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Marine raid breaks gender barrier (Women in Combat)
Stars and Stripes ^ | 4 May 2005 | Sandra Jontz

Posted on 05/04/2005 4:50:17 AM PDT by Cornpone

KARMAH, Iraq — Lance Cpl. Erin Libby doesn’t want to be treated the same as her male Marine Corps counterparts. But she does want to be treated as an equal — even in combat.

In a way, she got her chance last weekend when Marines from the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment led a raid into the city of Karmah in search of high-value targets and hidden weapons.

“We’re out here, and we’re rocking on the front line,” said Libby, a 21-year-old from Niceville, Fla., who pinned on the rank of lance corporal during a break in the mission.

In all, 14 women from Combat Logistics Battalion 8 were called away from their usual jobs of supplying ammunition, food, water, fuel and mail for the three-day offensive that kicked off in the pre-dawn hours Saturday about 15 miles northeast of Fallujah.

Cultural sensitivities precluded male Marines from searching women, so the female Marines were meant to deflate fears of Iraqi men and women, said the battalion executive officer, Maj. Larry Miller. It was a first in Iraq to have female Marines embedded at the lowest levels of infantry companies and working alongside their male counterparts, said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jill St. John, 39, an embark officer with CLB-8.

“This is history. This is huge for us,” St. John said. “I’ve been in the Marine Corps for 18 years, and this is my first opportunity to be out with an infantry company. Even five years ago, the Marine Corps wouldn’t be doing this. This is a major change in how we think women can be used in the military.”

While female Marines were used in similar fashion during missions in Afghanistan, they were not fully integrated with line companies, St. John said.

“It wasn’t quite as dynamic as this. They’d wait at a camp in the rear and were called in when needed, often called in for resupply,” such as bringing in food and water.

“I’m so sick of hearing females can’t do this and females can’t do that. Blah, blah, blah,” said Cpl. Rachel Bergstrong, 20, of Cumming, Ga. “We’re in it as much as the grunts, and we love it.”

The battalion’s Lima and India companies absorbed the women into their ranks, giving them the primary mission to search women and children suspected of hiding anything. But the female Marines’ presence was not intended to show a softer side of the Marine Corps, said Capt. Mark Liston, commander of India Company.

“They’re still a fighting force for us,” he said. “With them, we can grab a wife [of a suspected insurgent], for example, put the screws to her, and find out where the husband might be hiding. And while it hasn’t been used here, [the insurgency has] been known to use female suicide bombers,” Liston said.

But there were times in which the softer side appeared in both the male and female Marines. When they weren’t raiding homes and businesses, the Marines were on humanitarian missions, handing out food, water and toys, especially to the hordes of children who flocked to the streets when the Humvees rolled in.

“Whenever I read about these humanitarian missions, I always thought it was so cheesy,” Libby said after tossing out handfuls of stuffed animals. “Now I’m the one sounding cheesy, but I like this. It makes you feel good inside.”

They’re often referred to as the WMs, or women Marines. They hate it, and the crass distortions of the acronym some say they’ve heard.

“We’re Marines, bottom line,” said Cpl. Dawn Lansberry, 31.

“I’m out here to prove a point,” Libby said. “A lot of males think females are weak. It’s time to shine, and I’m going to leave here golden.”


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Front Page News; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: combat; iraq; iraqwar; marine; oif; patrols; raids; war; wm; women; womenincombat
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To: Cornpone

There's no way the rampant leftism in our military and in the press would allow our troops to kill random ragheads. Same for average Americans "knowing their enemy and destroying it."

Our leftists simply will not let us fight in the proper way.


21 posted on 05/04/2005 5:10:20 AM PDT by Pete98 (After his defeat by the Son of God, Satan changed his name to Allah and started over.)
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To: LIConFem

hi5


22 posted on 05/04/2005 5:10:26 AM PDT by risk
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To: austinite
And when you stand before a 200 lb fellow wounded warrior and admit "I can't carry him" to safety......

There's more to being in the infantry than carrying a gun and I want my brother by my side not my sister. It's war!!

23 posted on 05/04/2005 5:12:15 AM PDT by Sacajaweau (God Bless Our Troops!!)
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To: cyborg
"Lance Cpl. Erin Libby doesn’t want to be treated the same as her male Marine Corps counterparts."

Well, we could start by eliminating the reduced physical fitness, height and weight standards. The promotion and selection quota's probably ought to go as well.

24 posted on 05/04/2005 5:12:59 AM PDT by Meldrim
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To: rabidralph
"Get your ass from behind that keyboard and join up. The reason so many women are creeping toward the front lines is because there aren't enough men to take their places."

Resume the Draft, as we've done in all of our other wars, and it won't be necessary...

25 posted on 05/04/2005 5:14:19 AM PDT by Meldrim
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To: Meldrim

I think the standards should be the same. I had a female training instructor that trained women according to male standards. She was one tough b*tch too OMG.


