US Army wants to Lift Ban on Women in Combat

[St. Gabe 0]

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US Army is reportedly negotiating with the Pentagon (news - web sites)'s civilian leaders a plan to eliminate a women-in-combat ban so it can place mixed-sex support companies within warfighting units, starting with a division going to Iraq (news - web sites) in January.

 

Citing unnamed defense department sources, The Washington Times said Army blueprints for a lighter force of 10 active divisions included plans for postings of women-men units.

 

A spokesman said the Army is now in discussions with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's staff to see whether the 10-year-old ban in this one area should be lifted, The Times said.

 

"When that policy was made up, there was a different threat," the paper quotes Army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Chris Rodney as saying. "We imagined a more linear combat environment. Now, with the nature of asymmetrical threats, we have to relook at that policy."

 

Rodney cited the fighting in Iraq as typifying the new threat whereby all soldiers, support or combat, face attack by rockets, mortars, roadside bombs and ambushes, the report said.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

'Bout time bitches started pulling their own weight -- equal treatment for all sexes, I say...

[chirs3 0]

I didn't even know there was a ban on women in combat.

 

Hell yes, lift the ban.

[bobobrazil1984 0]

I'm curious what people think of the whole idea put forth that women in combat would limit effectiveness of combat units because the male soldiers would have a predisposition to "protect" the females?

 

I'll admit, the guy in me doesn't want our women dying. they've got boobies and smell nice and have dreamy smiles.

but there are security issues.

 

What is more concerning is the implication of these talks suddenly coming about, that we might be short-handed enough to need the women? hopefully its just a precaution.

[Guest INXS]

They've been pushed into this as the armed forces are overstretched. In theory i don't see a problem, apart from perhaps the poor publicity when female soldiers are being flown back in bodybags.

[2GOLD 0]

They've been pushed into this as the armed forces are overstretched. In theory i don't see a problem, apart from perhaps the poor publicity when female soldiers are being flown back in bodybags.

 

Again, the United States Armed Forces aren't even CLOSE to being overstretched. Believe it or not, you do have women who COMPLAIN they don't get to fight like the men do.

 

It's not good for morale either if a entire part of your military doesn't fight. It begs the question of why they are in the army if not to fight?

 

I see this as a non-story since they should have been fighting anyway. They want equal treatment so I say they get equal treatment.

[Guest Cerebus]

This is a tough one.

 

Personally, I wouldn't care one way or the other if women served in combat. Hell, they already can serve as pilots or serve on forward deployed ships (except for subs). On the other hand, from what I know of the combat branches in the Marines and Army, I don't think they're ready, especially when they're so committed right now,

[Guest BDC]

They've been pushed into this as the armed forces are overstretched. In theory i don't see a problem, apart from perhaps the poor publicity when female soldiers are being flown back in bodybags.

Where the hell do you GET THIS?

 

As for bad publicity, I'm just going to refer to the fact that women in the armed forces DO DIE and there's never bad publicity about it. Go home, troll.

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

Soooo...not only is INXS an idiot, he's also sexist.

[2GOLD 0]

Soooo...not only is INXS an idiot, he's also sexist.

 

Are you honestly shocked by this?

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Read some of his LSD threads...

[Guest JMA]

I'd also support lifting this ban. But I do have my doubts on whether it will actually come to pass.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

Soooo...not only is INXS an idiot, he's also sexist.

I'd say it's a good assumption considering the fact that he steals from his girlfriend, gets an STD while cheating on her and then continues to screw her without telling her about it.

 

Yeah I'd say he doesn't have a lot of respect for women.

[Vyce 0]

Thank you, Mad Dog, I now know more about INXS than I ever wanted to.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

Well it was only a matter of time before he took his stupidity into another folder. Most of the LSD people are hoping for a "My girlfriend had enough and hired some goons to beat the shit out of me" thread to follow up on the other ones.

[CheesalaIsGood 0]

So this topic is dead for another INXS bashfest? Yawn.

 

 

 

Soldiers dying sucks of course. Still it seems the public is fairly attuned to accepting that. It does make one wonder (and I'm surprised no one has brought this up) is female solidiers coming home raped and/or pregnant via the enemy. THAT is what scares me. Women have this other "thing about them" that guys will never be able to understand. For minute try and imagine being a boyfriend or a husband or even just related to a girl who comes home in that kind of condition. For woman it just seems the stakes are so much higher as they have more to lose just by living through it.

 

Which also makes the question of the worth of a mans life being less than a womans?

 

Sigh. What I like and what I want are not always the same thing.

