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Female Warriors Engage in Combat in Iraq, Afghanistan
ABC News ^ | 10/25/2009 | Martha Raddatz

Posted on 10/25/2009 7:24:06 AM PDT by Saije

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To: Bulldawg Fan

Congressman Dornan was stymied at every attempt he made to get these figures.


41 posted on 10/25/2009 12:42:41 PM PDT by MSF BU (++)
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To: Mr Rogers
You care to give me your name? I guarantee there are lots of F-4 pilots that would love to talk to you, not to mention other fighter pilots. I don’t take kindly to someone trashing a member of the USAF, especially when the person does not deserve the trashing.
42 posted on 10/25/2009 12:42:42 PM PDT by LuvFreeRepublic ("Brett should retire" Listen up boys, HE AIN'T DONE YET!!!)
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To: LuvFreeRepublic

I’ll send you a FReep-mail.


43 posted on 10/25/2009 12:43:50 PM PDT by Mr Rogers (I loathe the ground he slithers on!)
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To: El Gato
Then the was the "rumor int" that went around during Desert Shield. Seems the Air Force had sent some Security Police, including female airmen, to guard the birds bedded down in Saudia Arabia. Of course it's hot there and so the troops would just wear the pants from their utilities along with a T-shirt. Well, one of the Saudi religious police saw one of the female sky cops so dressed, with nothing over her head (flight line rules). He was incensed and went after her with a whip. He learned, the hard way, not a bring a whip to an assault rifle fight. One burst center of mass softened his attitude, permanently.

I read about that on Jeff Cooper's web site a few years back. She was guarding a plane, some wierdo "religious police" advances on her screaming and waving a whip, she drills him, and the CO gets her out of the area on the next plane. Don't know if it really happened, but I'd be glad if it did.

44 posted on 10/25/2009 12:46:01 PM PDT by PapaBear3625 (Public healthcare looks like it will work as well as public housing did.)
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To: El Gato

Eh, we’ve needed them ever since the draft was ended. Another mistake by Dick Nixon, along with affirmative action, wage & price controls, the EPA, etc. Aside from Watergate, most conservatives don’t realize what a lousy president he was.


45 posted on 10/25/2009 12:50:45 PM PDT by MSF BU (++)
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To: LuvFreeRepublic

“I can assure you your comments have pissed off someone more in the know than you and they will be passed on. I would caution you...”

But don’t come across like a fascist or anything, eh?


46 posted on 10/25/2009 12:53:57 PM PDT by PLMerite (Speak Truth to Stupid.)
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To: PLMerite

I’m not exactly quivering with fear...anyone with fighter time would have heard and said far worse said about friends than I’ve posted here!


47 posted on 10/25/2009 1:16:56 PM PDT by Mr Rogers (I loathe the ground he slithers on!)
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To: Saije

This article strikes close to home. I have a female frined who drives trucks for the Army. Two tours in Iraq, on her third tour in Afghanistan. She’s been in the sh!t. Blown up, shot at, shot back, the works. Sweet gal but tough as nails when necessary. Has all my love and respect.


48 posted on 10/25/2009 1:26:36 PM PDT by piytar (This tag deleted by the Ministry of Truth. Love Big Brother. Or else!)
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To: ccmay

I am happy for her and that department but that is the exception and not the rule. 4 people died here in Atlanta several years ago when a 50 something woman Deputy was left alone to hold a man twice her size. As a result, the judge, court reporter, a deputy and a federal agent are dead.


49 posted on 10/25/2009 2:49:50 PM PDT by Bulldawg Fan (Victory is the last thing Murtha and his fellow Defeatists want.)
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To: MSF BU

He was stymied for good reason, those figures dont look too good.


50 posted on 10/25/2009 2:50:32 PM PDT by Bulldawg Fan (Victory is the last thing Murtha and his fellow Defeatists want.)
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To: Bulldawg Fan

I’d guess along those lines as well...


51 posted on 10/25/2009 2:56:29 PM PDT by MSF BU (++)
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To: MSF BU

The same physical standards that apply to the men and their MOS must be applied to the women seeking the same MOS. If that is not done, the Guarantee is worthless.


52 posted on 10/25/2009 9:19:04 PM PDT by cpdiii (roughneck, oilfield trash and proud of it, geologist, pilot, pharmacist, iconoclast.)
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To: MSF BU

Those of us who have seen the grim horror at the sharp end of infantry combat (as I did in a Mech Infantry outfit in Vietnam) are concerned at the rhetoric of many of those pushing the women in combat agenda. Daily we are regaled by the sight of 110 lb. women routinely beating the stuffing out of 250 lb male behemoths in choreographed entertainment fantasies like Buffy the vampire Slayer, Dark Angel, Tomb Raider and the Matrix Reloaded. We all listened breathlessly to the initial (later revealed as inaccurate) reports of brave little Jessica Lynch mowing down hordes of Iraqis.

It is only natural that with this continual barrage of opinion shaping that an attitude will begin to form that women are just as generally capable of participating in infantry combat as men are, with a comensurate erosion of the rationale for excluding them in the first place.

