Women in the military

[KristyHall]

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Don't forget a mama wolf, I have 4 kids my youngest is 15 and I have 2 grand daughters, I am just as good as shot as my DH would I shoot to protect my family in a heart beat. About women in WWII woman who where spies slept with enemy officers to find out secrets, they did this for their country. Women also ran under ground stations for people escaping. I think if a woman wants and can do any job then she has as much right as a man to that job. I think if you look at America during WWII the woman did all the jobs that men did but where not here to do we kept this country running while the men fought in the war. When the men came home women were supposed to just go back to cooking cleaning and having babies.

don't forget the women spies of the civil war, including slaves, and this one woman who spent years pretending to be completely insane so no one would think twice about talking business around her.

what is sad, is historically speaking, women who have helped in wars throughout american history,a re often denied awards, honors, and recognition their male counter parts got, no matter how dangerous the woman's job was.

 

[WriterofWords]

Women can and should be allowed in the military, in any branch, in any job. The mindset of the American citizen has changed dramatically since the early 20th century and before. Woman are as capable of doing the job as any man; although physically men are stronger in different ways than women are. Warfare no longer relies on the capability to carry a lot of weight for hours on end to relocate and place troops; more long range weaponry is available that is static. Women have just as much right, and just as much need, to defend our country and citizens as the men do.

 

[WriterofWords]

For some very interesting history on women in the military go to these links. The last one is a collection of short essays written by military women.

http://www.militarywoman.org/academic.htm

http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/army/a/femalesoldiers.htm

http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/marinejoin/a/marfemaleinst.htm

http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/blwomen.htm

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/navy/l/blharassment.htm

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/airforce/l/blafharassment.htm

http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/women/a/usmcwomen.htm

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/womeninthemilitary/a/dodwomen.htm

http://usmilitary.about.com/gi/o.ht...http://userpages.aug.com/captbarb/pilots.html

http://usmilitary.about.com/gi/o.ht...http://userpages.aug.com/captbarb/beyond.html

http://usmilitary.about.com/gi/o.ht...=http://userpages.aug.com/captbarb/index.html

http://usmilitary.about.com/gi/o.ht...tp://userpages.aug.com/captbarb/femvets2.html

Fantastic Essays to read, short bits posted by real women, some complain, some brag, but they are real.

http://www.militarywoman.org/adayinth.htm

 

[Kitt]

I think if a woman can do it then she should be able to do it. I come from a military family ( uncles, father, father in law, husband etc) and I know many women in the military and they are just as good as the guys...but then there are some that want no part of the combat....i think if they can do the job then let them.

 

[Heckel's Hens]

If you can do it, phsyically and mentally, then go for it!

There are a few women in the Explosive Ordnance Disposal community my hubby works in. They are all doing the same job and worked hard to get there.

 

[backyardmenagerie]

Thank you, everyone, that contributed their opinion! I have found reading your comments very interesting. Some of your comments have helped me to pursue further research, and expand on ideas that I hadn't considered.
I found it particularly interesting how the opinions and rationals expressed here have shifted from the views that I've read from 10 years ago (there was a lot of discussion on the issue in 2001). Perhaps it's just that chicken-people have a different perspective, but considering the variety of backgrounds of people here, I suspect that the perspective of society in general has changed, especially considering the increase in military action in recent years.
I especially appreciate the comments from service men and women. Thank you for your service, and your thoughts.

ETA: I'd also like to thank everyone for keeping things civil, and having rational, reasonable debates. It nice to be able to talk about controversial issues in a positive and accepting environment.

 

[PineappleMama]

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Yuppers... so when they teach them that raping and pillaging like their forefathers did is okay and then send them back home there are problems.

 

[WriterofWords]

30 years ago on 2Jun81 I reported for Basic Training at Lackland AFB in San Antonio TX. Flights were not mixed then and I was in the only mixed one that was Drum and Bugle Corps. There were 3 of us girls,,, and 20 something of them! When we went through the obstacle course we went through with the other male Flights and two of us girls beat all of the guys in. The Sgt.s at the end of the course stopped and asked "Airmen what on God's Green Earth are you doing here????" My reply was "Kicking the guy's A$$$#s sir!!". They had no idea there were 3 women on that course with the men. When we got shots they hollered "Everyone take shirts off!" I hollered back "Us to Sgt??". LOL they didn't know what to do with 3 women among all the men. It's changed so much since then.

 

[chickened]

That would go for the women in the military that abuse young men also. Politics aside it would be much easier if they weren't there one must admit but it is the 21st century. It would be interesting to see what our military will look like in 20 years, my BIL said the technology is 20 years ahead of what the public knows about.

mom'sfolly :

I just want to repeat what I said earlier, since it keeps coming up. Any man who can't handle himself around women doesn't belong out in public, much less in the military. This is not about male/female relations; it is about being adult and professional. If a guy can't work with a woman in a military situation, there is a very good chance that the same guy would have problems in a civilian population.

One of the major issues with sexual assault and harassment in the US military is its tolerance at the command levels. The history of sexual assaults and harassment at the academies, where officers are trained, and its handling by the higher command have trained the officers, both male and female, that sexual assault and harassment are to be tolerated, and are not a command priority. So, after a series of scandals, where no one in charge was ever punished, we have a military culture where officers know that women are not to be protected from their male comrades. The Secretary of the Air Force actually asked that no former commanders of the Air Force Academy be reprimanded. The reporting of sexual assault and harassment in the military is more often punitive to the reporter, rather than the reportee. This is not a failure of women in the military; it is a failure of command that tolerates a culture of abuse.

Again, I think universal conscription would help this situation. If everyone's sons and daughters were in this pressure cooker, there would be changes. There would be changes in the way the military is deployed, the way the military is paid, the way the equipment is made and issued and the way the whole military is run. If everyone's kids, rich and poor, were in the military; no family would have to buy body armor for their children, no family would have to alter clothing so it didn't interfere with the other equipment needed, no military family would be on food stamps, no big budget planes would get priority over equipping troops on the ground. And best of all, the military wouldn't be sent willy nilly to any presidents favorite conflict.​

 

[chickened]

You have a point the military does not rely on brawn as much any more and I don't believe that more women in the military is a result of improved women's rights but more likely from relaxed military requirements.
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