Posted on 09/08/2006 3:07:09 PM PDT by show me state
Edited on 09/08/2006 3:58:09 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
WASHINGTON, Sept. 8, 2006 — Air Force Maj. Jill Metzger, who vanished Monday in Kyrgyzstan, has been found and now is back in Air Force control, ABC News has learned.
"We are elated to have Jill back with us," said Air Force spokesman Col. Scott Reese. Local police notified U.S. officials that she had been found at 1:15 a.m. local time in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
Air Force officials say she was found alone and appears to have been beaten. Officials say she is "coherent," in "relatively good condition" and is talking to investigators. She is also undergoing medical evaluation.
Officials would not comment on the circumstances surrounding her disappearance and said the investigation is ongoing
The news brought elation to Metzger's family.
"It's a dream come true. The most significant event of our lives," said Kelly Mayo, Metzger's father-in-law. Mayo said he has not spoken to Metzger yet, but believes she had been kidnapped and "whoever had her dropped her off on the side of the road."
Metzger vanished on Monday afternoon in Kyrgyzstan — a poor, predominantly Muslim country in Central Asia. Since shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks, Kyrgyzstan has been home to a strategically important U.S. military base that supports operations in Afghanistan. The government is generally pro-American, and in recent years has experienced sporadic clashes with Islamic fundamentalists.
Just 10 days before deploying to Kyrgyzstan in April, Metzger married Air Force Capt. Josh Mayo. They had already bought tickets for a honeymoon in Jamaica later this month, he said.
"We were going to take Jet Skis out, have a couple of romantic dinners. It is very disappointing," said Mayo
Before her disappearance, Metzger was last seen out shopping with five others from the base. The group briefly separated inside a department store in the center of Bishkek, several miles from the base. They had agreed to meet a short time later, but Metzger never showed up.
"A law that is legimate seeing that women are different than men in many ways."
A law that is pretty much irrelevant, now, as our enemy does not recognize that difference, or that there is anything that is NOT a war zone.
From em2vn: "Have you yet checked out the original post?"
Yes, thank you and the others for pointing out that the original post about a missing female American AF Major did not include the information that she appeared to have been beaten when she was found in a foreign country.
I still find it odd that with the information given, it was such an occasion of sport, but to each his own.
A lot of the comments on this thread are disgusting. Thank God this woman has been found alive.
It wouldn't hurt my feelings at all if this entire thread were deleted. Many of the comments are a bad refelction on Free Republic and dishonor our military.
In case you hadn't noticed, there is no longer a "front". Welcome to 21st cetury warfare. As Old Student said, to our enemy, anyplace is a war zone. Every person in the armed services is trained to kill - women or men. Higgmeister nailed when he (or she) stated that there will come a day when you will be glad that American women bear arms and can be as deadly as men. Combat with a terrorist can happen at your kids' school - better hope those mommas are armed. I know I am.
Things have changed - conventional warfare as you knew it is gone. Women in the armed services are valuable members of the team and the military can no longer run without them.
In Metzger's specific case, she was personnel - hardly a combat role. But thank G-d she can kick ass - she's no wilting flower. Because if she was a sheltered, prissy little thing - as you may prefer - she'd proably be long gone or long dead, while waiting for one of you big, strong men to rescue her. No thanks.
If there is nothing lost when replacing a male marine with a female marine, then what ever standard the female passed to get her into the uniform, should simply become the one standard for all marines.
It appears that you find offense because a stereotype of men was being played against in the postings.
I think your offense is an example of a conditioned, female response that is hypocritical but considered acceptable in our culture.
If the comments had been about a male officer who had went missing, the failure to ask directions stereotype would have been well played on FR and you would have found no offense.
I haven't caught up to what they are saying happened. But hypothetically, if she was having an affair and didn't want to go home to her husband she may be in the frame of mind of going AWOL.
"I meant Jennifer Eubanks."
Wasn't it "Wilbanks"?
"The Air Force's Office of Special Investigations said that Metzger had been beaten, though she was coherent, and she will undergo medical evaluation."
Reminds me of the "Dirty Harry" movie.
"How many people are Majors by the time they're (only) 30? Maybe 2 or 3?"
The system has changed. Air Force officers typically hit their majors board at the eight year point, or so. Inasmuch, someone who got commissioned at the age of 22...rather common...could easily make major and be pinned on by 30.
It is difficult to respond to a person who has decided he knows what I think.
I don't like a US military officer or private being laughed at under any serious circumstances. THAT was and is my chief objection to the replies, particularly because the officer in the article had gone missing, which could easily indicate foul play was in the mix. Not realizing the extent to which the original article had been expanded, I stated that I was appalled that her apparently being beaten could be taken in such a laughable way. That is the response I would have had whether the officer were a male or female.
You could just look in the mirror and say, What the heck, I'll try to be an ounce more considerate next time one of our military goes missing.
Or, what the heck, you could just keep on trying to defend your current policy.
So which is it? Was her head shaved and her dyed hair dumped off with her?
The way this part of the story is told makes no sense.
Don't know if she is medical corp or not. Many docs and dentists make O-4 well before 30. Hell, they come right out of med schools and are immediately O-3s.
There has been a bit much of the rush to speculate around here, lately, without the application of fact.
Closet DU'ers and cross dressers is my guess.
Wonderful news.
Son made Captain at 25. He was commissioned at 21 when he graduated college and was commissioned 2LT.
I was stationed with Jill at a former base and was in the same career field as she is. She is a personnelist. In the AF, we take 4 years to Capt, and about 5.5-6 years to Major (from Capt). There are TONS of young 30's Majors out there. Her promotion rate was completely normal ("in the zone").
Meant to add that my son was Army. Chose infantry. Served four years in Germany and came out of the military when my husband became critcally ill.
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