My sincere condolences to her Family and Friends
Posted on 07/26/2012 12:57:50 AM PDT by robowombat
Female 4th Brigade Combat Team Soldier Killed in Afghanistan Department of Defense announced the death of an 82nd Airborne Division paratrooper. By Kelly Twedell July 20, 2012
Spc. Krystal M. Fitts, 26, of Houston, Texas, died July 17 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, from injuries suffered from indirect fire.
Fitts was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.
C Company’s commander, Capt. Sam Perlik, applauded Fitts for taking on duties above-and-beyond those required.
“She was attached to the company six months before deploying and immediately impressed those around her with her motivation, tenacity and drive to learn,” Perlik told the fayobserver.com. “Her dedication to the unit and support to fellow paratroopers will be missed, and her contributions well remembered.”
Fitts joined the Army in October 2009 as a chemical operations specialist. Her awards include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Bronze Service Star, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal, the Combat Action Badge and the Parachutist Badge.
Now Daddy’s little girl, too, can come home in a body bag. Congratulations, Democrats.
Pray for America.
What's "indirect fire?"
My heart goes out to all the families of fallen soldiers. These are true americans like the rest of the men and women serving today making the ultimate sacrafice for their country. I applaud every soldier for their efforts to keep America free.
“May God have mercy on my enemies, because I wont.” Gen. Patton
I guess they’re trying to say shrapnel. Maybe from a mortar or grenade.
You are right. This is AFU.
...still this lady gave her life for our country and I honor that.
Regardless of insurmountable female biological inadequacies for certain roles—roles that address life and death situations where male strength saves lives and female lack of it can't—the pawns usually die the most.
Political Correctness is a deadly fascist spin-off.
I called a “conservative” senator’s local office here in Texas to protest the Obama Admins plans to begin integrating women into the Infantry. The young “Republican” staffer could not get past the “equal rights” meme.
Combat is not about “rights.” Defending our country is not about “rights.” Gaining a spot in our combat units is not a “right.”
Equal right to have your body blown up?
Women in combat is not a sign of greatness. Doubly so, when less than 1% of our population is actually in combat units.
Granted: This brave female KIA was probably a combat medic, who will be surely missed. But, why do we have to expose our women to this? My heart goes out to her family.
Our country can do better, or it used to, at least.
When my ass is on the wall fighting the very enemy u watch on TV I really don’t care who pulls the trigger to save my life as long as they pull it!
My sincere condolences to her Family and Friends
An Artillery wife, Mary Hays McCauly (better known as Molly Pitcher) shared the rigors of Valley Forge with her husband, William Hays. Her actions during the battle of Monmouth on June 28, 1778 became legendary. That day at Monmouth was as hot as Valley Forge was cold. Someone had to cool the hot guns and bathe parched throats with water.
Across that bullet-swept ground, a striped skirt fluttered. Mary Hays McCauly was earning her nickname “Molly Pitcher” by bringing pitcher after pitcher of cool spring water to the exhausted and thirsty men. She also tended to the wounded and once, heaving a crippled Continental soldier up on her strong young back, carried him out of reach of hard-charging Britishers. On her next trip with water, she found her artilleryman husband back with the guns again, replacing a casualty. While she watched, Hays fell wounded. The piece, its crew too depleted to serve it, was about to be withdrawn. Without hesitation, Molly stepped forward and took the rammer staff from her fallen husband’s hands. For the second time on an American battlefield, a woman manned a gun. (The first was Margaret Corbin during the defense of Fort Washington in 1776.) Resolutely, she stayed at her post in the face of heavy enemy fire, ably acting as a matross (gunner).
For her heroic role, General Washington himself issued her a warrant as a noncommissioned officer. Thereafter, she was widely hailed as “Sergeant Molly.” A flagstaff and cannon stand at her gravesite at Carlisle, Pennsylvania. A sculpture on the battle monument commemorates her courageous deed.
http://sill-www.army.mil/pao/pamolly.htm
Additionally, during WWII, some of the best snipers in the entire war were Russian women. It's difficult to argue that women cannot perform, and perform quite well, in at least some combat roles.
The fact is, sometimes a woman can have the heart of a warrior. Joan of Arc, Molly Pitcher, the aforementioned female Russian snipers, and other such anomalies sometimes come along during the course of warfare.
I learned long ago to resist overly dogmatic conclusions with respect to women's suitability for combat.
There are undoubtedly some females capable of legitimately outperforming an average (or below average) male infantryman with respect to combat duty.
While it will obviously never be commonplace, I believe that in cases where a female can meet the same criteria that are in place for a male regarding qualification for any military role, they should be permitted to do so.
