our moderator for this session is kate germano, commission in august of 1996 and has served for over 19 years on active duty in the u.s. marine corps. a combat veteran, she has participated in numerous operational and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief deployment. throughout her career, she said challenging assignments including a year as the marine aid to the secretary of the navy. she was selected for command twice, most recently as the commanding officer of the marine corps only all female unit, the fourth recruit training battalion. she holds a bachelor degree from gaucher college, and to 2011 she graduated with distinction from the marine corps command and staff college earning her master's of military science degree. she's actively engaged in the struggle to end gender bias in the military and is a vocal proponent for equal rights and the elimination of double standards and lowered expectations for female conduct and performance. and i am really, really pleased to announce that kate germano has just joined the staff of swan as its chief operating officer, so let's welc

kate germano here is an active duty lieutenant colonel in the marine corps. by the way, we're very heavy on the navy but particularly the marine corps tonight. we have three marines, and dan is a former navy guy. kate is still in service, at least for a little bit longer. most recently as the commander of 4th recruit battalion in paris island which if you're not familiar is the only place where women are trained to be marines. and that was her last big command. she served also in a bunch of different roles over the years but most notably as a recruiter in various forms. so i think we can really yield some great answers about the thinking about how this integration thing happens not only from a standpoint of training women at paris island but also recruiting them because i think this is a factor. to her right is elliot ackerman, a former marine and infantry and specialty operations officer who's one of those cool guys who's become now a novelist. he is author of the critically acclaimed novel "green on blue" and then soon -- when does that come out? >> in janu

kate germano is an active duty lieutenant colonel in the marine corps. 're very heavy on the navy. kate is still in service, at least for a little longer. most recently as the skmander of fourth recruit battalion in paris island which if you're not familiar is the only place where women are trained to be marines. and that was her last big command she served in a bunch of different roles but most notably as a recruiter in various forms so i think we can really yield some great answers about the thinking about how this integration thing happens not only from a standpoint of training women at paris island but also recruiting them because i think this is a factor. to her right is elliot ackerman, a former marine and infantry officer, one of those cool guys who's become now a novelist. he's author of the critically acclaimed novel "green on blue" and soon -- when is that coming out? >> january. >> in january "dark at the crossing." here here but he's based in istanbul. he's covered the syrian civil war since the last few years his work, both fiction and essays