Women in combat - Is it worth the effort?

[2ADMNLOVER]

Absolutely horrible idea , don't see anything good coming from it .

Politicians need to stop forcing their liberal social experiments on the troops .

 

[-Rogue-]

I have been on foreign soil in combat with women. I have seen a young man hunker down and cry when a young woman was brave enough to fire her weapon on the enemy.

If a young woman can perform on the combat Field as well as any man, then I welcome her.

Agreed. Its all about the character under fire of the person involved and their physical fitness.

I had a few Women Marines subordinate to me who I would take into combat any day along with a handful of men I would rather have left at home.

I have nothing against women in combat so long as they can "carry their weight" and pass the same physical fitness requirements as men.

 

[Tdcompton]

Lastly:
An all female company would not have those problems, but how will an all female company fare against an all male enemy on the battlefield? And what happens when they're captured by the enemy? What happens in the news if their platoon are all slaughtered and pictures get out? What if their bodies are mutilated and hung from a bridge? What happens when we have hundreds of women coming home missing arms and legs?

The women stepping up to take those positions (I myself will always regret not enlisting when I left high school) are aware of these risks and are willing to do the job anyway....

When I worked as a Correctional Officer at a men's state prison I ran a unit of 225 adult male offenders. without any assistance from a second Officer... I knew that if/when they decided to riot I could have been taken hostage and I knew without a doubt the physical horrors I would have to endure if that happened.. I once told a rookie female Officer that "you'll hope they screw up and kill you before the raping begins" and I knew that to be true.

Did I let that run my life and keep me from doing my job? No. You show up, you do your job, and you are thankful for every night that you go home safe.

 

[surferfox72]

equality people... if they prove themselves...then so be it. Js

 

[netsecurity]

equality people... if they prove themselves...then so be it. Js

To all of you who say absolutely yes, women should be treated equal...I say again, do you want women to be part of the draft?

 

[hillbilly undertaker]

people are people. Having served with females while stationed in korea, i ran into both types , those who tried to use their sex to get you to do things for them and others who handled their own. Those who can handle it should be allowed to have the chance. Like in G.I Jane if she wants to get into the ish let her.

 

[Danicus]

If women want to go off and serve for their country, then we should they be denied the option? we are a nation built by the people, and for the people; not by men and for everybody else.

 

[Signal23]

If they can pass the test, send them.

Can you imagin a Women, Infedel kick some Taliban Azz, those guys won't know how to act.

 

[RobertaX]

I'd still kind of like to send the politicians in FIRST, then the men and women. --But it's a volunteer force; if women want to be in combat and can pass the *same* tests as men, send 'em in. The .mil is short on personnel anyway.

But I don't think it's practical to have different physical standards for men and women who will serve in combat -- the tasks they have to do are the same.

 

[the1kidd03]

I'd still kind of like to send the politicians in FIRST, then the men and women. --But it's a volunteer force; if women want to be in combat and can pass the *same* tests as men, send 'em in. The .mil is short on personnel anyway.

But I don't think it's practical to have different physical standards for men and women who will serve in combat -- the tasks they have to do are the same.

They are FAR from short on personnel. Since midway through 09 they have been increasingly reducing forces and raising entrance standards.

There's no such thing as "short on personnel" in the military. If they have more numbers to fill, they simply lower entrance standards at recruiting stations.

 

[Pinchaser]

No, it is not. It is idiotic.

 

[armedindy]

definitely worth it...especially if they get to wear leggings.

http://i.imgur.com/B6abkJd.gif

 

[mk2ja]

Following my own advice.

I think I'd prefer hear from the men who have been in the places politicians want to put women rather than from the politicians who want to put them there.

For all the studies, all the research, all the speculation, nobody has any authority to talk about what it will be like in those situations to have women there other than the men who have been in those situations.

Politicians, civilians, and POGs (like me), would be best served to let the grunts tell us what works for them and what doesn't.

I present this article from a female Marine who deployed to Iraq.

Some advice on women in combat from a female veteran « Hot Air

 

[mk2ja]

Good to see the Commandant is taking the right approach to this.

Some Marine combat jobs may remain closed to women

The Commandant of the Marine Corps said some occupations may ultimately remain closed if only a small number [of females are able to] qualify.

The Marines will not lower physical standards for certain specialties, Gen. James Amos told USA TODAY. "We can't afford to lower standards," he said. "We can't make adjustments on what's required on the battlefield.

And he mentions IOC, which I brought up earlier here.

 

[looney2ns]

First thought:
There was a shocking report recently about how many (non-combatant) females have being raped in the military. So it makes me wonder, now that they have approved women on the front lines, what will happen to those numbers?

