Women in combat?

[spartan]

What are we building the Roman Legions here? If they can aim and fire a rifle straight then what does strength matter?

Are you being facetious?

Hand to hand combat?
What they going to do when the vehicle they are in is blown up or breaks down?
What are they going to do when their buddy gets shot and needs to be picked up and carried out of a kill zone?

[JavaRay]

What are they going to do when their buddy gets shot and needs to be picked up and carried out of a kill zone?

I guess they could give the guy a bj.

[Escobar06]

What are we building the Roman Legions here? If they can aim and fire a rifle straight then what does strength matter?

Are you being facetious?

Hand to hand combat?
What they going to do when the vehicle they are in is blown up or breaks down?
What are they going to do when their buddy gets shot and needs to be picked up and carried out of a kill zone?

You wouldn't want your life to depend on a woman dragging you out of a humvee in time before it explodes? Or pull you to safety in the middle of a firefight if you're wounded?

I was checking out at the grocery store one day and an old man in the lane next to me fell. I learned that day just how hard it is to lift dead weight. I got behind the guy and put my arms up under his armpits and tried to lift him up. I'd say he was only around 150-175lbs, but my God I thought my spine was going to explode out of my back. A couple cashiers came over to help, and after we finally got the guy back up on his feet his wife jokingly said "it only took three people to get him up this time".

I'm 210 lbs, I imagine the gear a soldier wears probably adds another 20-30 lbs. So, no, if my life were at risk I wouldn't want to depend on a woman carrying 240+ lbs of deadweight to safety.

CBW reminds me of a woman who was in one of my sociology classes years ago, she was arguing that women should be able to play in the NFL. I told her about the combine and about some of the physical benchmarks NFL players are expected to achieve, and of course her response was that I'm just sexist. It was rather humorous when another woman in the class spoke up and said any women would be crazy to think she can play in the NFL.

It's funny how the desire to be as PC as possible tends to cloud the judgement of so many.

[John Galt?]

What are we building the Roman Legions here? If they can aim and fire a rifle straight then what does strength matter?

Are you being facetious?

Hand to hand combat?
What they going to do when the vehicle they are in is blown up or breaks down?
What are they going to do when their buddy gets shot and needs to be picked up and carried out of a kill zone?

You wouldn't want your life to depend on a woman dragging you out of a humvee in time before it explodes? Or pull you to safety in the middle of a firefight if you're wounded?

I was checking out at the grocery store one day and an old man in the lane next to me fell. I learned that day just how hard it is to lift dead weight. I got behind the guy and put my arms up under his armpits and tried to lift him up. I'd say he was only around 150-175lbs, but my God I thought my spine was going to explode out of my back. A couple cashiers came over to help, and after we finally got the guy back up on his feet his wife jokingly said "it only took three people to get him up this time".

I'm 210 lbs, I imagine the gear a soldier wears probably adds another 20-30 lbs. So, no, if my life were at risk I wouldn't want to depend on a woman carrying 240+ lbs of deadweight to safety.

CBW reminds me of a woman who was in one of my sociology classes years ago, she was arguing that women should be able to play in the NFL. I told her about the combine and about some of the physical benchmarks NFL players are expected to achieve, and of course her response was that I'm just sexist. It was rather humorous when another woman in the class spoke up and said any women would be crazy to think she can play in the NFL.

It's funny how the desire to be as PC as possible tends to cloud the judgement of so many.

While I agree with you, I do want to point out that today's military has become highly specialized and there are a lot of combat jobs that women could perform. For instance fighter pilot, sniper/spotter, artillery (usually well to the rear).

Also while most women could not drag a 240lb+ soldier, there are some who could. I have no problem with letting those 1%-2% of women that can meet the strength requirements getting SOME of the roles now off limits to them. My concern is that the PC crowd will want to go all "affirmative action" and water down the requirements.

As far as women in football, placekicker is their only shot.

[Escobar06]

CBW is talking about front line duty without factoring in all of the countless physical situations that may arise in such a role, my response was to that only, not all areas of the military.

[spartan]

While I agree with you, I do want to point out that today's military has become highly specialized and there are a lot of combat jobs that women could perform. For instance fighter pilot, sniper/spotter, artillery (usually well to the rear).

