Behind the Spoon: Army Basic Training

A "Mid-life" decision led Sheila J. McDonough to enlist in the United States Army at the age of twenty-eight. Motivated by the idea of serving her country as well as the hope of escaping from her rising debts, she decided to avail herself of the tantalizing career opportunities promised by the military. Behind the Spoon: Army Basic Training tells of the trials and tribulations of basic training as experienced by a female soldier. The fact that she was already a college graduate (who had taken ROTC) with two children to support, and was probably being emotionally manipulated by a clever recruiter, did not deter Ms. McDonough. She swallowed the bait, swore the Army oath, and found herself sleep-deprived, yelled at, chastised, and degraded. This was, she learned, the Army way of indoctrination. Interspersed with occasional humorous anecdotes, Behind the Spoon is a fascinating account of one's soldier's life. Sheila J. McDonough, M. Ed. shares some of the difficulties she experienced as a single mother who enlisted in the Army.

Sheila J McDonough was born the fourth of five children in an Irish-American Catholic family. The mother of two, she attended the University of New Hampshire and earned an Associate's degree in journalism and a Bachelor's degree in communications. After a six-year stint with the United States Army, of which three years were spent in active duty, the author went back to school, earning her Master's in adult education from the University of Alaska, Anchorage. She has worked as a case manager, peer counselor, and youth worker. With her work, Ms. McDonough hopes to reach as many students as possible. She continues to work on her notes, and plans to publish a sequel: Behind the Spoon: U.S. Army, Alaska.