Secondly:
I cannot help but think this will cause big distractions. How do you keep dozens of young men far from home, under the most stressful situations in their lives--who are peeing in a ditch--focused on their jobs, when there are women sleeping near them? It seems like a perfect storm for sex, pregnancy, fighting over the girl, depression from being dumped by the girl, jealousy, showing off, overprotective behavior focused on the female, and just too much drama overall.

These two are the biggies. The Navy has had females on ships for years. From a couple of family members I hear it was the absolute worst thing they ever did because of 1 & 2 above.

 

[ben992]

Quote from John Piper:
"If I were the last man on the planet to think so, I would want the honor of saying no woman should go before me into combat to defend my country. A man who endorses women in combat is not pro-woman; he’s a wimp. He should be ashamed. For most of history, in most cultures, he would have been utterly scorned as a coward to promote such an idea. Part of the meaning of manhood as God created us is the sense of responsibility for the safety and welfare of our women."

Having women fight our wars further shows the degradation of our culture, and it is anti-woman.

 

[MoparMan]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, Verdana]I'll reserve my opinion till I ETS in a few years but here's some reading material.

[FONT=Times New Roman,Times,serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times,serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times,serif]I am the Infantry[/FONT]

I am my country's strength in war,

her deterrant in peace.

I am the heart of the fight

whereever, whenever.

I carry America's faith and honor

against her enemies.

I am the Queen of Battle.

I am what my country expects me to be,

the best trained soldier in the world

in the race for victory.

I am swift, determined, and courageous,

armed with a fierce will to win.

Never will I fail my country's trust.

Always will I fight on

through the foe, to the objective, to triumph over all.

If neccessary I will fight to my death.

By my steadfast courage I have won 200 years of freedom.

I yeild not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superiour odds.

For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight.

I forsake not my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty.

I am relentless

I am always there, now and forever

I am the Infantry

Follow me!​

[/FONT]

 

[1775usmarine]

As long as they don't lower the training standards like they do with physical fitness tests. They should have to do the same things and be able to carry as much as we do. Though I have served with some women in combat do to motor t being a "non" combat mos, and my experiences where mixed.

 

[mk2ja]

Article I read recently:

WOMEN IN FOXHOLES, By Maj. Gen. Patrick Brady, U.S. Army (ret.)

Here are a few excerpts, but I encourage you to read the general's article to fully understand his authority to comment on the issue.

The women had less disciplinary problems than the men. In administrative jobs, they were at least equal to men. But most could not carry their load physically – loading litters in choppers, carrying wounded to safety, even lifting tool chests. As a result the men covered for them, often causing us to use two people when one should have done the job – all of which effected readiness. They were not good in the field and became less functional when issues of hygiene, and feminine hygiene, literally knocked them out and we had to jerry-rig showers, wasting valuable time.

All in all, the women pose an insane burden on readiness.

My conclusion, which I passed to my division commander at his request, was that I would not want females with me working the battlefield let alone in direct combat. I told him I would not want my daughters in a unit of half women going bayonet to bayonet with an enemy unit 100 percent men. Those comments almost cost me my career because my immediate superior disagreed, which may explain some of the obsequiousness and cowering of military leaders today on this issue….

Again I reiterate that the greatest value should be placed on the first hand experience who have been there and done that rather than on political correctness or diversity or equal opportunity goals.

When they who have experienced first hand what it is like to have women in roles as close to combat as they have been able say that it is a bad idea, I have to believe them.

There are those who have argued in this very thread and everywhere else this has been discussed that some of these issues are not as bad as they are made out to be, that women can deal with those issues and continue to perform their duties in a satisfactory manner. But real life experience tells us otherwise.


Disclaimer: I strongly disagree with the author's point about whether a wounded warrior would be upset about receiving blood from a homosexual. Dad and I went back and forth on that point several times. I think it must be a generational concern, something I never grew up aware of (or that I was not aware of these stereotypes within the US just because I was living overseas). That point almost ruined the article for me, but the other points he makes are valid, based on real-life experience instead of stereotypes.

 

[GBN]

Did you read your link? According to it, less than half of the TSS cases are associated with menstrual bleeding?

Besides, they have this new-fangled thing called birth control that mimics the body's hormones during pregnancy, so women don't have to menstruate at all.

Before we deployed, we were given doxycycline to keep from getting malaria. As one of our medics found out, doxy counteracts birth control. Now, instead of still being here in Afghanistan, she's back in the states, pregnant, and pending an Article 15 I believe.