Charlie's Angels. Three medics from North Dakota National Guard. C (charlie) company.
Three women in the frontlines, riding patrol. Apparently, women on "combat" missions is slowly and quietly becoming the norm. Interestingly, I have seen many of our military blogger men comment on the problems of having women in the frontlines. I'm aware of the increased risk of pregnancy and other inappropriate behavior, but, I think that the benefits of volunteer forces, including women, are being seen everyday in Iraq.
These ladies are "medics", but when they are on patrol, they run the same risk and the guys driving the humvees, riding shotgun or standing in the turrets. They've been shot at, grenaded and used for IED target practice along with their fellow soldiers on patrol. They've learned to use every weapon in their unit just like the other soldiers and may have to abandon their roles as "life savers" and take up a gun to protect themselves and their fellows.
Time to give some props to the ladies, boys. It might be anatomically impossible, but psychologically, these ladies have balls.
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I think Jessica Lynch made it fully 100% official now: women ARE in combat, whether their MOS is combat-oriented or not.
ReplyDeleteIf I were SecDef and not micromanaged by a right-wing Congress, you'd end up seeing some women in combat-oriented specialties, but you might be alarmed by seeing very few OF them making the grade. And that would be because I'd not have lowered any physical or skill standards in order to try to make it "look gender-equal". The PT test is the PT test, no matter what equipment you have between your legs. Some redneck men with misguided chivalry might be concerned about female POWs, but then, if they knew the half of what happens to POWs, they should be just as concerned about the male ones.