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xvi Introduction Overview Conscription and Volunteers Training Social Structure Daily Life Religion Popu­lar Culture Pay and Compensation Weaponry Combat Elite Troops Health and Medicine Prisoners of War Home Front Veterans’ Issues Military Discipline Unique Aspects of Soldiering in the War Readers ­will discover that love of country, peer pressure, thirst for adventure, and economic concerns have always led Americans to enlist in the military. Also, citi- zens have served as militiamen, volunteers, and conscripts in vari­ ous conflicts. The rivalry between militia, volunteers, and regulars characterized many war efforts. Training has improved over time, especially in the last few de­ cades. The makeup, or social structure, of American armies has evolved in complicated ways African Americans strug­gled in the eigh­teenth and nineteenth centuries to argue for greater freedoms based on their honorable ser­vice in the armed forces. ­ Women served as nurses, disguised themselves as men in ­ earlier wars, and proceeded to make the case for a greater role in combat operations. The food, shelter, and uniforms of sol- diers have changed a lot over the de­ cades. Old wars ­ were characterized by subpar food, shelter, and uniforms. Soldiers have always complained about the quality or variety of food provided during their ser­vice. On the other hand, ­ later wars have demonstrated the ­great wealth of the United States, as allies and enemies have envied the endless flow of supplies to support American GIs. Americans continue to find and lose religion during war­ time, and chaplains have done their best to counsel ­ those who must kill ­ others to survive. Soldiers have craved the ­music, reading, and other entertainments popu­lar on the home front while, at the same time, taking part in wars that influenced the country’s popu­ lar culture for years to come. Pay and compensation have become more reliable and steadily increased over time, with veterans’ benefits becoming a significant part of Amer­ i­ ca’s yearly bud­ get. Regardless of the weapons employed on the battlefield, thou- sands of American grunts have lost their lives to ­battle, to disease, and to failed medical care—­ all common themes in ­ earlier wars. Chronic sickness, disfigurement, handicaps, amputations, and ­ mental illness have regularly plagued the postwar lives