Reconciliation as [Lofty] Aim: A Genre Analysis of Iraq War-Era Women Veterans' Memoirs

Abstract

Using the framework of rhetorical genre studies, this paper presents findings from an analysis of fifteen memoirs written by Iraq War-era women veterans. This work seeks to elucidate how the genre of "the war memoir" both permits and constrains women veterans' abilities to reconcile their identities post-military service. Studying the memoirs of Iraq War-era women veterans' of various races and sexualities, who served in a variety of Military Occupational Specialties (MOSs) and branches, reveals the heavy-handed influence of sex and gender on women's identities and their sense of agency within and beyond the U.S. military.