Women in combat
There’s an article that came out recently saying that the Army wants to change some of the rules to allow women to be “co-located” with ground combat units.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20041022-120846-1796r.htm
I used to be the biggest supporter of women in combat. When I was a sophomore in high school, I wrote a six page paper and made this huge speech during a government class about how women should be allowed to fight in combat. I’m sure it was more motivated by my “women can do anything men can do” phase, but I still do believe that women should be allowed to serve where they want to, if they are physically qualified, at the same standards as men, to do so.
However, being in Iraq has changed my view somewhat.
First of all, I need to start out by saying this: the Army trained me to use a rifle, the same as the men, they gave me one before I left for Iraq, with the same amount of ammunition as everyone else gets, knowing damn well that I could be put in a position to use it.
I am a woman and I am in a combat zone.
If that isn’t enough, my job is one of few that allow me experience every part of Army life. As a journalist, I get “embedded” with all types of units, from infantry to civil affairs and follow them as they do their jobs. I’ve been on patrols, raids, convoys of all types. I know that I don’t “do” their jobs, but I am still in a position where I could come under the same contact that they would.
So, having said that, the “no women in combat” thing is bullshit.
But, there are other things to consider here than the simple fact of whether women are capable of being in combat or not. There are situations I’ve come across here which make me think that there’s no winning solution.
The biggest problem I’ve had here in doing my job is the Iraqi men. I don’t want to stereotype, but in general, they are the most disgusting bunch of men I’ve ever come in contact with. Everywhere I and every other female I work with here go, we are followed by the oogling stares of these men, who come up to us, talk to us, touch us and do other horrible things. At one point in my deployment, I had to be accompanied everywhere I went by one of the males in my unit “just in case”.
It’s the most frustrating thing in the world when you can’t be sent on a simple mission by yourself, when you can’t do your job by yourself, when someone else’s life has to be put in danger just to protect you.
The fact that these men can pick out a female who has her hair up, Kevlar on and huge ballistic goggles on her eyes, driving by at 60 mph, is disturbing. But no matter where I go, there is always the look of amazement from men as we drive by on the street and they see a female, weapon loaded, camera in hand, sticking out the back hatch of a stryker vehicle, staring them down.
The other thing that bothers me here is the attitude of the male soldiers here who, even though they all really great guys, would put themselves in danger if it came to it, to save my life. As men, and I don’t expect this to change, they feel that they have to protect us at all times.
Unfortunately, there’s a huge grey area when it comes to defining combat here in Iraq. Every person, down to the desk jockey, paper pushers in the offices, is in danger of being hit by a mortar at any time. Any person who leaves camp is in danger of being hit by small arms, RPGs and car bombs. These things are indiscriminate. The insurgents don’t care if they are shooting at a female or male, as long as they kill somebody for Allah.
So, where do we draw the line? I truly don’t believe this Army would function without the female support it has today. If anyone wants to see the draft come back, it would take just simply letting females out of the military.
Nobody can deny that we are needed, but how much is the American public willing to risk? And I think that it is the public that is holding the cards here, and has been for years. The American people have never wanted to see their daughters die in combat. I don’t believe the American public would ever support something that would blatantly say that women can fight beside men. So the Army goes around it by slowing wearing away at the edges of what is combat and what isn’t.
For me, what it comes down to is, is my life more important than the lives of the men who serve beside me? I don’t think so.
26 Comments:
I think Robert A Heinlein states it pretty good:
From "The Pragmatics of Patriotism" speech he gave to the Naval Academy:
[Quote]Men who go down to the sea in ships have long had another way of expressing the same moral behavior tagged by the abstract expression "patriotism." Spelled out in simple Anglo-Saxon words "Patriotism" reads "Women and children first!"
And that is the moral result of realizing a self-evident biological fact: Men are expendable; women and children are not. A tribe or a nation can lose a high percentage of its men and still pick up the pieces and go on. . .as long as the women and children are saved. But if you fail to save the women and children, you've had it, you're done, you're THROUGH! You join tyrannosaurus rex, one more breed that bilged its final test.
