Women in combat?

[cyberdude558]

The thought of women dodging bullets and bombs in combat may have seemed jarringly out of place in earlier eras of Doughboys and G.I. Joes and the wars of the previous century.

But for anyone familiar with today's troops and the missions they face - or who has paused to read the names of this nation's combat casualties - the historic move by the Pentagon to open up front-line roles to women is hardly a shock.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, along with Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, plans to announce today that the U.S. military is lifting its ban on women serving in combat, senior Pentagon officials said Wednesday. The move would open hundreds of thousands of military positions to women, said one official who spoke anonymously because Panetta had not yet made the announcement.

Women are serving and have been serving in uniform alongside their male counterparts in Afghanistan and did so in Iraq for much of the past decade, even as their theoretical fitness to serve was debated back home. Although officially in support roles, the distinction ultimately made little difference to the 152 female U.S. troops who have died while deployed in those two wars.

"We've always had women in combat zones," says Pat Murphy, a retired Air Force colonel who served in Vietnam and is president of the Air Force Women Officers Associated.

In recent years, the necessities of war - and an all-volunteer military - have propelled women into jobs as medics, military police, intelligence officers and other roles, often attached to units on the front lines. Many female troops carry guns on patrols in Afghanistan, often to deal with and search local women and families encountered by U.S. forces.

Women make up 14% of the 1.4 million active military personnel. Whether they fire a weapon or not, they've been targets of the enemy, just like their male colleagues.

http://www.floridatoday.com/usatoday/article/1860269


And now on to the next controversy...should girls have to register for the draft when they turn 18 like boys do?

[olafberserker]

There's a draft?

[cyberdude558]

There's a draft?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selective_Service

[dalbuc]

Only issue is the same I have with female firefighters and cops...they should have to meet the same physical requirements. I don't care who pulls me out of a fire or shoots a terrorist, I just want the best person to be in a position to do it.

[JavaRay]

And now on to the next controversy...should girls have to register for the draft when they turn 18 like boys do?

We've had women in combat for awhile now. Military Police, aviation, and chemical and other units have had women in the ranks- but having them in infantry, field artillery, and the combat arms will be very different.  Our military already has a major problem with sexual assault. Now introducing women into predominantly male units won't make things any better.

I was in Pattaya, Thailand and some American soldiers were there on break from an assignment in Iraq.   They looked to all be around 20 years old.   There were 4 guys and 2 girls.   The 2 girls were 2 of the ugliest beasts I've ever seen.   The 2 girls took all of their clothes off naked and the guys were doing tequila shots off their breasts.    The bar had tons of hot Thai girls naked and the last thing I wanted to see were those 2 fat American military cows naked.    I complained to the management to have those girls put their clothes back on.    They let them stay naked, so I left.    You are right Morgan, our military is obviously desperate.   If we actually had good looking women in there, i can only imagine the problems there would be with sexual assault.

[JavaRay]

I do think it would be a good move if we sent only women and gays to Iraq.    That would really humiliate those Islamics.

[JavaRay]

[Chief Joseph]

If we let women go into combat, where will we find nurses?

[JavaRay]

If we let women go into combat, where will we find nurses?

[JavaRay]

[olafberserker]

If we let women go into combat, where will we find nurses?

Morgana ...... the little loser deleted his posts again .....

[Dolorous Jason]

There's a reason we instintively find it de**CENSORED**able when a man hits a woman , and it's because a woman can not match a man's size and strength and defend herself on a level playing field. So to ignore this and pretend they are perfectly equal on a battlefield is sort of ridiculous.

That being said , as long as there are no special standards , and they can meet the same physical requirements as the men , who cares ? Let them fight if they want to fight.

[dbucfan]

The issues involved go beyond physical requirement - as I suspect everyone knows.  Another step forward to equal pay?  It is all fun and games until someone gets hurt by the decision - when reactions to situations don't follow the needs to those involved because of this decision - and where will the decision makers be... MIA unless I miss my guess. 

[deadzone]

I do think it would be a good move if we sent only women and gays to Iraq.    That would really humiliate those Islamics.

Ha........now that's a great concept....Perhaps the mentioned should get their training in Israel...they don't f..k around with it....

[Sweep]

Women are already involved in certain areas of combat.  The conversation should be all about putting women and men TOGETHER... on the ground.. in combat.  It's a privacy issue...relieving one's self in front of your comrades...personal hygiene...etc.  Putting women and men together is such conditions puts our "readiness" at risk.   Lest anyone forget, the idea is to win wars.  It should be an insult to anyone's intelligence when politicians or the media bypass this concern.
If any group of women can qualify for special forces...then put these qualified women together in their own special forces group...separate from a men's special forces group....and send them into harms way.