Lindy Heinecken was formerly a researcher and Deputy Director of the Centre for Military Studies (CEMIS) at the South African Military Academy. She now serves as Professor of Sociology at Stellenbosch University where she lectures in political and industrial sociology. The main focus of her research is in the domain of armed forces and society where she has published widely on a range of issues including gender integration, civil-military relations, military unionism, HIV/AIDS and security and more recently on the impact of private security on the military profession. She holds a MSocSc from the University of Cape Town and a Doctorate from the Department of War Studies, Kings College, University of London. She serves on the Council of the Inter-University Seminar on Armed Forces and Society (USA) and the International Sociological Association's (ISA) Armed Forces and Conflict Resolution working group and is Vice-President of the South African Sociological Association.