I must amplify that. I know that women can fight and often have. I have known many a tough old grandmother I would rather have on my side in a tight spot than any number of pseudo-males who disdain military service. My wife put in three years and a butt active duty in World War Two, plus ten years reserve, and I am proud -- very proud! -- of her naval service. I am proud of every one of our women in uniform; they are a shining example to us men.
Nevertheless, as a mathematical proposition in the facts of biology, children, and women of child-bearing age, are the ultimate treasure that we must save. Every human culture is based on "Women and children first" -- and any attempt to do it any other way leads quickly to extinction.
Possibly exctinction is the way we are headed. Great nations have died in the past; it can happen to us.
Nor am I certain how good our chances our. To me it seems self-evident that any nation that loses its patriotic fervor is on the skids. Without that indispensable survival factor the end is only a matter of time. I don't know how deeply the rot has penetrated -- but it seems to me that there has been a change for the worse in the last fifty years. Possibly I am misled by the offensive behavior of a noisy but unimportant minority. But it does seem to me that patriotism has lost its grip on a large percentage of our people.[Unquote]
I just started reading your blog, and find it highly interesting. I served 8 years in the US Army in the Infantry, Field Artillery and Signal Corps, and in my last assignment managed to get paired for a time in a signal maintenance team with another sergeant who happened to be a married mother of two. At first I quietly resented being saddled with a woman partner, but grew to respect and love her (though not before my own wife) for her dedication, zeal, competence and good-heartedness. We were of course rear-echelon types in Germany, but if push had come to shove I would have defended her with my life, more so than if she had been a guy. I don't apologize for this feeling --- and to deny it would be to deny my very self as a husband, protector and provider. And to echo another poster, on the contrary, your life IS more important. So take care of it!
The Iraqi men are just "weirded out" by something totally outside their experience and expectations -- a woman with a gun and not subservient. Their society does not prepare them for it, and it is to a certain extent not their fault they are blown away. They don't know how to act! So they act stupid.
Well, I'm sorry, but I'm female, I've been in combat, and you're wrong. Those jobs you're talking about? I do those jobs. This notion: "The American people have never wanted to see their daughters die in combat. I don’t believe the American public would ever support something that would blatantly say that women can fight beside men. So the Army goes around it by slowing wearing away at the edges of what is combat and what isn’t." went out with Phyllis Schlafly. The American public has had two wars now to adjust--and I was in the military for both of them--- and they're taking their daughters' deaths just as hard as they take their sons. Your death is not more important than that of a male soldier. It sounds like you're trying to have it both ways, frankly. You want to blame lack of support on the American people, but there's no evidence of that; the American public seems to regard the deaths of all soldiers, male and female both, as equally tragic, and this is a good thing. If I remember correctly, the WaTimes is rather conservative. Of course a conservative outlet would find valueing womens' lives equally to mens'---and belief in their equality---to be disturbing.
Women in combat makes the public look long and hard at sexism at home. How can you demand that women who've fought for their country accept second-class treatment on their own soil? The simple reason is that you can't.
To the commenter who said this is PC, be aware that the phrase PC has become a rather more modern verision of Godwin's law. It indicates certain things about one's politics. Politically Correct is merely a pejorative way of saying "Manners." Is there something wrong with manners?
My experience with Iraqi men has been exactly the opposite of yours, but I'm in the South, where things are considerably friendlier, except for oh, the occasional car bomb, mortar attack, that battle, that IED and so forth. I always tell people that the region where one is stationed can determine how friendly the people are. Either you're not aware of that, or....
Ginmar, age 41. MI Soldier somewhere south of Baghdad. The people in Iraq are far more complicated that the portrait presented here.
http://www.livejournal.com/users/ginmar/258019.html
"However, BuffBabe is 100% correct that American men will put themselves in harms way unnecessarily to prevent harm to their shipmates and even more so if she is a woman."
Not to be rude but---Oh, fuck it. Can we retire this little myth right now? It makes men feel good about themselves and it infantilizes women. I've yet to see a guy who wanted to 'protect' me from sexism, shit, and crap they thought would prove to me how my equality meant they could be jerks.
