All military roles open to women

[the ringo kid]

There's an old Southern axiom that goes...

"Just because you could doesn't mean you should"

Women in the military are just a smart (if not smarter) than their male counterparts. Female fighter & gun ship pilots have already proven this.

But "boots on the ground"?

Besides the strength and stamina issues, the glaring obvious can't be ignored, their "sex".

If they are captured by the enemy...God help em!

Anyone remember Jessica Lynch? If she were captured now? those isis scumbags would beat her, rape her and kill her in the most heinous ways. Though I'm not qualified to actually judge not being a vet, but can have opinions. What may hurt the equasion, is basic male instincts kicking in..like, going out of their way to protect a female in combat instead of concentrating on their task. Simply the male protecting the female kind of thing. Also, as I'd hate to see any of our folks get killed, I don't like the idea that many would be the fairer sex. I'm sure most could do the job, but don't want to see them in harms way.

Sorry now, I'll shaddup.

 

[federali]

Crossing The Line

I guess I've watched too many WWII documentaries and I'm wondering just how a fully integrated combat unit could function. Just the simple act of relieving oneself in the field can present problems in a coed setting. Must a fighting unit lug around portable relief stations primarily for women or will women in the front lines just have to grin and bear it like everyone else?

If I "water" the nearest tree, can the women in my trench file charges of indecent exposure? If she's wounded, may I cut her clothes off to treat her wound without being accused of some alleged sexual assault?

Oh yes, just wait until a few of them become POWs. I'll bet they won't like that one bit.

I'm all for equal rights and women have indeed distinguished themselves in the military but I feel that we have now crossed a line to everyone's detriment.

 

[STCM(SW)]

I belive this was tried in the USSR and Israel.
Didn't work out well for them it seems.
They both dropped this idea quietly.

 

[BRush]

Good points pro and con - thats a good debate. Their is no debating that very few woman can physically handle the equipment weight required of combat unit soldiers. I don't think many will be assigned to these units while still manning crucial back of the line positions while technically being designated as combat soldiers.

I think the reason actually underlying this decision is money. That is, allowing otherwise qualified women to receive combat level pay. Something now they are rarely entitled.

 

[sigp220.45]

If they can do the job, more power to 'em.

And anyone who thinks male prisoners of war aren't subject to rape has been watching too many black and white movies.

 

[soFlaNative]

I recall hearing of the Navy willing to staff some of their subs with women. More compact, able to perform the duties and better equipped to endure long periods cooped up with members of their own sex. No idea if true or not and if the Navy even considered the plan I'm sure it was scrapped along with the last of the diesel / electric boats.

 

[chud333]

My friend and i were discussing this topic yesterday and he
brought up the nightmare scenario that is going to happen
somewhere. Women "WILL" be sexually abused if thrown
in with men in close quarter combat situations. Bank on it.
Not saying it's right or i condone it in any way but it will occur.
Also, how will the Country react the first time a woman
is captured, killed, then dragged thru the streets perhaps un-clothed.
It struck a very deep chord here when men were tortured and
paraded in a war zone. Imagine what happens with a female
is done this way.
I am NOT for this at all. PC doesn't belong on the Battlefield.


Chuck

 

[Arik]

I belive this was tried in the USSR and Israel.
Didn't work out well for them it seems.
They both dropped this idea quietly.

Actually worked out pretty well. Israel still uses women in combat as front line infantry soldiers. And it worked in the USSR. Over 2000 women snipers, women air combat unit "Black witches". Women tank commanders. One even saved a US soldier who then fought with them to Berlin. She was an infantry soldier who was promoted to tank battalion and become a commander. Famous for taking on, and killing 3 Tiger tanks.

 

[joeintexas]

Back when I was in my battle cry was "women and children first ". Didn't work then, probably won't work any better now .

 

[Bkreutz]

I'm for testing all soldiers for "mission capabilities". As has been said before, there are many male soldiers who can't complete their mission because of physical deficiencies. They still get plugged into combat slots because that's who is available. I have my doubts that most women could meet the requirements, but if they could, I'd have no problem with it. (but I don't think that there are many that could) Many moons ago when I wore a uniform, I used to get very tired of the statements by females that had the same rank as I saying "equal pay for equal jobs" and my answer was, "when the time comes that you don't get evacuated when the first shots are fired, then it will be an equal job" It wasn't PC, but I really didn't care.

