Beginning of Essay
Somewhere in my heart I would like to believe that I am a strong and disciplined woman. Sometimes, that is true, more often, it is half-true and then there are the days when it is a lie. But people are dimensional and complex which often makes it fun to watch them ....

Middle of Essay
.... woman would ever succeed, the brass agrees to a test case and Lieutenant O'Neil is sent on her way. Unaware that she is the political pawn of a "feminist" Senator, Jordan O'Neill agrees to become the first woman to train with the elite fighting force. If Jordan succeeds, then she will strike a blow for the idea of women in combat, but no one expects or even really wants her to succeed. Jordan, appearing as masculine as possible, bravely endures humiliation, ridicule, sabotage, and physical torture to prove she can do it. O’Neil suffers each of these indignities, and even shaves her hair to escape its encumbrance. O'Neil finds herself fighting ....