" They will put themselves in harms way for any of their shipmates. But anonymous is not noticing or observing the tendency to be a little more reckless in their safety when it involves one of their female shipmates. "
That's their problem, not mine. I've also noticed that these guys want to protect me from independance, being a full human rahter than a 'woman who needs protecting' and equal pay. They REALLY want to protect me from noticing things like the different AGE standards in the military. Get rid of those, and then you can talk about different physical standards for men and women.
"I have seen it before, and I know the men I served with..."
Yeah, see again my comments regarding men who want to protect me. Funny, the guy who want to protect me never want to protect me from THEMSELVES. And they sure as hell don't like it when I protect myself from them.
Subsunk, I know you mean well, but I don't need protection and I don't want it. I would gladly die for some of my fellow soldiers, but it's not the chivalry you describe: it's that I've lived thorugh this crap with these guys, and I like them. And I can't like anybody who thinks I'm weak.
I fought my way through a battle that we weren't supposed to survive----forty coalition soldiers, forty civilians, and a thousand insurgents. It's one thing for my fellow grunts to offer me a hand or stuff like that---I'd do the same thing. The way you're framing it is entirely different.
And while I'm posting as anonymous, my name is ginmar.
Okay,in 1991 I wrote an editorial for "Defense News" which pointed out the obvious; During the Gulf War the only difference between "Combat" and "Combat Support" was the word "support". That's partialy a result of the doctrine the Soviets trained the Iraqi Army on (deep penetration to the rear) and part the reality that every soldier must be able to fight because life is full of surprises (Ask Jessica Lynch). The Army started preparing for this change of policy in 1970 when they put two female soldiers into old Army Security Agency in Frankfurt, and gave them MI, not WAC, brass to wear. (I was there at the time). My roommate went through one of the first sexually integrated Basic Training outfits in 1980. She pulled guard duty along with the men while in Germany. Captain Linda Bray led her MP company into combat in Panama in 1991. The old policy went away a long time ago. It could not survive the realities of the present. The Army is finally admitting the truth...and 24 women have been KIA in Iraq so far, including Cpt. Valerie Hampton, a combat helicopter pilot. By the way, I'm male, a Vietnam Veteran and a feminist. You all wanted Equal Rights? This is part of the price. Welcome to the party.
I posted anonymously to save time, but my name is Francis Hamit and you can find my service affliations with a name search.
I wrote a (very poor-not my fault-and that's another story) paper on this subject in the AF Senior NCO Acadamy after the last Gulf War. The answer is an easy one, albeit not PC (Politically Correct = Philosophically Inept): simply base physical fitness requirements for combat jobs on a fitness level commensurate for the kind of military one wants to have. I noted at the time that 'combat jobs' as a category did not encompass all the jobs that really were combat jobs. If you want a military full of wusses, set the standard for wusses and you can have them in both sexes. If you want a force of high-endurance killing machines set the fitness standard to get you a force of high-endurance killing machines. If you want the latter, there's no women in combat...well maybe one or two physiological freaks, but then who cares? they can handle it. This does not mean that women can't do dangerous jobs, it just means they should only do the ones where they have some advantage to their being there, like Intel. The original poster was correct: her rights stop abruptly before they add risk my life and limb. When Clinton/Aspin reduced the Force size below Powell's Base Force levels, it marked the first time in the history of the American military (that I can find) that standards were lowered while making the force smaller. We traditionally have only taken lesser physical specimens when we need more grist for the mill than we can get otherwise. Stay safe,warriors all, and Check Six.
why is a woman's life worth more than a man's?
-asks a woman.
My name is Clark, and I too am posting as anon to save time...
Anon, if you are truly in the military, please let me know under what circumstances you are getting paid less than a male who holds the same rank and time in service... Last time I checked, military pay was a matter of public record, and I have never seen a separate chart for women. If I misread your intent where you were saying that men were keeping you from making as much for the same job, please excuse my rudeness.