This is not to say that women can not serve in positions that enhance military capability, they are already serving in them, and serving well and honorably. It was Nazi Armament Minister Albert Speer who cited the German failure to mobilize their women in the manner that the Allies did in WWII as a significant factor in the Nazi defeat. In situations involving large scale mobilization, they are essential. (Don’t forget that the Soviets only did it because of the hugely staggering quantity of casualties that they suffered, on a scale that we can scarcely concieve of) That is not the case now as most personnel requirements could be met with the available pool of qualified males. Today, the issue is clouded by feminists and their societal influence ranging from lefist cum Marxist to liberal gender equity advocates. All too often combat readinesss, morale and unit cohesion is secondary to remaking the military institution into one which advances a radical social agenda. The decision to incorporate such large numbers of women into today’s military is a political decision, not one of military necessity has was the case with the Soviets during World War II.

One of the problems in assesing the impact of this issue vis-a-vis the Iraq war is the fact that we handily defeated them with the forces that were already in place in the invasion phase. Due to a combination of the skill of our superbly trained, equipped, motivated soldiers; and the ineptitude of our enemy (but they are getting better) our casualty rate has been thankfully far lower than we should have been reasonably able to expect given historical precedents. Notwithstanding this the question must be asked as to what would happen should we face an enemy that could inflict the sort of casualties on us has was the case during the fighting in northwest Europe in WWII? The United States Army was forced to comb out military personnel who had been assigned to the Army Specialized Training program as technical personnel (aircrew, radar operators, etc) and convert them to infantry to replace the staggering losses. Since 14% of the Army is not deployable to such duty (women) this does not bode well for such an eventuality. While we can continue to pray that we will never again face an enemy that will be able to attrite us as the German and Japanese Armies did, we MUST not plan as though it will never again happen. The Iraq war as it is presently playing out IS NO TEST OF THIS PROPOSITION.

Many commentators are relentless in their determination to ignore the considerable body of factual evidence indicating that the present policy of sexual intergration is inconsistent with certain vital forms of combat readiness. Study after study (reinforced by my 20 yrs of anecdotal observation in the active duty military and NG) highlight the physical unsuitability of most women for the tasks of the combat soldier, and often even the support soldier. My personal observations include the inability to change the tires on military vehicles, clear routine stoppages on M60 medium MG’s and .50 cal HMG’s, carry heavy loads any appreciable distances at necessary speeds, lift and evacuate casualties, and an inordinate disposition to injury. The reason that the military adopted “dual physical training standards” was to ensure politically acceptable numbers of women, since 40-60% of them would be washed out if they were required to meet male physical training requirements. My son, a reservist in a NG chopper unit, is contemptuous of what he describes as continual coddling of female soldiers. He is planning to transfer to an infantry unit.

In situations of full mobilization, women are essential. I believe that women are a militarily valuable asset, provided that asset is used in a manner that makes the military ready to fight, and subordinates feminist social engineering to that end.

Hundreds of thousands of women have served and are serving their country honorably and well. I honor them for their service and recognize them as comrades and fellow veterans. We can only hope that their service will be continued in such a manner as to enhance the ability of the military to fight. The potential consequences for the individual soldier and the military’s mission are too serious to subordinate to social engineering.


53 posted on 10/25/2009 10:01:58 PM PDT by DMZFrank
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To: DMZFrank

You put it very well and made the same points I would have made. I would guess however that if the male apft standards were applied to females, the washout rate would be well over 60%. I know that if females were required to do pullups at airborne school as men are (or at least were), the graduation rate at would plummet.


54 posted on 10/26/2009 7:16:13 AM PDT by MSF BU (++)
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To: LuvFreeRepublic; Mr Rogers

and what is your USAF experience LFR?

be specific like Rogers was please.


55 posted on 10/26/2009 7:23:09 AM PDT by wardaddy (folks, these freepathons are taking too long tightwads, shame on us in front of the kooks)
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To: DMZFrank

excellent post....I was not in Vietnam...I’m 51 but existed in some pretty deadly environments for many years being in conflict areas and avoiding being shot or blown up whenever possible...anyone thinks women can hold up on average in combat environments even with today’s weakassed meterosexual boys is plain wishful.

armies for 1000s of years did not keep women mostly from combat because they were sexist bigots but rather because they knew like you do what time it is....why do we now think we are so much smarter?

the glaring irony in all this is that the women pushing this social engineering are for the most part distinctly anti-war anyhow.

thank you for your service very much sir.

it’s like Travis says, any culture willing to send it’s wives and daughters off to fight and die whilst it’s able bodied young men sit home and watch MTV, smoke dope and play video games ain’t one that will survive a protracted high intensity conflict.


56 posted on 10/26/2009 7:32:54 AM PDT by wardaddy (folks, these freepathons are taking too long tightwads, shame on us in front of the kooks)
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To: Travis McGee

courtesy quote ping


57 posted on 10/26/2009 7:34:44 AM PDT by wardaddy (folks, these freepathons are taking too long tightwads, shame on us in front of the kooks)
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To: wardaddy

Stuff it wardaddy. It is not always what you know, but who you know.


58 posted on 10/26/2009 8:34:14 AM PDT by LuvFreeRepublic ("Brett should retire" Listen up boys, HE AIN'T DONE YET!!!)
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To: LuvFreeRepublic
"You care to give me your name?"

Who the F*&# appointed you to be the Free Republic Stazi?

This is a web forum, jacka$$, not your private star chamber.

59 posted on 10/26/2009 2:13:15 PM PDT by Travis McGee (---www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com---)
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To: wardaddy
it’s like Travis says, any culture willing to send it’s wives and daughters off to fight and die whilst it’s able bodied young men sit home and watch MTV, smoke dope and play video games ain’t one that will survive a protracted high intensity conflict.

Amen I say again, bruddah.

60 posted on 10/26/2009 2:14:26 PM PDT by Travis McGee (---www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com---)
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