Getting the Message Through, the companion volume to Rebecca Robbins Raines' Signal Corps, traces the evolution of the corps from the appointment of the first signal officer on the eve of the Civil War, through its stages of growth and change, to its service in Operation DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM. Raines highlights not only the increasingly specialized nature of warfare and the rise of sophisticated communications technology, but also such diverse missions as weather reporting and military aviation. Information dominance in the form of superior communications is considered to be sine qua non to modern warfare. As Raines ably shows, the Signal Corps--once considered by some Army officers to be of little or no military value--and the communications it provides have become integral to all aspects of military operations on modern digitized battlefields. The volume is an invaluable reference source for anyone interested in the institutional history of the branch.

A supplemental textbook for middle and high school students, Hoosiers and the American Story provides intimate views of individuals and places in Indiana set within themes from American history. During the frontier days when Americans battled with and exiled native peoples from the East, Indiana was on the leading edge of America’s westward expansion. As waves of immigrants swept across the Appalachians and eastern waterways, Indiana became established as both a crossroads and as a vital part of Middle America. Indiana’s stories illuminate the history of American agriculture, wars, industrialization, ethnic conflicts, technological improvements, political battles, transportation networks, economic shifts, social welfare initiatives, and more. In so doing, they elucidate large national issues so that students can relate personally to the ideas and events that comprise American history. At the same time, the stories shed light on what it means to be a Hoosier, today and in the past.

Foreword: The Center Of Military History first published Secretaries of War and Secretaries of the Army: Portraits & biographical sketches in 1981 during the bicentennial of the American Revolution and the US Constitution. The book reflected two major themes of the Army's commemoration: the role of the soldier-statesmen of the revolution in the creation of our government and the constitutional principle of civilian control of the military. This updated printing continues to recognize those twin legacies. The first Secretaries of War were prominent members of the soldier-statesmen generation, and they and their successors have embodied the Founding Fathers' intent to ensure civilian leadership in military affairs. Secretaries of War and Secretaries of the Army is relevant to students and scholars in such diverse fields as military history, political science, American studies, and art and portraiture. We trust that this new edition will continue to be useful as background for the nomination of Army secretaries, as a handbook for the congressional armed services committees, and as a reference book throughout the Army. It has been a valuable source of information for libraries, and we hope that its distinctive perspective on the history of the Army will interest a new generation of the American public as well.