Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

The new face of war: A female general commands the U.S. air campaign
Foreign Policy ^ | 22 Mar 2011 | Thomas E. Ricks

Posted on 03/24/2011 8:55:36 AM PDT by Palter

This is the general overseeing the American part of the air campaign in Libya. Air Force Maj. Gen. Margaret Woodward, commander of the 17th Air Force, based in Germany, seems to be an expert in refueling and mobility, which is probably why she was picked for Africa Command, whose planners likely expected the command mainly to be doing humanitarian relief missions.

Instead she is overseeing airstrikes by B-2 bombers, F-15E fighter/bombers, and F-16 CJ jammers.

To my knowledge, this is the first time a woman has ever overseen an air campaign.


(Excerpt) Read more at ricks.foreignpolicy.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: airforce; feminism; libya; military
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-59 next last
To: Cicero

All were going to end up do is allowing the Muslim Brotherhood to flourish in Libya when Moammar is beaten enough.

Makes me wonder if Obama is a deep cover agent for the Brotherhoood.


21 posted on 03/24/2011 9:25:45 AM PDT by Jack Hydrazine (It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Cicero; Jack Hydrazine
You beat me to it. An affirmative action General, leading thee troops under an affirmative action Commander in Chief.

So what you're saying is that a woman has never, can never, and will never reach general rank in any armed service on her own merit? That every single instance is and alway will be because of affirmative action?

22 posted on 03/24/2011 9:25:45 AM PDT by K-Stater
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Palter

No disrespect to the General...I certainly have no military career to compare to hers. But she does look awfully young to be a three-star General. Don’t blame her but the people doing the promoting.


23 posted on 03/24/2011 9:26:17 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Palter

Read her bio-she ain’t no slouch.


24 posted on 03/24/2011 9:28:51 AM PDT by taillightchaser (The last hope for America--2012)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Buckeye McFrog
But she does look awfully young to be a three-star General.

Read her bio and it says she's a frocked two-star. That's military speak for acting major general.

25 posted on 03/24/2011 9:29:52 AM PDT by K-Stater
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: Palter

“And, let’s face it, if the mothers ruled the war, there would be no (expletive) wars in the first place”

Sally Field


26 posted on 03/24/2011 9:32:16 AM PDT by CrappieLuck
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Palter

Margaret’s air campaign in Libya?

Nothing surprises me anymore...


27 posted on 03/24/2011 9:32:28 AM PDT by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: K-Stater
So what you're saying is that a woman has never, can never, and will never reach general rank in any armed service on her own merit?

I would say a sane, conservative society wouldn't allow women in the military at all except in extremely limited service areas such as medical care. But then again, I don't consider conservatism to just be the acceptance of what was liberalism 40 years ago.

28 posted on 03/24/2011 9:32:45 AM PDT by triumphant values (Never criticize that to your right.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: Buckeye McFrog

Agree the General Woodward is a command pilot with more than 3,800 hours in the C-40, KC-135, C-37, T-38 and T-37.
Not sure if she has the skills to take on such a big event.


29 posted on 03/24/2011 9:34:29 AM PDT by Vaduz
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: K-Stater

Only exceptional women can make it to the top on their own merits in this aspect of a man’s world - the world of making war. It is possible that she is one of those very exceptional women who did so, but the odds of that in the very politically correct, new feminized military, are very low.

The military has had to lower its standards across the board in order to be able to make itself look good to the Leftists who are running the country.


30 posted on 03/24/2011 9:34:38 AM PDT by Jack Hydrazine (It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: Palter

A FAIP, Protocol Officer and AFSLMO Alum...ugh.


31 posted on 03/24/2011 9:36:45 AM PDT by Mr.Unique (My dream thread: Mormon cop shoots Catholic Freeper's Pit Bull and takes his Macbook Pro.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: panzerkamphwageneinz
My gosh, I entered the Army in 85 and would now be an 05 if I had stayed in.

You'd easily be an O6....

32 posted on 03/24/2011 9:38:35 AM PDT by Mr.Unique (My dream thread: Mormon cop shoots Catholic Freeper's Pit Bull and takes his Macbook Pro.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Jack Hydrazine
Only exceptional women can make it to the top on their own merits in this aspect of a man’s world - the world of making war. It is possible that she is one of those very exceptional women who did so, but the odds of that in the very politically correct, new feminized military, are very low.

And you were able to tell that just by looking at her picture. How very perceptive of you.

33 posted on 03/24/2011 9:39:03 AM PDT by K-Stater
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: An American in Turkiye; panzerkamphwageneinz

A Frocked Maj Gen at that...


34 posted on 03/24/2011 9:39:36 AM PDT by Mr.Unique (My dream thread: Mormon cop shoots Catholic Freeper's Pit Bull and takes his Macbook Pro.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: K-Stater
So what you're saying is that a woman has never, can never, and will never reach general rank in any armed service on her own merit? That every single instance is and alway will be because of affirmative action?

Not my comment, but sounds about right to me. Automatic laugher, sorry. And empirically, the fruits of the process that has produced our female general officers to date—can you say Janis Karpinski?—appear to bear out that summation.

35 posted on 03/24/2011 9:39:42 AM PDT by SamuraiScot
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: K-Stater

No, I’m saying that they are desperate to promote women to high rank.

This woman may be perfectly competent. But the odds suggest that she’d maybe be a colonel still if she were a man. Also, that it’s extremely unusual to put a refueling specialist in charge of a military mission like this.

I’d say the same thing if they put a male general in charge who had worked his way up in Supply. Supply is vital, but it doesn’t prepare someone to lead in battle.

We’ve seen what happens when they are desperate to have woman pilots. The result has been that a higher than average number of women pilots have crashed their planes or had other problems. Not that a woman couldn’t be a competent pilot, but that some were promoted beyond their capabilities simply for affirmative action reasons.


36 posted on 03/24/2011 9:40:15 AM PDT by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: K-Stater

I didn’t make that assessment by looking at her photo. It’s based upon reality of how men and women are designed. Women as a whole accel in areas of life that men do poorly and vice versa.

Most women are not, repeat not, interested in war. Only a small percentage are interested and the ones who are only a small percentage will accel at it.

When female soldiers are sent to area of combat operations are taking place a good percentage will get knocked up just so they can be sent back State-side because they have no desire to fight like men do.


37 posted on 03/24/2011 9:44:31 AM PDT by Jack Hydrazine (It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

To: K-Stater
The question is: The military has the charter to kill the enemy and break their things, so how does a female in the military improve on that? Gays and females allowed to serve is a leftist idea to degrade our forces.
38 posted on 03/24/2011 9:46:51 AM PDT by JayAr36 (Education is what we had before educators. Mark Steyn)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: Mr.Unique

Time was that First Assignment Instructor Pilot (FAIP) would be hard to overcome. Assignments in OSD and Colonel Assignments helped a great deal, I’m sure. Times change and there’s nothing wrong with that. In her current position I doubt she’s selecting the targets. This air campaign appears to be pretty similar to what my old HQ AF office (Checkmate) created for Desert Storm...until the Chairman asked CSAF to disband and let Joint run things.


39 posted on 03/24/2011 9:48:54 AM PDT by Portcall24
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: US Navy Vet

PC, diversity, and tolerance are swell aren’t they?

She’s a friggin’ bus driver, fer cryin’ out loud. (C-40, KC-135, C-37)


40 posted on 03/24/2011 9:55:53 AM PDT by 2nd Bn, 11th Mar (The "p" in Democrat stands for patriotism.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-59 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson