(Army) Report leans toward women in combat

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.washtimes.com/national/20041213-124619-5345r.htm

Internal Army documents advocate changing Pentagon rules on mixed-sex units in a way that critics say will risk placing female soldiers in ground-combat situations.

The Nov. 29 briefing to senior Army officers at the Pentagon, presented as part of the service's sweeping transformation of its 10 war-fighting divisions, advocates scrapping the military's ban on collocation — the deployment of mixed-sex noncombat units alongside all-male combat brigades.

The briefing contained the phrase: "The way ahead: rewrite/eliminate the Army collocation policy."

To some in the Army, the confidential briefing proves that the service is moving toward a decision to put women within direct combat units, despite statements denying such plans, including a Nov. 3 Capitol Hill briefing for senior congressional staff members by Army and Pentagon officials.

[bluestateguy]

1. Just watch: Somehow the "liberals" will be blamed for this

Somehow it will all be blamed on liberals (who hold no positions of power in the executive branch) that the Bush Administration, not a Democratic Administration, is pushing for women in combat.

[Warpy]

10. Feminists will be blamed

Never mind that taking women during their prime childbearing years is stupid not only for the country but also for the human race. Never mind that most women simply don't have the upper body strength to accomplish the task, it'll be "you wanted equal rights, honey, you got 'em."

A few women have been combat troops in every single war throughout history, generally in drag as teenaged boys, and that is fine. It's voluntary.

However, sending little Susie into combat and sending her back in a box in order to get people to rebel against this particular "right" will be the way the right tries to overturn all the gains feminists have made over the last 30 years, and possibly to overturn our right to vote. They've said this is what they want to do to us, and this certainly fits their methodology.

I truly despise this mindset.

[peacebird]

2. conservative xtians oppose women in combat situations

as do most military men. the military men feel that women are not physically strong enough and feel men will be distracted trying to protect them. it's a lose/lose situation.

for the pentagon to even be talking about this means that their shortfall of bodies to fill boots on the ground must be even worse than we thought.

of course - taking a 70 year old man back into active duty in Afghanistan and a 50 year old grandmother into iraq doesn't exactly engender the feelings that all is hunky dory in the recruitment and retention arenas.

[enigami]

3. All the good stuff.......

happens after I leave the party........what I would have given for a woman in my foxhole

[Pachamama]

4. Ofcourse they are leaning towards Women in Combat! They need people/bodies

to sacrifice in this unholy and wrong war on Iraq. It's the logical next step while trying to avoid a draft!

:puke:

[ElectroPrincess]

5. Women Military Police (MPs) have and ARE fighting in

Combat over in Iraq. Remember folks, there's no such thing as a traditional "front line" there. Everything, including the "green zone" is hot. Well duh!

[RamboLiberal]

12. Exactly - U.S. military women have been killed in Iraq

this is from an Oct, 2004 CBS story of Pentagon thinking of putting women in to combat.

The Army has lost nearly 800 soldiers to hostile fire in Iraq - 24 of them women.

Pamela Osborne, a mother of three, was killed in a rocket attack two weeks ago.A roadside bomb hit Jessica Cawvey's convoy. Kimberly Hampton was piloting a scout helicopter for the 82nd Airborne when she was shot down.

It may not be official yet, but women are serving in combat.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/10/22/eveningnews/main650979.shtml

And there are a number of Guard/Reserve women who are going over with their units and leaving very young children behind to be cared for by family. Some have only given birth recently.

As a woman I have no problem with women in combat - but none of our troops should be in THIS WAR. And I find it very ironic that the very party who railed against feminazis, and told us the ERA would lead to women in combat are the very people who are so short of cannon fodder that to avoid a draft they will quietly institute this.

[bemildred]

6. More '"catastrophic success". nt

[Sabriel]

7. Innnntresting. I wonder how it might change things.

Would women be as likely to follow orders unquestioningly? Would they be as likely to shoot unarmed wounded civilians or fire on families? It remains to be seen...unfortunately.

