U.S. Women in Combat Roles?

[FindingMyselfInTheGrey]

Originally Posted by RunicWolf

As a vet (1998-2003) from a combat arms MOS (armor crewman) my only concern, during that time, would be that everyone on the vehicle has to pull their weight. It's a lot of heavy lifting and the like. While I'm not saying women are weaker by any stretch (my wife is proof of that!), I am saying that I'd hope that the military would raise PT standards for women serving in a combat arms MOS to something a lot closer to the male standards.

If they want to fight, I'm all for it, as long as they can keep up to the standards we have in place already.

Agreed. I'm a small woman. There are things that I physically cannot do as well as a larger man can do. Along the same lines, though, a small man is also incapeable of the physical strengths of a larger man.

Job placement should be based on ability (mental and physical) not on what is or isn't between the servicemember's legs.

[kdt26417]

My view is pretty simple. If a woman wants to sign up, knows what she's getting into, and is willing to work as hard as the men, then she should certainly be allowed to serve in combat side-by-side with the men.

Now for a perhaps more complicated question. What if, for some reason, at some future time, the United States re-institutes the draft? Should women be subject to that?

[Helo]

The draft itself is unmitigated twaddle to begin with. I think we should sort that out before we worry if its sexist or not.

[BreatheDeeply]

It's very encouraging that, finally, there's some recognition that women have as much a part in the U.S. military as men. As some have mentioned here, women have been in front-line duties for ages, it's just never been officially recognized. And as many have pointed out, it's difficult to rise in the ranks for some women because they don't have combat-role experience under their belts.

One part of me says that it has taken a long time to get to this point, with one entire political party in congress (who are stuck in the 13th century, which is why they keep losing elections) opposed to equal treatment of women. But the other part of me is just glad that fairness has finally arrived to the largest employment sector of the U.S. government.

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