The Case Against Women in Combat

I am a woman who has spent over twenty-four years in the military. Mr. Brown is correct. To dillydallylalli: You make several red herring arguments that take the primary focus of the article out of context. Serving in the military with men and serving in front line combat with men are two completely different animals. Near the end of your comment, YOU speak of "distraction" in sexual terms, not Mr. Brown. He never mentions this once in the article. Men and women are hard-wired differently; even if you find that offensive it still doesn't change that biological fact. Throughout my career I have been treated with different levels of respect; I have also seen my male counterparts treated with differing levels of respect. I have seen men who lived by the "boys will be boys" mentality in and out of combat. I have also seen women who use the close quarter environment of combat as an opportunity to prostitute themselves during their off time and also when they were on duty.

The world of front line combat is a foreign environment where reality bends and stretches into a new and frightening entity where the human psyche must reach down to it's baser instincts to survive. Men and women are placed in this environment where their biological differences are intensified to the most extreme.

I am a woman who has spent over twenty-four years in the military. Mr. Brown is correct. To dillydallylalli: You make several red herring arguments that take the primary focus of the article out of context. Serving in the military with men and serving in front line combat with men are two completely different animals. Near the end of your comment, YOU speak of "distraction" in sexual terms, not Mr. Brown. He never mentions this once in the article. Men and women are hard-wired differently; even if you find that offensive it still doesn't change that biological fact. Throughout my career I have been treated with different levels of respect; I have also seen my male counterparts treated with differing levels of respect. I have seen men who lived by the "boys will be boys" mentality in and out of combat. I have also seen women who use the close quarter environment of combat as an opportunity to prostitute themselves during their off time and also when they were on duty.

The world of front line combat is a foreign environment where reality bends and stretches into a new and frightening entity where the human psyche must reach down to it's baser instincts to survive. Men and women are placed in this environment where their biological differences are intensified to the most extreme.

I am all for women and men fighting for what they believing in believe that we all have different paths. I think pretty much we are all capable (sometimes not as easily as others) at achieving the same goals. I wonder what the women of the past were like after the war. Studies were not done on them to see if they readjusted well. Also, the roles that men and women take on now are a lot different than history. So although a very valid agreement, I tend to lean more towards current studies and statistics. A lot of studies have been done on various special forces units. It is a fact that special forces men are pretty much classified as crazy and through the vigorous training it is also mandatory that they are able to balance the difficulties of the physical as well as the mental, because society now a days is very different than days when Pirates would come pillage. So if the studies done on women can prove that they are equal to the men, then go one with your bad self. If not then why not support our troops in ways that become a benefit to the entire society, starting with something as simple as donating blood.

As a woman whose sister is going to Kosovo in two months, I wholeheartedly agree with this man. Any married woman who knows a bit about her husband's way of thinking must agree that men have difficulty trusting women with something as important as their lives. That's not meant as an insult to men and their limitations; it's how they're hard-wired. Men were placed on this earth to "subdue" it, and women were placed on this earth to be men's "helpers". And as a personal trainer, I can tell you from experience that a woman's physical limits are below a man's, generally speaking. Biologically, men have an advantage. Feminists can talk all day long about equal rights and being up-to-date with your opinions, but that doesn't change the facts. It's time someone stood up and said that having a woman working in a road crew as a sign-holder while wearing makeup and pantyhose is not equal rights; it's simply a feminine ego-trip.

Well the women in the soviet army were trained and did a kick ass job against the german forces. Women can be trained just as men for frontline combat. They as well as anyone can fight passionately fight for there country.

Women fight in israel and do a kick ass job. Women use to teach the men how to fight in the Celtic days and by far were as physically strong. Genereations of men have been fighting so theyre gonna be strong due to genetic memory. No reason the same cant happen for women. Women have been RAISED in suppression and most behavior is learned behavior. Social change needs to take place in the home. Stong women have strong girls who in turn suffer less emotional trauma and can do more physical things.

Of course the doctor doesnt include that! and of course this is not taught in schools. Society WAKE UP! Women can do ANYTHING they put their mind to! I ve seen it!

SInce my first day of basic (over 8 years ago), almost every woman I've served with has flirted, cried, "quit but not quit" her way through, all the while enjoying a double standard allowing for them to display a disgusting amount of ineptitude and moral flexibility. However, this manipulative talent coupled with their moral flexibility makes them uniquely suited to be spies.

I also find it amusing how some women who have commented here said some comments made them cry, proving the book's very point.

