Women in Combat Arms/ SOF Discussion

[AWP]

It looks like the DoD is opening up some formerly restricted MOS'.

http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2012/02/09/women-in-combat-policy-could-change/?hpt=hp_c2

The Defense Department is notifying Congress Thursday it will open up nearly 14,000 jobs to military women that will place them even closer to the front lines of combat.

Some of the jobs that will now be open to women include specialties such as tank or artillery mechanic, crew members on missile launcher, and field surgeons in forward deployed brigade combat teams.

Of course we have the now familiar

A senior Pentagon official confirmed details to CNN, but declined to be identified until a formal announcement comes later on Thursday.

Be interesting to see the actual MOS list.

 

[AWP]

Welcome to the artillery, Ladies.

http://www.defense.gov/news/WISR_Report_to_Congress.pdf

 

[pardus]

I'm waiting for the first "combat" female to be captured and violated/desecrated/mutilated. We'll see a shit storm in govt then about it with everyone in headlong retreat over this issue.

 

[CDG]

I'm waiting for the first "combat" female to be captured and violated/desecrated/mutilated. We'll see a shit storm in govt then about it with everyone in headlong retreat over this issue.

Welcome to the site. Please post an intro in the appropriate thread, just like all the other newbies. Thanks.

 

[pardus]

Welcome to the site. Please post an intro in the appropriate thread, just like all the other newbies. Thanks.

Get fucked! I'm sick of all this disrespect! I'm in an SF sniper, SEAL, freefall Ranger, airsoft team and I know it ALL!

 

[Marauder06]

Get fucked! I'm sick of all this disrespect! I'm in an SF sniper, SEAL, freefall Ranger, airsoft team and I know it ALL!

I call BS.

You're not an airsofter.

 

[pardus]

I call BS.

You're not an airsofter.

I might as well be at the moment lol

 

[LibraryLady]

I call BS.

You're not an airsofter.

I'm inclined to agree. Airsoft requires mad skillz, and we all know Pardus ain't got none.

LL

 

[AWP]

I came into this thread expecting misogyny and got Pardus instead.

Nicely done.

 

[Marauder06]

I'm waiting for the first "combat" female to be captured and violated/desecrated/mutilated. We'll see a shit storm in govt then about it with everyone in headlong retreat over this issue.

I kind of disagree, because a large part of the momentum for this movement comes from people who don't give a damn about the military, or to what happens to those who serve within it. It was the same with DADT; a lot of people involved in the repeal don't give a hoot about the service, and would certainly never serve in the Armed Forces themselves, but because the military is such a revered part of the American fabric, if you can force through your social agenda there, the rest of the country will eventually follow. It's the whole "military are social experimentation" conflict. Where the US military goes, the rest of the country will follow. See also racial integration, homosexual rights, and gender equality.

 

[pardus]

I kind of disagree, because a large part of the momentum for this movement comes from people who don't give a damn about the military, or to what happens to those who serve within it. It was the same with DADT; a lot of people involved in the repeal don't give a hoot about the service, and would certainly never serve in the Armed Forces themselves, but because the military is such a revered part of the American fabric, if you can force through your social agenda there, the rest of the country will eventually follow. It's the whole "military are social experimentation" conflict. Where the US military goes, the rest of the country will follow. See also racial integration, homosexual rights, and gender equality.

Good point.
Wouldn't surprise me if either of us was right depending on which party was in power at that time.

 

[Marauder06]

Good point.
Wouldn't surprise me if either of us was right depending on which party was in power at that time.

That's true too.

But I don't think it's a bell that can be un-rung. In cases like this, it is way harder to take something away from someone than it is to give it to them, especially when "they" are a minority.

 

[digrar]

I don't have any doubts about their ability to fight, I don't care if they get killed, raped or beheaded, that's going to hurt as much as if my brother gets killed raped or beheaded, but I have yet to come across a female soldier who could grab a 120lb pack and keep up with my patrol, or drag one of my 250lb boys and his 120lb pack out of the shit. If you can't get to the fight, you're no good to me, fuck off back to the rear.

 

[pardus]

That's true too.