[Mari333]

8. Women in combat can also be assholes....

[Pathwalker]

9. ...just like men.

n/t

[tabasco]

15. That little twerp wasn't in combat.

She was a rear echelon puke "guarding" prisoners.

[Solly Mack]

16. Actually, she was supply...and not an MP

[daleo]

23. I believe the prison got mortared quite regularly

So, the posting had its dangers.

[RamboLiberal]

25. Yes that prison was regularly attacked

Abu Ghraib Prison sits in the middle of one of Iraq's nastiest patches. Ever since "major combat" ended a year ago, snipers hidden in the palm groves that surround the vast prison compound have routinely fired on U.S. patrols. The guardrails on the highway in front of the prison are mangled for miles from the large number of IEDs (improvised explosive devices). Helicopters constantly buzz around. At night, soldiers in the guard towers get drawn into raging gun battles. And mortars rain on the prison like a lethal hailstorm. "I can't even count how many mortar attacks we've had," S/Sgt. Joseph Lane, an operating-room technician in the prison hospital, told NEWSWEEK last week. "Sometimes there are two or three in a day." And all this while military police must process thousands of Iraqis each month, never knowing who among them is a "bad guy" trying to kill them.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4934436/site/newsweek/

And I seem to remember one attack that caused a horrendous toll among the Iraqi prisoners-remember many were housed outdoors.

[enigami]

11. Can you imagine......

a well trained, well armed battalion of PMS inflicted women coming at you....I shudder to think of it

[tabasco]

18. Actually, that is the only way I support women in combat ...

battalions. If they have all-women battalions. That way no fraternization with the boys. Mixed sex combat battalions would be a complete disaster. Mixed sex rear echelon battalions are already trouble, as was seen with the MPs at Abu Ghraib.

[eridani]

26. In a war zone, combat is the safest place to be

A woman soldier in combat is far safer than a woman civilian. Given about 100,000 Iraqi civilian casualties and about 2000 soldiers so far, that makes it about 50 times safer. 90% of the victims of post WW II conflicts have been civilian. No surprise that some women feel that if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

[Solly Mack]

13. This is just a case of written policy changed to reflect the reality

Women already serve in combat...along side all male combat groups.

[oldcoot]

19. Exactly

The law prohibiting women from combat positions is an archaic law that does not and, probably has not reflected the reality faced by women in the military for a long time.

I remember when conservatives told us that we should not pass the Equal Rights Amendment because women would be drafted (which is not yet a reality but could be if the special skills draft becomes a reality) and that the American people would be upset seeing women coming home in body bags (women are already coming home in body bags from Iraq without much commentary).

[tabasco]

14. Wait till the freepers hear about this!

They will flock down to the recruiting station to protect the womenfolk.


Maybe not.

[Up2Late]

22. Naaaaaaaa, I'm Sure the Freepers will just label them a Lesbians

And then the MSM echo chamber will start in with that line.:tinfoilhat: That seems to be the pattern. I predict we start hearing about this in 4 days, that's about how long it takes to organize and do the focus group testing for things like this.

I think this is a BAD idea, more Female solders getting Raped (by U.S. G.I's) :evilfrown:and G.I.'s taking more Stupid risks in order to protect the women they've become overly protective of.:hug:

[0007]

17. I was gonna read this link until I seen; The Washington Times

Forget it. It has to be pure propaganda.

Women shouldn't fight in any war, and neither should man.

Bring the troops home today!

[RamboLiberal]

20. CBS reported this story 2 months ago

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/10/22/eveningnews/main650979.shtml

Think it's still propaganda? These fools are desparate for cannon fodder.

[grumpy old fart]

21. And let's drop the minimum age to 16.,.....

I mean, these kids can drive can't they? Gotta keep them bodybags filled somehow.

[ckramer]

24. Recruits will be way up when the boys know that women are among

their ranks...Sex sells!