Also while most women could not drag a 240lb+ soldier, there are some who could. I have no problem with letting those 1%-2% of women that can meet the strength requirements getting SOME of the roles now off limits to them. My concern is that the PC crowd will want to go all "affirmative action" and water down the requirements.

As far as women in football, placekicker is their only shot.

JG, in the Army you are an Infrantryman first and a specialist second. Plus your argument, like many, displays your ignorance of what is all about. I mean that not as a derogatory statement but as an honest assessment. For example, sniper. The movies show a guy with a gun hiding at the top of a building. The reality is they often have to spend days getting into position and have to bug out very quickly, with all their kit. Similarly, if the enemy breaks through your lines it is all hands to the pump, not women and children to the rear. Not only that, go back and look at all the pictures of military units retreating. What do you see? Usually it is long lines of guys walking with all, or at least with as much of their kit as possible. If you are in a combat role you have to assume you will be engaged in combat, and, that things might not always be hunky dory and you drive around in your nice shiny Abrams tanks and Bradley AFV's.

[CBWx2]

I grew up a military brat. Both parents were in the service. I've met a ton of military personnel throughout my life. Some men could be capable of carrying 240+ lbs of dead weight to safety without any help. A lot would not be.

You are living in a fantasy world with that football analogy. This is the military, not a football team. How many soldiers have you come across built like Ray Lewis or Quincy Black? I've met a ton of soldiers, and I can probably count on one hand how many I've met that could double as a MLB for an NFL team, and have some fingers left over. The strength requirements for the military are tough, but not NFL training camp tough. There are more women that can meet those requirements than you all seem to think there are.

[spartan]

I grew up a military brat. Both parents were in the service. I've met a ton of military personnel throughout my life. Some men could be capable of carrying 240+ lbs of dead weight to safety without any help. A lot would not be.

You are living in a fantasy world with that football analogy. This is the military, not a football team. How many soldiers have you come across built like Ray Lewis or Quincy Black? I've met a ton of soldiers, and I can probably count on one hand how many I've met that could double as a MLB for an NFL team, and have some fingers left over. The strength requirements for the military are tough, but not NFL training camp tough. There are more women that can meet those requirements than you all seem to think there are.

I too am a military brat, I also spent 9 years in the Army. My comments are based on experience not because I stayed in a Holiday Inn last night.

[Escobar06]

It wasn't an analogy. The ho hum nature of your post stating "as long as they can aim", reminded me of the woman in class who also ignored the obvious physical implications of the job.

And there probably are women who can handle the physical nature of the job but you're lying if you say you're indifferent on which gender YOU would want to be there if your severely injured body needed to be pulled to safety.

[spartan]

I have certain reservations of females in combat roles. For example hygiene in the field when you are on an extend stint away from civilized amenities. I think some women are up to it, and although I don't think it is a good idea, maybe they have earned the right to try with their efforts in Afghanistan. Of course the proviso is the standards stay the same. MY experience is that when not enough women pass, the standards are lowered to ensure they do. I am concerned we will find out it is a bad idea at the worst possible time.

[Dolorous Jason]

What are we building the Roman Legions here? If they can aim and fire a rifle straight then what does strength matter?

Are you being facetious?

Hand to hand combat?
What they going to do when the vehicle they are in is blown up or breaks down?
What are they going to do when their buddy gets shot and needs to be picked up and carried out of a kill zone?

As you lie there dying she could bake you cookies !

[JavaRay]

What are we building the Roman Legions here? If they can aim and fire a rifle straight then what does strength matter?

Are you being facetious?

Hand to hand combat?
What they going to do when the vehicle they are in is blown up or breaks down?
What are they going to do when their buddy gets shot and needs to be picked up and carried out of a kill zone?

As you lie there dying she could bake you cookies !

I still like the bj idea.    I do think we should provide sex for our troops when they are stationed in places like Iraq.    I think we should have women in the miltary as sexual concubines to "service" our servicemen.     The butch ones can go ahead and fight on the front lines, I have no problem with that.    But the hot ones could be put to better use.    Our country hasn't figured it out yet.

[Chief Joseph]

Hey, maybe you could start a business manufacturing shackles for them.

[JavaRay]

The only "shackles" you would need is to pay them enough.   They would of course be paid more than the average military employee.   

[JavaRay]

If you don't think you could get girls to sign up for that, I think you are mistaken.   Pay them 4 times as much as an enlisted man and see how long the cue is to take that concubine position...