-backs and discrimination, and how her career played out (helicopters instead of jets). While there were hard moments when gender bias came into play, she speaks highly and with gratitude about the amazing, talented and genuine men and women who she teamed with or were mentored by.
A wonderful book. I highly recommend the audio book version.
Connect: Website
Comments
Post a Comment