This volume investigates the complex intersection of military conflict and societal impact during the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Edited by Steven Carlton-Ford and Morten G. Ender, the text compiles empirical social and behavioral science research produced while these conflicts were actively unfolding. By prioritizing contemporary analysis over retrospective summary, the contributors provide a framework for understanding how these wars influence both the combat zones and the domestic populations of the involved nations.

Experts identify this handbook as a significant contribution to military sociology due to its focus on real-time data collection during active combat operations. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which serves as a foundational resource for scholars examining the sociological dimensions of the post-9/11 era.