During the First Chechen War, middle-aged Russian women marched to the front lines of war-torn Chechnya, demanded entrance into prisons, and scoured the countryside, searching for missing soldiers-their sons. A l l over Russia, mothers snuck onto military bases and literally dragged their sons from military service. As one woman told the New York Times, "I just leaped over the fence into the military compound and grabbed (my son)."1 These images, some of the most riveting to emerge during the conflict in Chechnya, had a profound impact on raising awareness and turning public opinion against the war. In part because they were so striking, the images brought the women and the organization sponsoring their protest, the Committee of Soldiers' Mothers (CSM), instant notoriety. CSM's fame in turn allowed the organization to play an active role in policymaking concerning military service. It helped the organization promote a new set of policy options, including the abolition of the draft and the establishment of alternative service, within mainstream political discussion.