WAR: Women In Combat Roles: New Pentagon Push

Just like a man, either a woman will cut it or she won't. It's definitely time to put the issue to a test and no better time to do it than now in Iraq. If it fails - so be it, but it does not change the fact that it is needed, some women soldiers want it and the question needs to be settled.

B.

Let me share. My country is very young and unbelievably small. When independence was achieved 39 years ago, not one country which we initially approached were interested in assisting us to set up our defence forces.

Our immediate neighbours to the north and south and Muslim nations. to our east and west : oceans. Taking into account the sensitivities, we apprached countries whom we thought were friends and acceptable to our neighbours. No response or not interested. We then aproached Israel, albeit reluctantly. They took us up and in.

So, the foundation of our military forces, although modified over the years, was based on the Israeli model, with Israeli advisors training us. Remember, this was in the days of Moshe Dayan. So, being in the tropics, just 4% off the equator, with Israeli training, we became a very tough lot.

Of course, we now have F16s, MP5s, state of the art weapons and tools for warfare. This makes for less cumbersome movement. However, our training covers nightmares in the deserts, rainforests of Indo-China and of course built up areas.

We have the draft here. It is applied to ALL males at the age of 18yrs.

Personally, I have had the experience of serving with women (obviously not draftees). In terms of discipline and mental strength, they held their own. We are Asians. Therefore, the women I served with are Asians. Petite. In terms of physical performance, they were just as capable.

Reason why we still do not have the draft for women is not based on their performance or perceived lack of it. It is because of 2 related things : first, we are not at war, and second, the social constraints. If we were at war, and there was a need for more troops, social constraints would not be a consideration.

So, really, there are 2 levels to this. In pure terms of performance, there would not be any material difference to a male soldier.

The point in contention is really one of social constraint. These constraints are of public perception ; economic and social value of the woman as a worker/ mother/ care-giver, and of course, the social perception of the woman being the fairer gender. Clear this hurdle (it's a difficult one to clear though) and immediately, all debate will cease.

I think the idea may be that with more women vulnerable to death, dismemberment, kidnapping and subsequent torture, when these inevitibilities occur, it may inflame a deeper sentiment against out enemies.

Also pave the way for more outstanding hero/tragedy stories that may, in turn cause more people to want to fight.

It would lead to deaths do to heroics of soldiers to save woman who can't keep up. It would lead to anger and fraging from soldiers who see woman not having to carry an equal amount of supplies.

Woman officers would love to be in combat . It means faster promotion. They don't have to carry large amounts of supply . They have privates for that , but dooming woman privates so they can get their quick promotion is sick.

Now do you see!

There is a lack of understanding about the military here.

The women that want women in combat are the leutenants and captains that see a quick route to colonel in this war.

Deal with it. Deal with the fact that woman officers would throw their sisters to the wolves to lead men in combat so that they spend a little less time in their current rank.

You don't have a clue!

I think it's time for equality. I have seen too many women enter the military to perform the same jobs as men and within a year they are removed from their "dirty" jobs and put behind desks for the remainder of thier careers. Most of these women show up at thier first command not expecting to have to do any physical labor and use thier feminine qualities to get away with doing less work than everyone else. If th BS flag is thrown they use sexual harrassment as an easy out.
I am a woman in the military and I think it's about time to expect the same work from men and women.

Would we be doing any good or just killing women and men in a tried experiment that has already proved a failure in WWII by the Russians and by the Israelis?

Some of my research on women in combat:

Israeli Women Won't See Combat.

Women In Combat

Let's Pretend

From one of the sites I saw:

Sure why not. Makes the hide a lot cozier. If it gets real cold the sharing of body heat thing would be great. And we'll just time our offensive action to when they go on the rag every month. And all of the rapes and sexual harrasment charges that will be floating around will improve the good order and discipline in the grunt units. Also the lowering of standards which will no doubt happen can make it easier for all men and women to get in elite units so that our armed forces are a reflection of the sheep that we protect.

I trained women recruits in small arms at Parris Island for almost 3 years. Sure they were easier to teach, if you didnt accidently touch one wrong or have one fall in love with her coach. Even had one have an orgasm one time while a coach chewed her ass out on the firing line! They cried when it got cold and wet, they could barely handle the rifle cause of its length, had a hard time grasping an M9 pistol because of its grip size and some couldn't press the double action trigger with one trigger finger. Half of them couldn't see out of a fighting hole and had to have help gettin out of said fighting hole.

Almost every female DI I talked to said that women should not go to combat.

Why do women want this? They dont!! THE POLITICIANS DO!!!! Its all a continuation of the Pat Schroeder agenda now being carried on by Barbera Boxer and Diane Feinstein. Its the old equal rights thing. I dont want men to go to combat much less women. WHy do they treat the duty of going to war and killing and being killed like a civil right comparable to equal pay and pregnancy leave?

War is a terrible thing. No one should have to go. Leave the women out. Sure the Russians had women snipers. THey also had 10 and 12 year old boys too. Thier country was being over ran and everything had to be thrown at the Nazis. If we ever get down to the same point the Russians and Germans got to in WWII or get in a situation like the Isrealis(?) we would have to do the same thing.


Bode Bliss