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To: Blueflag
Do you also mean women should not be in missile batteries, logisitcs, etc., that MIGHT encounter enemy troops?

Written in a positive tone - you would say “I am OK with women in the militray in roles such as ______ and ______ .” Just curious.

My answer pertains to the USMC. I have spent a good deal of time on the ships of the US Navy and have worked along side Army & Air Force personnel but I will not attempt to speak for those services.

The problem with answering your very courteous request is that all of my combat training & experience was under the philosophy, "Every Marine a rifleman, every Marine lieutenant a rifle platoon commander."

While at The Basic School in Quantico, my wife & I made the formal courtesy call on the XO and his wife at their quarters. Since I was headed to Pensacola for flight school after learning, at the Basic School, to be an infantry platoon commander, Col Skinner, an F-8 pilot (he took a lot of the low level photos of the Russian missiles in Cuba at the start of the Cuban Missile Crisis) gave me the fatherly talk he delivered to all the wanta-be hot-shot Marine pilots.

Emphasis was on my primary role in commanding Marines in ground combat. He told of his experience in Vietnam where he ended up being the G-3 (Operations Officer) for the 3rd Marine Division. A "jet jock" running the day to day operation of a Marine Infantry Division in the middle of a war. He mentioned that he had two Regimental G-3s under him and two rifle company commanders (in the bush) who were all pilots. The unspoken message: "Pay attention during your time here at the Basic School, Lieutenant. One day you very well may be responsible for the lives hundreds or even thousands of fellow Marines. You, too, may be in the mud, getting shot at "up close & personal."

Any Marine must be able to fill the role of rifleman or rifle platoon/company/etc. commander, if necessary. Clerks, cooks, Motor Transport, Jet Jock, Helo Pilot.

"Where do women fit in this picture?"

They don't.

102 posted on 12/28/2013 9:45:00 AM PST by BwanaNdege (Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable. J.F. Kennedy)
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To: BwanaNdege

My dad and middle son are former Marines.

I actually agree with you. I would not want 99.99% of women in a combat arms roles, and neither do I want them to be a ‘rifleman.’

women combat Marines and women submariners are just bad ideas. ;-)


112 posted on 01/02/2014 7:18:48 AM PST by Blueflag (Res ipsa loquitur: non vehere est inermus)
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