Women in combat?

[Eric Johnson]

Several of the responses talk about strength standards or physical fitness. Please realize that the standards for physical fitness for males go down as they age. Chances are that many young women can meet higher fitness standards than can old men.

[Dave Flint]

Several of the responses talk about strength standards or physical fitness. Please realize that the standards for physical fitness for males go down as they age. Chances are that many young women can meet higher fitness standards than can old men.

What's your point? Do you think it would make an Infantry squad better or worse to staff it w/ 50 yr old men? Would anyone argue that's a good idea?

The physical shortcomings of women are only the most obvious reason not to assign them to combat units. The burdens on a combat commander are significant enough w/out adding the complications that come from mixing young men & women together in such a surreal environment. It complicates sleeping arrangements, showers, hygiene, marriages, perceptions of fairness,........

What it doesn't do is increase Combat Effectiveness, but I guess it's naive to think that's what the Military is for. I guess it's really about ensuring that Women have the best opportunity for career advancement.

If women are eligible for combat duty, they need to be required to register for the draft.

[charly_t]

Maybe I'm wrong but it seems to me that the men would be distracted by trying to protect the ladies in actual combat.

[duk4me]

Maybe I'm wrong but it seems to me that the men would be distracted by trying to protect the ladies in actual combat.

LOL if someone is shootin at your ass you aint worried about the ass next to you. We aint that chivalrous anymore. She would be a soldier. This aint dr nurse 1960.

[huntinman]

I'm just waiting for the videos from the Islamic terrorists when they have some female POW's. You think they were rough with Daniel Pearl, or those contractors they drug through the streets before hanging their burned bodies from a bridge? How about the reporter that was gang raped in Egypt in the middle of a public square in front of thousands of their fellow fanatics? If those lunatics get their hands on any of our female soldiers, it's not going to be good.

All that being said, I think many of the females can do the job fine... I just hate the thought of them getting caught by the bad guys.

[duk4me]

I'm just waiting for the videos from the Islamic terrorists when they have some female POW's. You think they were rough with Daniel Pearl, or those contractors they drug through the streets before hanging their burned bodies from a bridge? How about the reporter that was gang raped in Egypt in the middle of a public square in front of thousands of their fellow fanatics? If those lunatics get their hands on any of our female soldiers, it's not going to be good.

All that being said, I think many of the females can do the job fine... I just hate the thought of them getting caught by the bad guys.

I agree but two things. First and I again say I have never been a soldier but from my understanding it isn't exactly easy on a male POW. Secondly it is voluntary. If a female soldier volunteers I feel sure they have been fully advised of the dangers inherent to their choice to be soldiers.

[duk4me]

I agree but two things. First and I again say I have never been a soldier but from my understanding it isn't exactly easy on a male POW. Secondly it is voluntary. If a female soldier volunteers I feel sure they have been fully advised of the dangers inherent to their choice to be soldiers.

Third, thank God for the men and women that serve us so well in the past, present, and future.

[Dave Flint]

LOL if someone is shootin at your ass you aint worried about the ass next to you. We aint that chivalrous anymore. She would be a soldier. This aint dr nurse 1960.

You guys do realize "GI Jane" was just a movie right?


You act like you have no idea how horny a 20 yr. old gets in the field. If they're not talking about sex, they're asleep. It's a ridiculous distraction to add to a Commanders already impossibly difficult job to have to try to keep men & women from sneaking off together and it only detracts from the effectiveness of the unit. 99.9% of the time a soldiers life in a combat theatre is unbelievably boring.

You just don't discard the entire history of human war fighting experience because of political correctness.
But hey, it's not like we're talking about life & death now is it? Oh wait....

[sick lids]

Any WW2 history buffs. I seem to rember reading about one of the most feared Russian units on the front line, they took no prisoners, they never retreated and they were women!

[Socks]

Several of the responses talk about strength standards or physical fitness. Please realize that the standards for physical fitness for males go down as they age. Chances are that many young women can meet higher fitness standards than can old men.

Ha! Please realize that women's physical fitness tests aren't as hard as the men's. For the short time I was in Air Force ROTC the women got to do push ups on their knees while us men had to do real push ups. The women also did a hang for time instead of pullups. I knew a guy that went through airborne training and he told me they had to do pull ups with full packs on. Ever meet any SEALS? Most of the one's I saw were friggin huge and could've broke me in half. Tank drivers, pilots? Sure, but not even a hair's chance of the blood and guts in infantry combat.