Posted on 09/22/2004 2:04:26 AM PDT by Former Military Chick
What on earth are you talking about? Have you ever been in the military? Do you know how the "retirement" system works?
No.
Again, I agree, but in this instance, I believe that to recall the mother of an infant is just stupid. There must be reservists who are not parents who could be recalled before young mums like this one.
The age at graduation is dependant on many factors. I graduated high school at 19 – we moved around a lot and I lost credits with every move. Pennsylvania wouldn’t recognize North Carolina courses, Maryland wouldn’t recognize Pennsylvania (I had to repeat the 2nd Grade!), etc. When I entered my junior year (11th Grade) I needed more credits than I could possibly get in just one year, so I had 2 junior years.
Well, in any case, thank you for your service. Hope your military retirement is treating you well--you've earned it.
Cold cereal and toast for breakfast, baloney sandwiches for lunch and beer and pretzels is on the dinner menu.
And some people say I'm pretty except for the old handlebar moustache.
I'd agree with that idea except that, while I was in, I saw my 4-and-2 rotation get arbitrarily changed to a 6-and-2 rotation just because it wasn't fair not to 'let the girls in'. I got more than a little irritated. Since women couldn't be assigned to sea duty billets at the time, they got assigned to shore duty billets. The men were just expected to pick up the slack. When the Navy started talking about going to an 8-and-2 rotation, I had to bail. With a 1-year-old and a 3-year-old at home, there was no way in hell that I was going to let them grow up without a dad.
(For non-military readers, that means spending 4 years of sea duty to get 2 years of shore duty, changing over time to spending 8 years of sea duty to get 2 years of shore duty.)
There must be reservists who are not parents who could be recalled before young mums like this one.
So you would discriminate against reservists for not having kids?
I am reminded of my first wife. She couldn’t understand why a married soldier was required to pull night and weekend duty when there were all those single guys who could do it.
ok your hired! ;o)
Why would they be recalling a chemical operations specialist?
I hate to say this, but I disagree with women in the military in the first place.
It's not that they can't do the same job as men. They can in most cases. Some would argue that they can't be effective operators: SEAL's, Delta Force, Rangers. I disagree to an large extent. They are waaay better spies than men are, and always have been.
They have two things working against them:
1. Ovaries
2. A socket where there should be a plug.
19 of 25 women initially assigned to our Icebreaker were medi-evac'd off the ship for being pregnant. No replacements.
Women aren't men. The military working environment demands that people work in extremely stressful conditions to start - and then there is the possibility of battle. There are periods of massive boredom broken up by abject panic and terror.
The presence of women isn't fair to families back at home. Single mothers with kids have to go it essentially alone until Dad gets back, and on top of that she has to worry about whether Dad may be screwing around with GI Jane.
I go on business trips for three days, and my three hammer my wife by the time I'm back. They are a handful, and then you have to do it alone for a full year? Plus hoochies in the field? All this in the name of being fair.
I think fair would be all female commands. All female ships, units, wings, etc. It's the only fair way to do it for everyone involved - families at home, Captains of ships who have to face the reality of losing 2/3 of their female crew while deployed (and maybe not getting replacements), and even the careers of female aviators, ship drivers, and field operators who now get to distinguish themselves without the jibe that the ladies had to be carried on to victory by the guys in the unit.
Back to reality:
You've heard the old saw that if Uncle Sam meant for you to have a wife, he would have put one in your seabag. The military, especially today, is brutal on families, and always has been. You say that men get to have their families - do they? To make Admiral you have to choose between being there to raise your kids, or leaving that to Mommy. It's always been this way.
One of my good friends made the astronaut program. She graduated top of our Academy class. She's now raising her two baby girls, and daddy is working for USPHS as a doctor. He was in Afghanistan last year training OB/GYN's over there over Christmas. She's at home for the next couple of years and out of the military. He's at the end of his commitment, and will be going into private practice.
My two cents.
She was a shoe-in for Admiral, and selected for Astronaut training, and now she's out - and very happy about it under the circumstances (I've seen her kids).
I hate to say this, but I disagree with women in the military in the first place.
It's not that they can't do the same job as men. They can in most cases. Some would argue that they can't be effective operators: SEAL's, Delta Force, Rangers. I disagree to an large extent. They are waaay better spies than men are, and always have been.
They have two things working against them:
1. Ovaries
2. A socket where there should be a plug.
19 of 25 women initially assigned to our Icebreaker were medi-evac'd off the ship for being pregnant. No replacements.
Women aren't men. The military working environment demands that people work in extremely stressful conditions to start - and then there is the possibility of battle. There are periods of massive boredom broken up by abject panic and terror.
The presence of women isn't fair to families back at home. Single mothers with kids have to go it essentially alone until Dad gets back, and on top of that she has to worry about whether Dad may be screwing around with GI Jane.
I go on business trips for three days, and my three hammer my wife by the time I'm back. They are a handful, and then you have to do it alone for a full year? Plus hoochies in the field? All this in the name of being fair.
I think fair would be all female commands. All female ships, units, wings, etc. It's the only fair way to do it for everyone involved - families at home, Captains of ships who have to face the reality of losing 2/3 of their female crew while deployed (and maybe not getting replacements), and even the careers of female aviators, ship drivers, and field operators who now get to distinguish themselves without the jibe that the ladies had to be carried on to victory by the guys in the unit.
Back to reality:
You've heard the old saw that if Uncle Sam meant for you to have a wife, he would have put one in your seabag. The military, especially today, is brutal on families, and always has been. You say that men get to have their families - do they? To make Admiral you have to choose between being there to raise your kids, or leaving that to Mommy. It's always been this way.
One of my good friends made the astronaut program. She graduated top of our Academy class. She's now raising her two baby girls, and daddy is working for USPHS as a doctor. He was in Afghanistan last year training OB/GYN's over there over Christmas. She's at home for the next couple of years and out of the military. He's at the end of his commitment, and will be going into private practice.
My two cents.
She was a shoe-in for Admiral, and selected for Astronaut training, and now she's out - and very happy about it under the circumstances (I've seen her kids).
"So you would discriminate against reservists for not having kids?"
Yes I would, where the welfare of an infant is involved.
I am enjoying my retirement tremendously, I may be in the lower income strata now (had to quite working) but I haven’t been bored a single day.
BUMP
Why would they be recalling a chemical operations specialist?
Iraq did have chemical weapons, and a few have been used against US forces – fortunately the insurgents didn’t know how to use them properly.
How about a URL?
Did you have any bad experiences yourself serving with female officers or enlisted? What branch?
I guess I just believe in equality.
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