When thousands of naval aviators and flight officers gathered in Las Vegas in September 1991 to celebrate their victory in the First Gulf War, none could have imagined that their behavior during Tailhook ’91 would have such devastating consequences for the Navy. Just weeks after the annual reunion’s conclusion, rumors of a raucous late night gauntlet made up of junior officer jet jockeys began to surface. It wasn’t until a female Navy lieutenant complained in writing to her

Veteran journalist and author of The Commandos Douglas Waller chronicles his rare and intimate experience with the training program for Navy pilots in this “engrossing saga that will likely become an unofficial recruiting tool for naval aviation” (Publishers Weekly). Waller, who was granted permission to participate in the pilots’ grueling training regime, has written an absorbing behind-the-scenes account of the physical and psychological trials endured by the most specialized group of pilots in military history. From his bird’s-eye view in the passenger’s seat, Waller follows pilot trainees through two years of intense preparation. He offers vivid illustrations from the fray: hair-raising aerial dogfights; stomach-swallowing dive-bombing runs; high-speed tactical maneuvers grazing the desert floor; and numerous nerve-twisting aircraft carrier takeoffs and landings. In addition to his own experiences and those of the group of trainees he joins, his research is based on interviews with hundreds of other students and their instructors. Hurtling through the air at death-defying speeds, these pilots-in-training struggle to maintain their composure while withstanding conditions that are designed to challenge them to the very limits of human endurance. Waller’s deftly drawn portraits of the men and women he encounters in this singular culture of elite pilots are as satisfying as his adventure narrative. The pilots, whose grit, determination, and mental agility operate on an elevated threshold, come into sharp focus behind Waller’s keen lens: their aspirations, awe inspiring. Air Warriors combines an examination of the modern Navy, recovering from past sex scandals, with a portrayal of a privileged cadre of men and women whose ambition and commitment coexist within a tightly knit group. Waller is able to capture images of these pilots training, living, and fighting with an acuity and intelligence that are often absent from Hollywood and television treatments of this diverse and fascinating subculture. Air Warriors takes us inside the cockpit and behind closed doors for the real story of the making of a Navy pilot.

In September 1991, over 4,000 U.S. Navy and Marine Corps aviation officers met in Las Vegas for the 35th Annual Tailhook Symposium, a long-standing professional convention of naval aviators. Over the weekend, the parties and drunken behavior raged out of control and resulted in widespread damage to the hotel, 90 identified victims of indecent assault, 140 officers referred for possible court-martial or disciplinary action, and the demotion, transfer, or resignation of several top Navy officials. For the first time, this, the official report of the wildest ranging scandal in the history of the U.S. Navy, details in-depth the abuses that occurred. This report finally reveals the truth behind the rumors, the headlines, and the scandal.

A definitive work of feminist scholarship and military history, this sweeping narrative about women with the "right stuff" chronicles the scandal that rocked the Navy and changed the fate of women in combat as it tells the bigger, untold story of women at war. 8 pages of photos.

A complete history of essential to anyone interested in Navy history.

The Mother of All Hooks is a richly detailed description of the United States government's attempts to punish naval officers for sexual misconduct committed at the 1991 Tailhook Association convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. Journalist William H. McMichael describes the institutionalized mind-set that led to that misconduct and, in the face of an oppressive, politically charged investigation, to a large-scale failure to cooperate with government agents. This failure led to further investigative and prosecutorial excesses that ultimately doomed the effort to bring the guilty to justice; many of the guiltiest, hi fact, were given immunity to testify, and escaped severe punishment. At the same time, McMichael makes clear that Tailhook misconduct had been largely condoned for decades, but that senior officials failed to take responsibility for allowing such an atmosphere to flourish. This powerful expose is a shocking, eye-opening read for psychologists, criminologists, criminal justice professionals, and members of the U.S. military. The Tailhook Association convention had become infamous in naval circles for heavy drinking, hard partying, and sexual promiscuity. The most notable such ac-tivity was the "gauntlet"—a hallway lined by men through which selected women were forced to pass, only to be fondled. McMichael provides a rich narrative ac-count of how the United States Navy and the Pentagon mishandled investigation of events at the 1991 convention and subsequent hearings. In addition to exposing that approach's dramatic shortcomings, McMichael also provides insight into the Navy's history of open sexuality by its members while overseas, the fighter pilot psyche, and the larger issue of whether the Navy should be permitted to investigate its own transgressions. While more than thirty admirals eventually received what amounted to a hand slap, more than twenty junior officers received career-killing punitive letters of reprimand in closed-door administrative hearings. The Mother of All Hooks provides absorbing new details for all who think they "know" what hap-pened because of Tailhook—and why.

A former Navy pilot takes readers on a thrilling ride in the FA-18 Hornet, weaving superb technological details of the plane with portraits of the day-to-day lives of very real people aspiring to fulfill a dream. photos.