WOMEN IN COMBAT ARMS

[Anonymous]

I'm doing a report for my political science class, advocating that women should be allowed to serve on the front-lines. I would like to get the opinion of the current and future Women Marines on this board. Would you be will to fight? If they repealed the combat exclusion law, would anyone of you be interested in Infantry, Armor, Tanks, etc. I am all for the right of women to do it!

dgrenz@gts.com

[Anonymous]

:Hello, My name is Lcpl Theis and from my own personal experience and what I have seen my (ooh whole three years, I've been in ) I have to say NO. My Husband is a Grunt (0311-Infantry) he has been to combat. We have both spoke about this before and both agree Women don't belong on the front lines. However we also agreed on on yes they do belong in combat. In my last unit my female Staff Seargeant she had the combat action ribbon of course we were all curious and asked how. It was from Sadi, (sp). She had got the ribbon for being in a unit that was in support during the war, and they had crossed over enemy lines. My reason being that women don't belong on the front lines is all due to emotional stress. (also alot will agree.) There are women on this message board who will read this and not agree with me, however they have yet to evan to go to boot camp so they will of course say yes women belong on the front lines. Women can't handle watching there best friends heads getting blown off, to the right and left of them. Watching bodies blow up in half , and yet go on and shoot there m16, and continue to fight. If a woman is shot or hit with say a bayonet, she is not going to continue to fight. I'm not weak nor weak minded, But this is actually true. Women don't have that kind of strenghth nor mentallilty. Trust me when I say I believe in defending my country, and the job I have, which is Motor Transport, being in a deployable unit, trust me if there is a war I'll be going, and I would do what I would have to do which is support for all the front line, units. There is a reason why women are not in front line units, and never will be, in this country. There may be women in other countries, on the front lines. However this is America, I belive what the government is doing right now is correct. The Marine Corps has opened up alot more MOS's (job's) for women (along with other branches,). So there for women should be happy however if women are going to try to fight to be in the Infantry Mos, they are wrong for doing that. Women don't have the strenght to carry aproxiamately 75-150Lb combat load on a reg. basis how are they suppose to carry it in time of war. Most women in Marine Corps have a hard time running 3-6 miles during a PT session. How are they suppose to run in combat. Not every Female Marine is GI Jane. and hate to tell you this isn't the movies. I'm only at 5' 1" tall I have yet to fall out of a hump rather be 3 miles or 15 miles, fast slow withfull pack with out. I am not the greatest runner in the world however I always do get a first calss PFT. You may not care about this but the fellow SOON TO BE female Marines, should and 3 years from now when they are in my Boots, then we'll discuss this situation. As far as anything else (and sorry to stray)NO NO NO NO NO Women do not belong in Front line units. Thank You Lcpl Theis.


I'm doing a report for my political science class, advocating that women
: should be allowed to serve on the front-lines. I would like to get the
: opinion of the current and future Women Marines on this board. Would you
: be will to fight? If they repealed the combat exclusion law, would anyone
: of you be interested in Infantry, Armor, Tanks, etc. I am all for the
: right of women to do it!

kim3ski@yahoo.com

[Anonymous]

This is a tough subject. I do not agree that women belong on the front lines. I suppose that comes from my Marine Corps background. A good book for reference about modern war would be Black Hawk Down, it is not about the Corps but it will give you an accurate idea of living quarters, conditions and battle. It would be hard to put women in the front lines for many reasons. The biggest is probably sanitary, and hygiene concerns. One thing that LCpl Theis said that I'm not sure I agree with is the ability of women to withstand battle stress. There is a current study going on with the VA about Post Traumatic Stress disorder and combat soldiers. I participated in it and asked alot of questions so I know a little about women and Deset Storm. First, Desert Storm presented a unique picture in that they did not study women sodiers after Vietnam (not sure why, as women had PTS after Vietnam), so Desert Storm was first time women were included in group. So far, evidence is leaning toward the fact that women DO NOT exhibit PTS anymore than do men involved in combat situations. Given, it is important to consider that men were studied after WW2, Korea, and Vietnam. I still don't think they belong in the front lines because there is still the matter of paternalism which men exhibit even in the rear. I can only imagine how bad that could get on front lines. However, you asked about support positions. I am now in the Army because I'm a nurse and it is better for my military career to be there. I am assigned to a Combat Support Hospital and we have alot of women in my unit. We would be about 3 miles away from front line postions if we were an echelon 2 hospital. So, I guess that would anser your question about women in forward units because the Army already has us there. The Marine Corps on the other hand (someone help me if I'm wrong) doesn't really have that many MOS's that would require women to be that close to combat. Maybe they will in the future. Hope this helps!!

stevens511@aol.com