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To: Caesar Soze
Let me make myself clear. I'm a woman. I've always wanted to serve my country in some way, but not as a soldier. It's not that I'm afraid of the danger, it's just that I don't feel that I could physically be adequate for the job. I would like to serve in a support type role, but I don't know if any such exclusively support corps for women still exist.
53 posted on 03/22/2003 7:40:11 PM PST by MarcoPolo
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To: MarcoPolo
Caveat: I am not a recruiter or a BTDT, and what follows is my barely-educated HO.

A soldier is an enlisted or commissioned person serving in the United States Army. Members of the WAC are and were properly called 'soldiers,' and went through basic training very similar to that of their male counterparts.

If you want to put on a uniform and serve your country in the Army today, you go to Basic Combat Training like everyone else (except direct commission officers, I guess), but you train with men and women. If you don't like male privates, join the Marines. After Basic, you go on to advanced training according to the Army's needs or whatever's on your contract. Then you can be a 71L or whatever.

Given that WACs in WWII were trained similar to men, exposed to significant stress and danger, and required to work alongside men, I think the lesson of WAC is that a separate women's corps is not needed. If you could've been a WAC in WWII, you can be a soldier today.

56 posted on 03/23/2003 1:40:05 AM PST by Caesar Soze
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To: MarcoPolo
See my post #61. Sounds like you would fit right in. I've been accused of being a YY-chromosome Neanderthaler, but you sound like you'd fit right in. You don't have to be allergic to Kryptonite. If an inherently lazy, pot-bellied goofball like me can stay up with 1st and 10th Special Forces guys, so can you.

To quote a friend of mine with far more experience, "Combat assignments are 90% boredom, 9% mildly interesting, and 1% dirty underwear."
68 posted on 03/23/2003 11:34:10 PM PST by JackelopeBreeder ("Push to test." <Click!> "Release to detonate." Oops...)
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