But I don't think it's a bell that can be un-rung. In cases like this, it is way harder to take something away from someone than it is to give it to them, especially when "they" are a minority.

Oh yes I agree, it will not be reversed.

 

[QC]

Ahh, The Gift of the Vagi...a wondrous thing.

Toothpaste does not go back in the tube.

 

[SpitfireV]

Isn't there a reasonable chance, depending on who captures you, that a male would get raped as well?

 

[RackMaster]

I'm just saying, if our chicks can do it; then why not American chicks? It just takes a certain "type" of chick and they are hard to find one that deserves to be there.

 

[Manolito]

I did a little time down in Mississippi around Beloxi(sp) where the women are that rare breed Rack. There are many at the 6FT mark and 200+ pounds an no fat. They will look at you in bed and say things like not done till I'm done or is that the best you got let me show you how it is done. My 5'11" 165 pound body took a hell of a beating but when in the home tied to my wheelchair the smile will be from remembering that time in my life. Just sayin. I will tell you I fought with some Men that didn't belong in combat either.
Did I mention they could suck the heads of four dozen bugs and still sit down to a dinner.
Bill

 

[JBS]

What's the purpose of the initiative to put women in combat? Is it to better careers supposedly hamstrung by lack of combat experience, or is it to enhance the ability of combat units to fight? The latest I've heard about this was on N.P.R.; they went on and on about female officers who have been held back from promotion because they were not combat veterans. Seems like a shitty, shitty reason to potentially compromise certain units' ability to fight, and a great way to get a lot more good men killed over someone's promotion. The fact is women excel in everything they get themselves into, except in physical challenges against men. Why can't we just accept that we are physiologically different? We shouldn't ignore genuine differences in gender in our pursuit of blind equality.

About the "rape" issue for captured women, I know the politically correct answer is that a male captive could be raped as well, but I'm going to go all Huckleberry and just say women are about 10,000,000,000 times more likely to be raped if captured than men, and that's probably a conservative number. It's almost a certainty on any potential battlefield I can think of on earth. It has happened in every war in the history of mankind. In my mind this constitutes (or will eventually constitute) a legitimate psychological and morale problem that will come with the territory the first time a female combatant is captured. It's a terrible thing when we lose one of ours; it will undoubtedly lower morale even further among our people if we know GI Jane is getting gangraped by an enemy battalion and social media will also present these new horrors for the world to see when the obscene footage eventually gets uploaded. Any career movers thought of that viral video?

Before we allow activists to dictate how we fight, we'd better be damn sure we want to send our high school graduate Lacrosse girls to the front lines just so someone can get that promotion they've been denied. I certainly do not mean any disrespect, and I say this as much as a citizen as a I do a combat arms Marine.

 

[redleg_64]

For a while we had a female medic attached to our platoon. It was all fine and dandy until one night she got her feelings hurt. A buddy and I had to try and console her for about an hour while explaining that she was a soldier first and foremost and she didn't have time to feel sorry for herself. She needed to toughen up. Well, as luck would have it that night a soldier had a pretty serious issue and needed to be sent off on a bird. It was a big headache having her around.

On the other hand I have seen firsthand what a female can do in combat. In March 2005 SGT Hester from a national guard MP unit out of Tennessee earned herself the Silver Star for her actions in spoiling an enemy ambush south of Baghdad. I can't remember how many of those dudes she killed, but there were bodies lying everywhere. I just wish she would have saved a few for me!

I'm glad that all 13-series MOS's aren't open to women. I don't think I would be able to handle that. I've had a few male soldiers who could hardly lift a 155 round and get it onto the gun, let alone hoist it over their head onto the back of the ammo truck. It sucked having to pull their weight and trying to put them in a position where they could still be useful. What would I do with a few guys who can run 12-minute two miles but can hardly lift an HE round, especially if I had a female in the section too? I'd rather have lots of stocky soldiers who aren't the fastest runners but can work for hours on end emplacing a howitzer in the mud and shooting fire mission after fire mission. For the most part, I just don't think a female could hang. Keep them on the MLRS and the radars. Don't push them down to the cannon battalions.