Changing the Rules of Engagement

Inspiring Stories of Courage and Leadership from Women in the Military

By: Martha Laguardia-Kotite

Narrated by: Kristin Aikin Salada

Changing the Rules of Engagement documents the lives of American women in the military, who have shattered the glass ceiling and performed extraordinary feats while serving their country. By telling their stories about their remarkable careers in traditionally male-dominated environments, Martha LaGuardia-Kotite demonstrates how tenacious and courageous women can achieve the unimaginable.

Among the pioneering women profiled are Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody, the first female four star, Vivien Crea, who, as vice commandant of the Coast Guard held the highest position of any woman in the history of the US military, Tammy Duckworth, a Purple Heart recipient and triple amputee who was shot down in Iraq while piloting a helicopter, and Heather Wilson, an Air Force Academy graduate, Rhodes scholar, and the country's only female veteran in Congress.

Included are the inspirational stories of women Marines, one of the three female Space Shuttle commanders, and the first female members of the military service academies' gender-integrated classes, who recall the highs and lows of their trailblazing experiences.

These are only a few of the remarkable women who tell their own inspiring stories. Representative of a widely diverse group of enlisted women and officers from different races and cultures, they have succeeded since the mid-1970s at combating prejudices and aiding change in the military with intelligence, passion, and honor.

The book is published by University of Nebraska Press. The audiobook is published by University Press Audiobooks.

Praise for the book:

“Will surely serve to inspire future generations of young women to follow in their footsteps and achieve excellence in our nation’s armed forces.” (From the foreword by Rep. Jeff Miller (R-FL), chairman, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs)

“Martha LaGuardia-Kotite deserves our thanks for sharing the incredible stories of those who paved the way for all of us serving today.” (Capt. Melissa Bert, USCG)

©2012 Martha Laguardia-Kotite (P)2020 Redwood Audiobooks

How ordinary became extraordinary

The one theme I got was these brave women for the most part were ordinary that achieved extraordinary achievements because they did not give in! They didn’t want to be special just know that they could do the same things that men could and they eventually carried the doubt to prove they could. This book proved that if you focused and worked hard you to could achieve extraordinary things!

Engaging Stories

Really good to hear these amazing women tell their stories. The themes involve courage, independence, trust, opportunity, and selflessness. The book is well organized and I highly recommend it! Thank you, Martha for using your talents to highlight how times have changed for all who serve.

The Battles of Women in the Military

Changing the Rules of Engagement: As a father of four daughters and a former flight surgeon and LCMDER in the US Coast Guard, I found these 12 chapters extremely poignant in pointing out the courage and tenacity it took for these women soldiers to achieve success in all branches of the service. Success achieved in their military fields despite the negativity and yes, often abuse and sexual harassment that these driven women had to bear from male military counterparts. They were top ranked women in multiple fields including admirals, generals and also navy divers and aviators, and women who achieved amazing careers in project management and administrative positions. They were successful despite a continuous uphill battle against the negative force of their male counterparts. Not only did their desire lead to success in the military but also in business and teaching careers after the service. Two of the ties that were common in their journeys were the positive reinforcement from their military parents that they could do anything that they set their mind to do, and a male soldier teammate who supported them against the negative forces of many in their ranks. One of the excellent stories concerned a four-star general who became tops in her field. I would say that Martha La Guardia-Kotite is a five star author in writing the stories of these brave women’s lives.
W. Lee Fanning MD FACP, LCDER, Flight Surgeon, US Coast Guard , 1971-1973, Infectious Disease and Travel Medicine Consultant (Ret), Author.

A book every young person should read!

Changing the Rules of Engagement demonstrates clearly, how anyone can be successful, as long as they are willing to work hard. It is an insightful look into the lives of hard working, professionals. In particular, the leadership lessons discussed serve as an outstanding reminder of the effectiveness of leading by example, Delve into the life of Commander Maureen Pennington and see how her managerial leadership style, her willingness to try something different, learn and try again, resulted in one of the most successful medical surgical operations in the Marine Corp and established a benchmark for medical support in the Marine Corp . Follow Master Sergeant Bertha Thompson and her understanding of the importance of hands on leadership in the enlisted ranks, and how her role in Public Relations led to incredible documentation of stories from the US Army front lines of war., Men and women alike, of all ages, can gain essential insight into how to work together to reach greater potential of all those involved.

Some Remarkable Stories of Women In The Military

I found this book to be rather eye-opening. I have know there are lots of women in the military, but had not realized how diverse their roles have been. Pretty much everything from fighter pilot to astronaut. The narration is good but perhaps just a bit flat but I so much more prefer a solid read to someone trying to "dramatize" it. So she did a fine job. There are 5 or so chapters with an introduction and each chapter coincides with the story of a particular woman in the military. I believe my favorite was the first female Thunderbird pilot and the space station commander.

The stories would be great male or female, but hearing some of the biases and old boys clubs they had to break into or overcome was both tragic (that we still have to deal with this somewhat) and wonderful, to hear how they persevered mostly by working harder and being better than their male counterparts. The book is moderate in length and is an easy listen. I would definitely recommend this when you need a little pep talk or want some inspiration, Whether you are a male or a female, this is a good listen,

This audio book was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review.