Following the January 1968 Tet offensive in Vietnam, the war took a decided turn for the worse for the United States.  Five years later, the US signed a document viewed by many as indicating political defeat and staining its aura of invincibility. As of yet, the Nation has not reclaimed its prior image.

This set in motion a rebuilding of the US Army, by weaning itself off counterinsurgency and returning to what it had always done best—conventional war. The draft was eliminated, and many Vietnam veterans were cashiered from the service. A new emphasis was placed on technology; a close relationship was forged with the Israeli Army and the US Army worked to confront the growing Soviet menace facing NATO. In addition, the arrival of women into the ground forces was a cornerstone development in the new US Army: as helicopter and fixed wing pilots, flight surgeons, crew chiefs, mechanics, footsloggers and—eventually—combat roles.  

This course material is sourced from the annals of Army Aviation magazine, Army Command and General Staff College, Army War College, Center of Military History, Washington, D.C.  

• Week 1: Less is More
• Week 2: The Israeli Model
• Week 3: First Crop of Women Army Pilots
• Week 4: Second Crop:  Women in Army Aviation
• Week 5: Picking up the Pieces
• Week 6 Women in Combat
• Week 7: The Helicopter and Conventional War
• Week 8: Trends in Airpower