26 posted on 05/04/2005 5:14:58 AM PDT by cyborg (Serving fresh, hot Anti-opus since 18 April 2005)
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To: Cornpone
It's not so much about the grossness of the acts on one particular gender or the other. It is more about how our society so abhors (rightly so) the sexual abuse and torture of women. WE hate it and will react strongly. The enemy knows it. It represents a strategic strength for them, and a 'weakness' (in their minds) for us.

We cannot stomach the idea of women being tortured and may not deal rationally with an enemy whom we believe would relish it.
27 posted on 05/04/2005 5:16:41 AM PDT by Blueflag (Res ipsa loquitor)
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To: gitmogrunt

Darn few if any female grunts could haul an M-249 and 300 rounds around all day.


But then again, not every guy is man enough to handle the SAW ;-)


28 posted on 05/04/2005 5:18:53 AM PDT by Blueflag (Res ipsa loquitor)
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To: Sacajaweau

It seems the Marines need all the help they can get and now they're happy to be getting it from their WMs.


29 posted on 05/04/2005 5:19:14 AM PDT by rabidralph (My truck appreciates the rest of you driving fuel-efficient vehicles.)
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To: Cornpone
They’re often referred to as the WMs, or women Marines. They hate it, and the crass distortions of the acronym some say they’ve heard.

We used to call them BAMs (but only out of hearing)

30 posted on 05/04/2005 5:19:29 AM PDT by fnord (497 1/2 feet of rope ... I just carry it)
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To: Pete98
I don't think 20 - 30 Arabs gang raping a female soldier is going to cause the American soldiers to lose heart in the war. What it will do is cause them to take off the gloves, stop taking prisoners. Panties on the head will be a cartoon to what happens to prisoner's after that.

The VC and NVA used to kill and mutilate our wounded soldiers, thinking we would be too terrified of them to fight, there weren't too many prisoners taken after that. Same thing happened in Korea after troops found POWs shot in the head and buried in mass graves. WWII vets did the same in both theaters of the war.

Our guys have been fighting a gentleman's war in Iraq compared to other wars, but don't piss em off.
31 posted on 05/04/2005 5:23:34 AM PDT by Americanexpat (A strong democracy through citizen oversight.)
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To: Cornpone
False bravado, stupidity, or both?

To form an opinion all one has to do is watch the currently running Marine training film airing on Military channel.

32 posted on 05/04/2005 5:24:02 AM PDT by cynicom (<p)
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To: Cornpone

URRRRAAAAH BABY.

One thing though. I think after an IED ambush, some of our ladys might do a fine job of interrogating those male scumbags. It would do wonders for their arab male mindset to see a woman yelling and kicking their ass.


33 posted on 05/04/2005 5:27:04 AM PDT by TomasUSMC
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To: Cornpone

This social engineering of the armed forces is ruining it. Women do not belong in combat, period, end of story.


34 posted on 05/04/2005 5:30:20 AM PDT by Piquaboy (22 year veteran of the Army, Air Force and Navy, Pray for all our military .)
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To: fnord

I googled up BAM easy enough. I still can't find the alternate meaning for WM. What is it?


35 posted on 05/04/2005 5:38:24 AM PDT by need_a_screen_name
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To: Cornpone

I can't figure out why the media can't abbreviate state names correctly:

"Niceville, Fla."

WTF is Fla.? Florida? FL? F.L. F.L.O.R?


36 posted on 05/04/2005 5:38:36 AM PDT by ruiner
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To: Cornpone
Cultural sensitivities precluded male Marines from searching women, so the female Marines were meant to deflate fears of Iraqi men and women, said the battalion executive officer, Maj. Larry Miller.

The same is true in Afghanistan where "bad guys" hide under burkas. Females troops are definitely a critical element to search the women.

37 posted on 05/04/2005 5:42:33 AM PDT by CheneyChick
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To: Cornpone
“I’m out here to prove a point,” Libby said. “A lot of males think females are weak. It’s time to shine, and I’m going to leave here golden.”

That's right sweetheart.. being a Marine is all about you....

38 posted on 05/04/2005 5:43:21 AM PDT by joesnuffy (The generation that survived the depression and won WW2 proved poverty does not cause crime)
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To: austinite
Same here. 11 years as a Combat Engineer - including Desert Storm, subsequent Saudi and Kuwait deployments, CMTC, JRTC, NTC, etc.

I believe as a platoon sergeant who has had the honor of taking my troops overseas, living in a desert, and returning all of them safely home, I have at least a little authority on the subject.

KEEP FEMALES OUT OF COMBAT!

39 posted on 05/04/2005 5:49:26 AM PDT by DesertSapper (I Love God, Family, Country! (and dead terrorists))
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To: Blueflag
Humped one for about 8 months - not fun but easier than the M60.

I was always better with my M16A1 & A2 and finally my M4. However, I liked having the SAW firepower near me as we didn't have M60's my last 6 years or so.

Of course rocking and rolling with the M2 and MK19 was jolly fun but thankfully we didn't have to carry those.

And NO, a women should NOT be in combat.

40 posted on 05/04/2005 5:56:36 AM PDT by DesertSapper (I Love God, Family, Country! (and dead terrorists))
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