 

[vonn]

Been thinking on this as I read the posts in this thread and I just see way to many problems with mixed sexes in a line company in actual combat. A lot of what our present leaders have seen has not been extended combat where you wear the same clothes for a month or more and re supply consists of rations,water,and ammo. Looks like this might be a bad mistake waiting for a place to happen.

 

[Backlighting]

The 21 yr. old female assistant at my dentist's office is in the Army reserves. During the discussions I found out she's a sergeant (E-5) with additional training as a tank driver and more training as a munitions maker. Oh, she also completed paratrooper school...and that's no easy gig. Amazing. Just 21! and all this accomplished.
She showed my some pics inside the tank, with her at the controls.
I'd be happy to serve along side her anywhere/ anytime...but I decline, as I did back when I served, to jump. lol

 

[STCM(SW)]

Actually worked out pretty well. Israel still uses women in combat as front line infantry soldiers. And it worked in the USSR. Over 2000 women snipers, women air combat unit "Black witches". Women tank commanders. One even saved a US soldier who then fought with them to Berlin. She was an infantry soldier who was promoted to tank battalion and become a commander. Famous for taking on, and killing 3 Tiger tanks.

They used women only because they had so many casualties of men in WW II in the USSR.

 

[jarhead1178]

In combat while attacking a target infantrymen are taught not to stop and render aid even if their best friend is hit. You keep up the attack and let the medics care for the wounded. I think it would be hard for a man to bypass a wounded female. Time will tell.

 

[ChuckS1]

The 21 yr. old female assistant at my dentist's office is in the Army reserves. During the discussions I found out she's a sergeant (E-5) with additional training as a tank driver and more training as a munitions maker. Oh, she also completed paratrooper school...and that's no easy gig. Amazing. Just 21! and all this accomplished.
She showed my some pics inside the tank, with her at the controls.
I'd be happy to serve along side her anywhere/ anytime...but I decline, as I did back when I served, to jump. lol

Over 20 years as an Ordnance officer and I've never heard of a "munitions maker" MOS.

 

[ChuckS1]

In combat while attacking a target infantrymen are taught not to stop and render aid even if their best friend is hit. You keep up the attack and let the medics care for the wounded. I think it would be hard for a man to bypass a wounded female. Time will tell.

My forward support battalion had a medical company that included a tracked ambulance platoon, which were M113A1s, whose job was to evacuate wounded from the infantry battalion aid stations back to my treatment site for stabilization and evac to Corps hospitals. That platoon was mostly staffed with female medics, since the male medics were assigned to the infantry and armor battalions. It wasn't the medical tasks they had problems with, but the physical demands of preventive and corrective maintenance on their tracks, especially in the field. We'll see how this works out, but I doubt you'll see too many female tankers or cannoneers.

 

[Ozark Marine]

I wasn't in the Army, but a female, 21, E-5, tank crewman, munitions maker? and paratrooper seems a little over the top. And also a dental tech. Hell, she is the Army all by herself. When did she enlist? At 14?

 

[Backlighting]

Over 20 years as an Ordnance officer and I've never heard of a "munitions maker" MOS.

That's my term...her actual words were she is learning to make bombs. Munitions, bombs mean the same to me.

 

[Backlighting]

I wasn't in the Army, but a female, 21, E-5, tank crewman, munitions maker? and paratrooper seems a little over the top. And also a dental tech. Hell, she is the Army all by herself. When did she enlist? At 14?

She went in at 18. That's 3 yrs ago.
I know she's being deployed to Kuwait in January.
Next time I see her I'll ask what kind of bombs she was trained to make.

 

[Ozark Marine]

I was in 4 years, 0311, and didn't have time to go to munition's school, tank school, jump school, and training as a dental tech. Has the Army cut training for all those MOS's to 3 months each? Now going into a combat zone. Took me over 18 months as a grunt to get in country. And grunts don't parachute, operate tanks, build munitions and clean teeth. I think she is Wonder Woman.