In this book the author covers the training of a military pilot well. Though interspersed with anecdotes that tend to do more proving up of her claim of discriminatory behavior by the male personnel about her during these times, than they do add color or depth to the story of her short career.

Sadly we are expected to believe that the author is blameless and innocent of any responsibility in this embarrassing and high profile, public relations disaster. Though she admits a great deal of drinking and less than responsible behavior throughout her schooling and career, the reader is expected to buy the idea she was clueless about relationships and powerless over her own life. That is unlikely for someone with the abilities and skills she demonstrated to become a bomber pilot.

Ms. Flinn was entrusted with nuclear weapons and the lives of crew members onboard her aircraft. She was entrusted with the welfare and security of the American people. I doubt seriously she was the child-like waif she depicts herself as throughout the book. If so, she should never have taken the control yoke and throttles of a B-52, because she admits she knew all this about herself from the beginning.

Blame falls on religion, sexism, American Culture, military culture, society at large and small town America. It is cast upon the administration, the media, conspirators unknown and begins to sound like Mrs. Clinton's defense of her husband that fateful day on the Today Show.

This is after all the author's side of the story and I was not expecting it to be objective but I was expecting it to be more professional and less histrionic. It becomes a platform for advance a foundation the author was championing at the time of the scandal and finally ends with a whimper. Not a bad book, in reality, there are some very good points made and it is worth reading. I do think a much better job could have been done.

Adultery only courts-martial cases are extremely rare in the US military. Yet in the case of Kelly Flinn as the news media often does, it created a self perpetuating feeding frenzy based upon only partial truths. The media's presentation of an adultery only courts-martial was for their own profit. One sure way to go to court-martial for ONLY the charge of adultery would be to be seen having sex on the commanding officer's front lawn during his 4th of July Parade. The reason Ms Flinn went to court-martial was because she disobeyed direct and most importantly, LAWFUL orders! If she was so in love with Mark all she had to do was wait until he was divorced, present proof to her commander, and he would have rescinded his orders. The reason Kelly Flinn went to court-martial was because she disobeyed lawful orders. Is she really the victim the news media made her to be? Curious about how military officers feel about this case? Ask the former Air Force Chief of Staff, now retired General Fogleman about this case. I believe if it had been his decision rather than a civilian politician's, Ms Flinn would have gone to court-martial. If she had, I guarantee you her peers would have sent her to jail and she knows it. Why do you think she went to the news media? The military panel would have convicted her NOT FOR ADULTERY, but because she was a military officer expected to execute lawful orders. And perhaps more significant, as a future aircraft commander she would have had responsibility for NUCLEAR WEAPONS for God's sake! The citizens of the United States cannot accept a standard that allows selective employment of lawful military orders whether male or female. There are simply to many lives at stake. And if all that wasn't embarrassing enough, Ms Flinn went to the United States Air Force Academy where for four years she was taught two standards by which military officers are expected to live, "I will not lie, cheat, or steal, nor tolerate those among us who do" and there is "No Excuse!" In simple words, live by a higher standard and take responsibility for your actions. Although not ideal, the adultery would have been overlooked IF it had ended simply with adultery. "To Be Proud" is a story about Kelly Flinn, the Air Force, and how the news media used her to make money. For a military officer, there is really no controversy. The military is a profession that requires integrity, honor, and respect among it's officers. How successful would the Gulf War would have been if the officers of the US military individually and selectively followed lawful orders? Desire to read about some military hero's? There are many and among my favorites are: "Beyond Survival" by Comdr. Gerald Coffee, "We Were Soldiers Once...and Young" by Lt. Gen. Harold Moore, "My American Journey" by Gen. Colin Powell, and "It Doesn't Take a Hero" by Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf.

After reading this fine book, I realized that if our military was filled with only people of Lt. Kelly Flinn's talent and character (and great looks!), then we'd be in very good hands, with our national safety assured. Of course, the military still views itself as a "boy's club"--which is a shame because such a collectivist mentality diminishes national defense because patriotic American-women like Lt. Flinn have to needlessly suffer unpatriotic attacks by juvenile-minded hypocrites simply because she's female. This pioneering bombardier was obviously setup by uniformed "frat-boys" who weren't about to cut her any slack like they'd normally do for their male-buddies. Read this book while asking yourself if Lt. Flinn would've been treated that shabbily if she were a man (and don't forget to quietly thank her for serving our country).