[Guest GreatOne]

So this topic is dead for another INXS bashfest? Yawn.

Well, he did decide to 'contribute'.

[CheesalaIsGood 0]

So this topic is dead for another INXS bashfest? Yawn.

Well, he did decide to 'contribute'.

Moreso than you have in this thread.

[Guest GreatOne]

So this topic is dead for another INXS bashfest? Yawn.

Well, he did decide to 'contribute'.

Moreso than you have in this thread.

Somehow you feel the need to legitimize your first post, but don't make it my problem, k?

[Guest INXS]

They've been pushed into this as the armed forces are overstretched. In theory i don't see a problem, apart from perhaps the poor publicity when female soldiers are being flown back in bodybags.

Where the hell do you GET THIS?

 

As for bad publicity, I'm just going to refer to the fact that women in the armed forces DO DIE and there's never bad publicity about it. Go home, troll.

If they are on the FRONT LINE IN COMBAT SITUATIONS then a LOT MORE are going to die, it stands to reason.

 

The Armed forces ARE overstretched; hence reservists are being called up, tours of duty have been increased in duration.

[Guest INXS]

Soooo...not only is INXS an idiot, he's also sexist.

I'm certainly not either. How am I sexist by saying that if women are flown back in bodybags then the publicity will be very negative? The fact is, is that women aren't perceived as being the same as men is situations like this. Yes, they are in the Army but women are always thought of as more innocent than men when they are killed. Basically, i'm saying that in any situation, the death of a woman or child is seen to be worse than the death of a man. It's not sexist, and I don't particularly agree; that is however the common perception.

[Guest BDC]

They've been pushed into this as the armed forces are overstretched. In theory i don't see a problem, apart from perhaps the poor publicity when female soldiers are being flown back in bodybags.

Where the hell do you GET THIS?

 

As for bad publicity, I'm just going to refer to the fact that women in the armed forces DO DIE and there's never bad publicity about it. Go home, troll.

If they are on the FRONT LINE IN COMBAT SITUATIONS then a LOT MORE are going to die, it stands to reason.

 

The Armed forces ARE overstretched; hence reservists are being called up, tours of duty have been increased in duration.

Is THAT your reasoning? Wow.

 

First off, reservists being called up? Those are people that are MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES. They're just pissy because they're being asked to do what they signed up for. The Pentagon operates under what's called the Two War doctrine, meaning that at our fullest extent, we could fight 2 wars. So, NO, we are not overstretched. You're the only one making this damn argument. Look around.

 

As for women in combat, it's nothing different from what's going on now. Shit, it's just an opportunity for bodycount mongers like you to talk about how horrible the war is, what with women dying.

 

This whole thing is nothing new. The armed forces have just resisted it b/c women have a higher tendency to break and run.

[Guest Cerebus]

The armed forces have just resisted it b/c women have a higher tendency to break and run

 

Actually, no. Besides for the biological problems a woman brings when she's out in the field (put one and two together...and no I'm not talking about PMS), most combat arms are extremely "macho." That isn't to say all guys in combat branches are homophobic or sexist (though some certainly are) but with prevailing attitudes the way they are it would be fairly damaging to unit cohesion to say the least.

 

On the other hand, people probably said the same thing when the segregated units were disbanded and blacks, whites, and asians were forced to be in the same unit. *shrug*

[Guest BDC]

The armed forces have just resisted it b/c women have a higher tendency to break and run

 

Actually, no. Besides for the biological problems a woman brings when she's out in the field (put one and two together...and no I'm not talking about PMS), most combat arms are extremely "macho." That isn't to say all guys in combat branches are homophobic or sexist (though some certainly are) but with prevailing attitudes the way they are it would be fairly damaging to unit cohesion to say the least.

 

On the other hand, people probably said the same thing when the segregated units were disbanded and blacks, whites, and asians were forced to be in the same unit. *shrug*

Stupid Army recruiters telling me stuff like that.

[Guest Cerebus]

The armed forces have just resisted it b/c women have a higher tendency to break and run

 

Actually, no. Besides for the biological problems a woman brings when she's out in the field (put one and two together...and no I'm not talking about PMS), most combat arms are extremely "macho." That isn't to say all guys in combat branches are homophobic or sexist (though some certainly are) but with prevailing attitudes the way they are it would be fairly damaging to unit cohesion to say the least.

 

On the other hand, people probably said the same thing when the segregated units were disbanded and blacks, whites, and asians were forced to be in the same unit. *shrug*

Stupid Army recruiters telling me stuff like that.

Take everything a recruiter tells you with a grain of salt...a BIG ASS grain at that.