IRAQ AND BACK

In April 2003, soon after Operation Iraqi Freedom had been declared a success, President Bush sent retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Jay Garner to Iraq to rebuild the country. As Garner's executive officer, Olson was part of the senior leadership circle charged with reconstructing Iraq's infrastructure, providing humanitarian assistance, and laying the foundation for a democratic process. But not long after their arrival in the rubble and ruin of Iraq, the political, military, and economic wheels ground to a halt and their task became a mission improbable. This gripping, firsthand account of what went wrong is seen from Olson's unique point of view as a senior female military officer, pilot, wife, and mother.

Published in cooperation with the Association of the United States Army.

Col. Kim Olson, USAF (Ret.) is Executive Director of Grace After Fire, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing equitable care to women veterans, and lives in Weatherford, TX.

"This is a story of a life on the edge, at the transition of emerging opportunities for women in the military. And Olson did it all: flying and command assignments, staff and field assignments. Competent, assertive, caring, and loyal, nothing could have prepared her for her final assignment: securing the 'peace' in Iraq. A breathtaking, unforgettable account." — Sheila Widnall, former Secretary of the Air Force, 1993-97

"Col. Olson is a modern day Joan of Arc, born to inspire, to lead and to command. A top flight jet pilot in the Air Force, she entered Baghdad with Gen. Jay Garner to begin the overwhelming job of rebuilding Iraq. Her story will inspire all who open it and can't put it down." —William Sessions, former Director of the FBI and U.S. District Judge