Replies

One of the great things I remember about my active duty time as an officer of Infantry was the impromptu staff meetings. The command group would have the Battalion Commander addressing his staff in the field, maybe close to chow time while the enlisted guys were busy eating we'd be up on a hill nearby (officers always eat last in the field) and talking about what might be upcoming in whatever exercise we were engaging in and suddenly the "Old Man" or the XO would need to take a "whiz" and he'd just spin around, whip it out and "go." then he'd zip up, turn back and we'd continue the discussion. It was nothing. No big deal. But this all changes when the women come in. It HAS to.

I also remember the run up to a deployment overseas where everybody was basically restricted to either the company area or the battalion area depending on rank and there would be "movies" running non-stop in the day rooms or staff areas with popcorn and soda all around, free. XXX of course. Damn that was fun. Girls ruin all the fun GUY stuff just by being present. Yes, I know. I'm a misogynistic pig. ALL GUYS ARE. Especially in the Combat Arms. Otherwise known as the sleepy-eyed professional killers who keep this nation free.

Imagine you are settling into a two man hole after humping 20 klicks in a 120 degrees with an M60, two hundred rounds and 60 pounds of other crap. On top of that it is Malaria pill day and you had the bad draw on c-rats and got every grease immersed ration.

On top of that you haven't showered in a couple of weeks because every time you're scheduled for a shower point your unit gets called off for an emergency that may or may not occur.

Now here you are with crotch rot down to your knees with the sweat rotting the arm pits out of your fatigue jacket, smelling like a goat, wondering how long your last pack of Camels will last, looking at Two Up and Two down because you are in a hot area, and sweet lips your hole Buddie has PMS and has run out of tamp-ex.

AHHH life in the Infantry. It does have a certain allure.

"...then he'd zip up, turn back and we'd continue the discussion. It was nothing. No big deal. But this all changes when the women come in. It HAS to."

I was a 12B in the Guard at the end of the eighties and through most of the nineties. We didn't see any women except for primary leadership schools (PLDC under Reserve), and then only a very few (each school given half the time regulars are allowed to do it, from 0400 hours to about 2100 hours each day to get it done). They were TDY from other MOSs.

One was assigned to my primary leadership school squad from an ARCOM office (journalist). She was from a different background, religion, etc. and was my battle buddy for the very short field phase of the school. I was older than most of the men around me. No privacy but no problem (very close as required in the field but stood watch with back turned when necessary, no stupid jokes). But those schools were gravy, about the easiest duty we did. Later on, I was an assistant instructor for one of those schools.

But...

Can't imagine women being in my old MOS or unit. They wouldn't like it at all. Nearly all of them would go away on zero day in initial training. Any who made it beyond that would be extreme suicide/stress fracture risks and problems later in home units. It would seem nearly impossible for a woman to pee in a grenade sump in a proper fire position (foxhole). Will they broaden the dimensions of fire positions?

Hmmm. I wonder how they measure fire positions now? Their rifles are a might bit short these days. ;-)