Posted on 04/22/2005 6:17:52 AM PDT by rellimpank
By Bruce Finley Denver Post Staff Writer
Spec. Crysti Cason, with the Colorado-based 3rd Armored Cavalry in Iraq, wipes down an M215 .50-caliber machine gun, with an M249 she calls Rosie at her right. Cason, 22, joined the Army at 17 and is one of the few Army women to emerge as a top gunner. This is her second tour in Iraq.
Baghdad, Iraq - A small striped bird sang atop a palm tree as Spec. Crysti Cason sat beneath it wiping dust off her weapon: a .50-caliber machine gun that fires hundreds of bullets a minute.
(Excerpt) Read more at denverpost.com ...
She sounds hot!

Any time a firearms-related thread is created on FreeRepublic, please be sure to add the "banglist" keyword to it so that interested FReepers don't miss it.
Let Freedom Ring,
Much easier to look at than the gunners I had to work with way back when.
So who's wants to be the one to tell her she has no business doing what she's doing?
If she can't throw the reciever or the barrel of that M2 over her shoulder and march for 12 miles, she definitely has no business doing what she's doing.
However, she isn't the first female I've seen who was a great shot. It's worthless if you can't man the weapon system in all required scenarios.
Susan Kay manned our 50 cal in Mogadishu...it was mounted on the back of a duce and a half...23 years old, 5'7", slim, two young daughters back at Campbell- she had my six every time we went down 21 October Road-she was one tough soldier...and yeah, she was hot...
Molly Pitcher and Annie Oakley immediately came to mind while reading this wonderful story.
And if she did sling the M2 over he shoulder and hike 12 miles then you no doubt would say that until she can slog 24 miles then she has no business there.
She is manning her weapon in all the scenarios that are required of her. Just not all the ones you care to make up.

That's not the best picture in the world, but she looks quite attractive. Miss Cason isn't bad either.
Hear, hear!
Perhaps you need to change your name to ANCIENT Centurion. ;-)
Considering it is her SECOND tour there I would say worthless might not be the word you are looking for.
MachineGunnenSpankenTruppen ping
touche'
Priceless.
Many of Russia's top snipers during WWII were women. IIRC, they found that women seemed to be more adept at calm slow movement, stealth, a steady hand, and no compunction about shooting an unsuspecting enemy target than most of the men.
No, I wouldn't.
BTW, I didn't say she couldn't. I said if she can't. At 120 lbs. I'm pretty sure that she can't get the reciever mounted without help. That doesn't say she can't shoot.
I don't make up the fact that in 18 ABN corps troops have to road march 12 miles with their assigned weapon. Crew served weapons are carried by crews. For the M2, 1 carries reciever, 1 carries barrel, 1 carries tripod basic load of ammo is divided.
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