Posted on 05/15/2005 7:13:35 AM PDT by metalcor
MOSUL, Iraq -- Jennifer Guay went to war to be a grunt. And the 170-pound former bartender from Leeds, Maine, with cropped red hair and a penchant for the bench press, has come pretty close.
It was mid-February and Guay, 26, an Army specialist who was the first woman to be assigned as an infantry combat medic, was spending 10 hours a day on missions with the 82nd Airborne Division, dodging rockets and grenades in the crowded streets of Mosul.
"Break-break-break: U.S. soldier down!" a hard-edged voice came over the radio. A gun battle had just broken out.
In less than five minutes, Guay was at the scene. She dashed to Sgt. Christopher Pusateri, 21, who was lying on the ground, a bullet through his jaw. "I was in charge of this man's life," she recalled. Pusateri had "a massive trauma injury, and I had to get him off the middle of the street."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Ever notice the heavy lifting in Iraq, the house-to-house, kick in door stuff is done by Marines? The Marines were the first large combat force into Afghanistan also. At the time, I seem to recall Rumsfeld saying the Army wasn't combat ready.
No I can't say that I have heard that the Marines were doing the heavy lifting in Iraq. Marine units in Iraq all have US Army soldiers working with the Marines in the field and the Army units do the heavy fighting.
This war is a guerrilla war – the front, rear, and in-between war is where you are at any given moment. Mary Prophit clearly states the reality of today’s warfare. These women are doing a heroic job and doing it well - these ladies present a formidable front; No one knows when and where the action will take place so the argument of ‘no women in combat’ is moot one at best.
How many of them are voluteering to be subject to all the above out of a desire to serve? If that fact hasn't even occured to you, perhaps you shouldn't be commenting.
Amen, I do know what you mean. They should be given no special recognition or thanks. But thanks and respect due to someone who has fought and bled in combat against our enemies.
Honestly don't know if she was required to complete the course, but know that she did. I don't disagree that women medics should be limited in use and it is my understanding that that is what is happening. Working out of a Stryker Ambulance seems to be suitable mission to me.
Thank your brother fo his service--sounds like a true hero.
I am certain his departure will correct the situation.
There is no such medical specialty in the inventory.
combat medic attached directly to an infantry unit would be a more precise way of saying what I intended
Thank you for your words and your service. I will tell her exactly what you said.
I was criticizing the Washington Post article, not you. Sorry.
The medics seem to be doing a great job, my problem is with their commander. Good Luck to them all .... yeah I like to think of my little brother as a true hero and stud.
Hah! Metalcor comes from my 25+ years as an ironworker---a male ironworker, by the way. This is the first time anyone has mistaken me for anything but a man. I was opposed to women in direct combat roles or even being in Iraq, but my own daughter who I respect and admire, has shown me that a woman can serve well in more roles than I had ever considered--like serving as the medic in a MEV. She doesn't think she or any woman should be put in a position of house to house fighting when physical abilities might become a negative. Even so, I would still prefer men do those jobs, but they aren't volunteering. Even in her unit, when volunteers to go on convoy escort are requested, she and two or three females are among the first to step forward. Many of her male counterparts want to stay behind. She just got back from a convoy from Mosul to Tall Afar in a Strker MEV with an all female crew. She was in the gunners hatch. I would be glad to have some of these young punks I see driving up and down the street with music blaring step into her place. But their Mommy's won't let them. Anybody who feels so strongly should be encouraging every young man they know or meet to join up.
"I'm not in favor of woman in roles dedicated to direct combat and ambivelant about them being in direct support roles, but they deserve respect, admiration, and gratitude. And articles like this serve to make the public aware of what is being done on their behalf. Even if they chose to dismiss it as social activism."
All the soldiers deserve that and more, but this article is much, much more than that. If it were simply about inspiring gratitude from the public, then describe the exploits and resist the urge to use a few anecdotes and a few opinions as evidence that the combat rules should be changed.
The gist of this article is that because some non-frontline combat units face circumstances similar to the infantry and armored units, and because one woman in particular has an impressive bench press ability, that the combat units should be opened up to women.
This article is a textbook example of media bias -- ignore the opposition, pretend as though there is only one reasonable position to take, and use individual, anecdotal evidence and try to extrapolate it onto general policy.
It reminds me of a story one of those primetime newsmagazines did yrs ago on this very issue (William McGowan addresses it in his book "Coloring the News"). The entire segment was basically cheerleading for the change in policy, and it ended by quoting one of the female soldiers as saying something along the lines of 'women can do anything men can do, usually better...' or something inane like that. I wonder if people ever realize how ridiculous they sound when they say things like that. Even if there are a few (and that's all there would ever be barring some drastic change in human nature and biology) women who can meet infantry/armor standards, that won't change the fact that men, as a group, are naturally better suited for fighting and combat.
It is best for advocates of letting women into combat to try and find these exceptions, and focus on them, rather than making stupid general comments about women being just as suited for combat as men.
Your response should end the discussion as there is little to say after and nothing to rebut. BUT... there is an agenda where people who have relatives serving in Iraq want them to be recognized as combat soldiers and perhaps be [ahem] maybe suitable for combat ribbons and perhaps the coveted C.I.B. that their M.O.S. does not allow them to receive. Methinks there is more to this than meets the eye.
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