She’s proof of what you say, some women, who know what it’s about, still want it... and should have that right. Her comment that stuck with me from that article, “It’s not like you see in the movies.” Oh, baby.
We're on the same page.
I remember the first time I went to a crash scene and walked up to the severed head of a motorcyclist who had been decapitated.
Lots of people would quit the next day. I didn't.
I've now seen hundreds of dead and severely injured people, including many different methods of violent death and injury, plus the stench of rotting corpses. Of course the camera stays down until the bodies are removed — I care about the burning building or collapsing wall or smashed car, not the bodies — but that doesn't mean I don't see some horrible things that I never photograph.
It's not for everybody, but everybody who wants to deal with that kind of stuff needs to get used to it or get out.
When my niece started getting interested in the military, I started taking her with me to crash scenes. It was only a couple of weeks before she was with me at a horrible fatal crash and had to see the paramedics try and fail to save the victim, and then see the victim's spouse and children come to the crash scene.
I encouraged her to take additional classes to become an EMT. As part of her civilian EMT training, she went out to real crash scenes, including ones with multiple fatalities and critical injuries. She's now seen more dead and critically injured people than most if not all of the people in her ROTC program except those with prior enlisted military service.
If a woman wants to get into the military, she needs to know what she faces. Some want it. Most don't. I'm very thankful for those who do.