/

Kayla Williams is a former U.S. Army soldier who served in the Middle East as an Arabic interpreter. She recounts her decision to enlist and her experiences during the Iraq war in a new memoir, Love My Rifle More Than You: Young and Female in the U.S. Army. Williams was a sergeant in a military intelligence company of the 101st Airborne Division.

(Original airdate: Aug. 25, 2005)

Permission to republish this excerpt has expired. It is no longer available online.

Copyright 2023 Fresh Air. To see more, visit Fresh Air.