[triumphant values]

The party of the angry white male doesn't like a female in command, or in the military at all. Who would have thought?

Is that how lowly you think of us? Well good, I'm glad to have that out in the open. I prefer to know who our allies are and who are the pretenders.

[MasterGunner01]

For the record, I did 24 years in the USN/USNR and retired a GMCM (SW) — E-9. There are two countries in this world that have extensive experience with women in combat: 1) Israel (1948-1949) and 2) Russia (1941-1945). Neither of these countries intentionally assign women to combat arms in all female or mixed male female units. Both still employ women in supporting roles, but not infantry, armor, artillery, or where direct physical contact with enemy forces is sought. Why is this?

1. All female or mixed male female units take disproportionally high casualties as women try to “prove” themselves or men try to protect the women.
2. There are morale problems for both sexes when women are killed and dismembered or burned horribly as the result of combat action.
3. Women are simply not as strong as the men to do the really strenuous “grunt” work in the field. This can and has affected the ability to complete missions. Also, women have specific hygiene needs in the field that men don't have, and this can be a problem.

Other problems noted in American mixed-gender deployments:

4. Women often exercise the “option” of pregnancy the men don't have. In the American military, forward deployed females are sent to shore stations away from combat until the child is born. They are NOT replaced within the squadron, unit, or ship's company, so the work load on the remaining personnel is increased.
5. Morale problems caused by fraternization, preferential treatment (or accusation of), petty jealousies, and sexual harassment (both ways).
6. Intentional “fast-tracking” of women and minorities into high ranking officer ranks. Part of this is “ticket-punching” for these individuals by assigning them to combat slots they may not be ready for (too soon) or for purely PC reasons. Notice that the big push for females in combat slots (to qualify faster for higher grades) is preached by female officers and PC politicians. Most of them have ever heard shots fired in anger. Enlisted female service members usually do not desire or want combat assignments as a means to promotion.