I as a female do completely agree with the fact that if you cant match the male physical standard then you shouldn't be there... The only thing in the military fitness test that is the same for men in women is sit ups, where as to men have to run 2 miles in 16 minutes and 36 seconds where as to them women can run it in 19 minutes and 42 seconds. A very large difference. As my parents were both in the military and retired i can tell you that as seeing both parts of this, I can say that my mother agrees with not having women on the front line. As a military man you can not logically admit to not wanting women on the frontline due to it being job suicide, End of story.

I as a female do completely agree with the fact that if you cant match the male physical standard then you shouldn't be there... The only thing in the military fitness test that is the same for men in women is sit ups, where as to men have to run 2 miles in 16 minutes and 36 seconds where as to them women can run it in 19 minutes and 42 seconds. A very large difference. As my parents were both in the military and retired i can tell you that as seeing both parts of this, I can say that my mother agrees with not having women on the front line. As a military man you can not logically admit to not wanting women on the frontline due to it being job suicide, End of story.

WOW. This blows my mind. How dare someone make a comment like that? I feel when it comes to the marine corps at least, if you are good enough to even get in, you are good enough to fight. I can understand not wanting some army people to go into combat, most havent been trained for combat. However in the marine corps EVERYONE is a riflemen. I myself feel that I am good enough and have the mental capability to be in combat. I also have many men in the infentry that back me up on this. If I want to fight for my country and go on the front line I should be able to. There are many men that can't handle combat that are allowed, why is it that just because I was born female I'm not welcome?

WOW. This blows my mind. How dare someone make a comment like that? I feel when it comes to the marine corps at least, if you are good enough to even get in, you are good enough to fight. I can understand not wanting some army people to go into combat, most havent been trained for combat. However in the marine corps EVERYONE is a riflemen. I myself feel that I am good enough and have the mental capability to be in combat. I also have many men in the infentry that back me up on this. If I want to fight for my country and go on the front line I should be able to. There are many men that can't handle combat that are allowed, why is it that just because I was born female I'm not welcome?

It seems to me that the author is implying that women who deploy, join the service, etc, want to be men. I don't want to be a man, and I don't want to serve with men who act like pansies. Neither do I want to serve with a female with a chip on her shoulder. Everyone has a job to do and if a SM, male or female, can't hack it, then let them out. 'Cause they are the ones who get others killed. I have served in combat zones and I have served in "peacetime"; I have been shot out and shot back; I have been injured and seen others killed. Do I want those things in my head? Not particularly, but a SOLDIER does what needs to be done, so CIVILIANS can sleep peaceful in their beds at night...sound familiar? A Soldier is not a male or a female. A Soldier is not black, white, hispanic or asian. A Soldier is not rich or poor. A Soldier is not smart or stupid. A Soldier is someone who steps forward when others step back. And if any male has a problem with females in the service, I invite you to step forward. If you are a female, who thinks females should not serve...grow up.

However, I also believe that if you sign on the dotted line and then decide you are a conscientious objector, you have just committed Treason. Not only do I not want you anyway near me in war I don???t want you near my brothers or friends who are still serving. Treason in war is punishable by death???which is too lenient.

Just becuase the Army I joined isn't the Army I was discharged from, doesn't make it any better or worse, just different

What a crock...having bserved in the Army..in war and not; it's not what women and men can or con not handle by sex, it's what that Soldier, Sailor, Airman, Marine, Coast Guard - can personnally handle. I've been shot at and shot back. I've been on patrols and worked in an office. The highest "award" I ever received was when an NCO I had followed into combat, and would again, told me that I could be on his patrol anyday, that I was someone he'd want, out there, next to him. It had nothing to do with me being female or male; it had to do with me being a Soldier - and good at my job. The author's assertion that females don't want to go to combat is hooey, which is a word I learned that from my Arkansas friends that I deployed with, it's a nice word for horse****. I know just as many men who have said "I joined to go to college" as I do woman who said "I joined to blow stuff up." I'm smaller, so I am incapable of serving my country...you might as well just issue me a veil and be done with it.

Being a woman serving in the military and actually deploying to Iraq, I completely agree. Granted there are exceptions to every rule, but most women I know would not be able to handle the strain of combat. There are men who can barely handle the day to day. How I reacted to a rocket attack and how my husband (also serving in the military) would react are completely different. I started to worry about all of the people around me before myself. He got mad and wanted to automatically retaliate.

women getting preg during military is wrong and article 15 without bebefits.

i went to basic in 74 and not to many women could keep up. would you want 50% women on a sports team? they work fine in offices.
vietnamvet