As far as women in the Navy goes, in most jobs physical strength isn't an issue most of the time. If something is so big as to make it an issue, 99 times out of 100 no guy would be able to lift it either. I hear that when they rebuild the first 4 Trident subs as arsenal ships, they're rebuilding them to accomodate women. That's fine with me. Anyone who can meet the requirements of the job, and works hard to support the ships' mission is alright in my division. Male or female.
I have been from Bosnioa to Baghdad, as a woman, a soldier and a civilian.
1) Hell with what Iraqi men think! IRAQI WOMEN are seeing American females as equal soldiers, in the turrets of MP vehicles, on a daily basis. Do yopu know what this does for them?
2) My mother would not have cried less if my brother died at war (he was a Marine NCO, I was an Army one) than had I died.
3) Most of my soldiers were far younger than I - my maternal instinct to protect them was quite likely to be as strong a "biological imperative" as the masculine urge to protect women.
4) As an aside, I know many young Americans who are self centered, don't vote, con't read the paper or watch the news, etc., becausde it is depressing. The wonderful young service people in Iraq (and I was there from April 2003 to Oct 2004) were impressive, dedicated, honest and caring professionals. I am so very proud of all of them.
Posted as anon for time. L. McDonnell
As a female veteran I thank you for your service and wish you Godspeed. I found your description of Iraqi men's obsession with you as a woman interesting; it strongly resembles my experiences with my male counterparts in the 70's, which is when I went on active duty. If you *have* to have that experience, at least it's not from your fellow soldiers (hopefully). Best of luck to you, keep the faith, and always walk tall.
Although I'm posting anonymously, I wish that the reader will take what I have to write here seriously:
I find it interesting that some of the posters have equated "valuable" with "weak". As a male, having served during the Vietnam conflict and the fight to gain my three daughters equal rights, I find it fascinating that some find that the valid (that means "real", BTW) male urge to protect that which is valuable to be repugnant. Allow me to be frank here - you, as a woman, have the right to feel that you don't *WANT* or "NEED* to be protected. That's OK. The reality of the species, however, indicates that you, as a woman, are more valuable than a male. That doesn't de-value you! Got it?
So let's put aside the hyperbole of having to defend yourself from those who want to defend you; not all men can be characterized that way. You, by the nature of your sex, are more valuable to the species and to our country. That's why the "women and children first" thing is generally accepted to be a good idea. That is also why the men in Iraq behave the way they do - they just don't get the concept of "value" and how it should be treated. Human worth is not measured in how it can benefit you or me as individuals, but how it benefits the larger purpose of humanity. The dignity of the individual is not measured by what it means to me who is inside the framework, but by a measure outside of the measured framework. Some Iraqi men are of the former persuasion - some Western men are of the latter.
I deeply admire you, as a person, for taking on this daunting task. I don't seek to diminish you personally, or any other person, male or female, who tries to help. It would, however, help us all even more if those who try to re-frame the argument to equate "valuable" with "weak" would try to temper their thought processes with a bit more understanding about human nature and the higher calling that we all have been given. It's beyond you and me. It's larger than rhetoric or deconstructing basic instincts to serve our small political motivations and mindsets. It has everything to do with survival.
Hi,
I think it was the Baghdad Diary woman blogger ("Rose") who wrote about her surprise at seeing women police during a vacation in Northern Iraq (Mosul, perhaps). She was pleasantly surprised (and even took a photograph) because women apparently aren't in the police in Baghdad.
I hope that a least a few Iraqi girls will see you in uniform, and will think differently about themselves for it. It would certainly be good for the whole world if Arab women can boost themselves up the social ladder. But it's probably especially hard without any role models.
Best wishes,
Mark
Anonymous stated that protecting women and their capacity to bear children is the ultimate test of a civilization. Back in the Pleistocene, perhaps. But today more than 6 Billion humans live on this very crowded planet. Of course the strong should protect the weak, but today some of "the strong" are female, and their actions in Iraq and Afghanistan speak louder than all the words of conservative pundits who would put them in their place.
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