Behind the Spoon

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.