Honest. Powerful. Insightful. Incredible.

This book was given to me. I didn't think I wanted to read it. Perhaps watching my own brother’s spiritual disintegration take place over a period of twenty years after his “return” from The Vietnam War and his eventual suicide allowed me to convince myself I knew what was going on. I didn’t need any more of “these stories.” I had seen it play out firsthand.

But I was wrong. From the first page I was mesmerized, absolved of all else. Each story is totally engaging. I was gripped by the teller’s descriptions of actions but more by the weight of honesty in the telling. I expected repetition and found none. Certainly common themes emerge and episodes in the lives of soldiers are similar but each individual story is unique in the telling and takes the reader to a different truth and a new place of understanding.I really thought I wasn’t going to care about this book. And I couldn’t have been more wrong. It’s impact on me has and will be profound; the same will be so for many others.

Jeb Wyman has done a great service in bringing these stories from the once-locked hearts of these remarkable young men and women. Everyone who reads this book, both warriors and draft-dodgers like me, will come away with a better idea of what it means to go to war and how hard it is to come back.

Wyman's essay in the Afterward section of the book is as good as anything I've read on this subject or, for that matter, any other. 

This is such a hard book to get through. It's not that it's a difficult read and it's not written badly... it is a book that weighs very heavy on the heart.

I'm continually stopping to wipe the tears from my eyes, to bring myself back to reality and to take in my surroundings followed by a few deep breaths. I was not one of these men or women who fought for our country but I was a sibling of one. I received emails from my brother, you know the generic kind, how the weather was, what new city he was in, and how he was now a Platoon Sargent with more responsibility. Not once did he ever tell me about the close calls, the bloodshed, and the heartache. Thank god for that. It took me forever to watch a military movie, it was years after he had gotten out of the army.

Reading his story in this book made me cry multiple times. I cried for his struggles, I cried for his strength, I cried for my selfishness over the happiness that my brother made it home... I cried for those who were unable to. No one really knows what goes on over there except for the soldiers themselves. I think of those men and women who are fighting for our country, keeping the details of their deployment down to a minimum for the sake of their loved one's sanity but in return, they lose theirs.

I thank every single one of these soldiers for sharing their stories. If you want to get into the mind of a soldier, read this book. 

Excellent if difficult read. This book should be mandatory reading for every politicians and staffer as well as in every class concerning politics and international relations. There is a cost in waging war much of that cost is uncalculated until years later. Human costs are real costs.

What They Signed Up For, gets at the crux of the matter- ordinary soldiers doing extraordinary things- and living to tell about it. As a community college professor, I see veterans in my classes every academic quarter. This book helped me to understand their experiences and needs in the classroom. It is an excellent book for higher education faculty and staff, academic advisors, and family members who may not have an inkling of what it's like to serve.

Jeb Wyman writes with authority. More to the point, he steps aside and lets the soldier veterans tell their stories in their own voices. This gives the book great credibility and authenticity. In this intense age of so-called fake news, I take great comfort in knowing I am reading something so honest, with no other goal but to simply have its subjects be understood.

This book ripped a hole in my soul. I couldn't put it down. So far, I've bought ten copies to give to friends. And I'll buy another ten copies to support this crusade to help our veterans.