A warrior is a warrior, and men do not have a monopoly on the occupation, or its practical requirements.
RIP.
She'll be lauded by the same bunch of feminazis who, not for a minute, wouldn't get anywhere near a recruitment center much less a combat zone.
She should be lauded by all patriotic Americans, but then one has to wonder what did her death serve to put her and other women into combat zones . . . so the libtard jackasses could try to find a GI Jane to crow about?
May she rest in peace, but it's too bad that she died serving a country that feels it's necessary to put women in combat.
Margaret Cochran Corbin (1751-1800)
After taking over her husband’s cannon in battle on Manhattan Island, now called Ft. Washington, New York, Margaret Corbin was badly wounded. She was the first woman to receive a military pension.
Margaret Cochran Corbin was born November 12, 1751. Margaret was orphaned at a young age following an Indian attack in which her father was killed; her mother never returned after being taken captive. Luckily, Margaret and her brother were visiting their uncle at the time of the attack. He ended up adopting them.
In 1772 Margaret Cochran married John Corbin. Three years after they married, John Corbin joined the militia.
Instead of staying at home, Corbin decided to follow her husband to war. She earned money by cooking and doing laundry for soldiers. She also helped take care of the sick and wounded.
During the Battle at Fort Washington on November 16, 1776, Corbin went with her husband onto the battlefield. Her husband was a matross, which meant he loaded the cannon. Corbin helped him with this task. After her husband’s partner was killed, he took over firing the cannon, and Corbin began loading the cannon. Her husband was also killed, but Corbin continued firing the cannon alone.
Other soldiers took notice of her excellent aim.
Unfortunately, so did the British who were soon targeting her with their own cannons. The British eventually won this battle but Corbin’s cannon was the last one to stop firing.
Corbin was later found in critical condition She was wounded with three musket balls and grapeshot. Her jaw and chest were damaged and her left arm was almost severed. She was unable to use her left arm for the rest of her life. After she recovered, Corbin joined the Invalid Regiment at West Point. Here, she performed many helpful tasks such as cooking and laundry with the other wounded soldiers.
Corbin was poor and had no way to earn a living. Because of her injuries, Corbin had trouble bathing and dressing and needed special care. On June 26, 1776 the state of Pennsylvania gave Corbin $30.00 to help with her expenses in recognition of her bravery. Still, this money did not go far. Corbin had trouble getting along with the other women in town and she was said to be unfriendly and unclean. She spent most of her time at the post smoking and conversing with soldiers.
The Philadelphia Society of Women planned to erect a monument honoring Corbin as the first heroine of the Battle of New York. However, when they met with her they discovered that she was a rough woman who was poor and drank too much and decided to cancel the monument.
On July 6, 1779, the Continental Congress awarded her with a lifelong pension equivalent to half of the amount a man would receive. She was the first woman to receive a pension. She also received an outfit of clothing when she joined the Invalid Regiment and later received an annual clothing allowance.
Corbin remarried a fellow wounded soldier in 1782 but he died a year later. Still much in need, Corbin requested a rum ration, which was often given to soldiers. She was given this rum ration and the government even added in some back pay.
Because she was well respected for her acts of bravery, many officials were compassionate and eager to help. Her needs were recorded in the correspondence between General Henry Knox and Quartermaster William Price, which later resulted in someone to help her bathe and dress. All of the help Corbin received from the government clearly indicates how highly her military contemporaries thought of her and appreciated her acts of bravery. Though Corbin never got her monument, today three commemorative plaques celebrating the Revolutionary war heroine can be found in the area near the Fort Washington battle site.
Margaret Corbin’s story was passed down by local villagers and in 1926, almost 150 years later, her remains were rediscovered. Her body was identified by the wounds she incurred in the famous battle. She was then reburied with full military honors at West Point. She was the only Revolutionary War veteran honored in this way.
http://www.nwhm.org/education-resources/biography/biographies/margaret-cochran-corbin/
Biography researched and written by NWHM Intern of Summer 2006 Albrey Diece
RIP
What’s “indirect fire?”
My guess is that it was known as “friendly fire” when Bush was president (in the same way “US casualties” under Bush became “NATO casualties” under Obama - with a story several days later clarifying that they were Americans).
How many have died because a female soldier/policeman/firefighter didn't have the upper body power—through no fault of her own— to drag their injured bodies out of harm's way!?!?
More than you think, it's just the PC MSM won't report it!
I work with female soldiers every day in the logistics (sustainment) area and I have nothing but praise for their professionalism and patriotism, but there’s something that hits you in the gut when you read this. It’s bad enough for our young men but this is almost beyond comprehension. Why?
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