51-year-old mom holds her own during Basic Combat Training

Fort Leonard Wood Guidon ^ | 2/16/2012 | Melissa Buckley

[ladyrustic]

“But I’d bet I could kick her ass in a fight...”

I don’t think anyone is saying that this 50 year-old woman is as strong as a 20 year-old man. She passed her PFT with flying colors for her age and sex. And just because you could “kick her ass” should not prevent her from serving her country if she chooses. Similarly, although my 20 year-old nephew likely could kick your ass in a fight, that shouldn’t preclude you from serving your country if you choose, if you are fit for it.

Maybe you were unaware, but woman are prevented, thankfully, from direct combat in the military, so there is no need for them to be capable of hand-to-hand combat with anyone, much less a 53 year-old badass like yourself.

I say kudos to her, and to anyone who volunteers to serve their country in whatever capacity they are fit to do so.

[skaterboy]

military milf time....mmmmmmm

[Mr Rogers]

“Maybe you were unaware, but woman are prevented, thankfully, from direct combat in the military, so there is no need for them to be capable of hand-to-hand combat with anyone, much less a 53 year-old badass like yourself.”

I don’t object to her serving. I do object to the idea that women can serve on the front lines - THAT being the dispute currently in the news. I turned 49 in Afghanistan, and there was a reason that no one wanted me on patrol. No matter what I WANTED, my body couldn’t handle it as well as a 25 year old.

She’ll do fine in the legal office.

[G Larry]

As much credit as she deserves, this is actually a sad commentary on the dumbing down of the physical requirements for recruits.

I went through USAF basic in 1971 and it was not the most intense of the armed services.
Yet I doubt she could endure the standards required then.

[vladimir998]

At least you didn’t threaten to “kick him in the jimmy”. :)

[smokingfrog]

She’s going to be a virtual soldier in a virtual unit?

That’s something I’ve certainly never heard of before.

Good for her for following her dream.

[WILLIALAL]

“I was wondering the same thing. Her prior service probably has something to do with it. “

Yes prior service is part of the answer. It is all based upon the age of 60. Can you get in 20 years of service before age 60. That is where the age 39 comes from as a cut off for enlistment. Prior service is counted as time served, so it looks like she will serve for 9 more years, before reaching her 60th birthday and mandatory separation.

[Dick Vomer]

this is a joke. The Army is becoming the TSA. yawn.

Had the "slapping" incident with female that yapped about her "open hand combat skills". I gladly grabbed her arm, took her to the ground and grappled till I almost choked her out. Got up, went into a "better stance" and then just started laughing. I let her grab my sleeve then just spun into her and back on the ground and back on her arm and neck.

I didn't even want to kill her...... which is what really would have happened if I'd had a knife or weapon.

I'm not saying that she wouldn't have shot me before I got a hold of her, but I'd put myself up to a nice 20 mile hump with full pack into the boonies and then just go at it after no sleep for a couple of days.

She's in legal, she'll be the one in charge of prosecuting the warriors. Her Power Point presentations have probably killed on 4 continents and I'm sure that her warrior ethos has a lot to do with having a vagina and the new PC armed forces.

Yeah, I'd be real f'ing proud to be in a unit where a 51 year old woman was ranked higher in PT than most of the men. oooorraaahhhh. bwahahahahaha.

I'll tell you one thing. If I was pulling patrol, I'd make sure she was point, since she's the most physically fit in the unit. I'd also make sure she was #1 when we'd breach and go clear a building.

I'll bet she'd just love that.

[smokingfrog]

She’s going to be a virtual soldier in a virtual unit?

That’s something I’ve certainly never heard of before.

Good for her for following her dream.

[darrellmaurina]

12 posted on Saturday, February 18, 2012 10:51:54 AM by Future Snake Eater: “You obviously are unaware of the actual issues involved as well as how the Army scores its PT tests. Try to make your point elsewhere—you won't succeed here.”

You must have misunderstand my point. If you thought I was saying women can do everything men can do, I don't believe that — not at all.

I'm quite aware of the difference in PT test scoring for men and women, as well as for different ages with both genders.

Also, my point was **NOT** that women can do everything in the military. The Army and Marine Corps have especially good reasons for saying women don't qualify for some MOSes. Even with an Air Force combat pilot, there's a huge difference between being a USAF combat pilot and being in ground combat as a soldier or Marine.

I strongly believe 1) that there are some duties virtually no women can do — and I say “virtually no women” rather than “no women” only because there may be a one-in-100,000 exception case of a female bodybuilder who would meet standards, 2) that there are other duties women should not do as a matter of policy, and 3) that very few women want to do or are able to do most military duties in any case.

My point was not that I want to see women in the infantry. That's crazy.

My point was women who want to do so and are able to do so should be able to serve in the military.

[Charles Henrickson]

From 1982 to 1993, Coast devoted her life to the U.S. Navy.

You'd think she would have joined the Coast Guard.

[fr_freak]

Coast said. “I cry pretty much every day. Not a lot because it’s not an Army thing to do I know, but it’s mind boggling to me how supportive strangers can be.”

I think pretty much all of us who have been in the service over the last 20 or 30 years have seen the dumbing down of standards that is going on. The fact that anyone would take a 51-year-old female seriously as a professional soldier is a testament to how much of a politically correct fantasy world we now live in. I realize that she is just going to be a paralegal, but she shouldn't be in uniform if she can't fight, and anyone who has done any real fighting knows she can't fight. And that goes for most of the rest of the younger women, too.

I've seen people on this thread make the all-too-common statement that "if she wants to serve her country, she should be able to" and I consider this kind of thinking to be just another part of the entitlement mentality that has infected this country. The standards of fitness should be made a joke because she wants to serve, rather than maintaining realistic standards because that is what is best for military readiness. Never mind what is best for the country - it's all about me, me, me, me.

[wardaddy]

so you have found one middle aged woman who passed BCT?

and that is grounds for what?

basing all our wartime strength policy?

lol...hilarious

I bet my 11 year old can deliver ammo boxes from the Humvee to the gunner all day and makes less of a target

let’s make an army of grade school runners shall we?

i mean why not..they can do it?

and think of all the homeless and fatherless kids in urban communities...it would give them a home and structure...they would be cute in their little uniforms

my wife can kick me pretty hard with her Tai Kwon Do brown belt and has loads of cardiac stamina...at 47...but I could still kill her quickly in hand to hand or with weaponry

it’s just how it is

but to be honest...looking around today at little skinny video gaming sissified sock capped Echo Boomer educate white boys who all look so queer...I can see why they fear women physically and think girls should fight wars for them

it’s understandable

fembots are a scourge no question...but sissied up peckerwood boys don’t help

[winodog]

much less a 53 year-old badass like yourself.

lol thanks for the laugh

[FreedomPoster]

>>At the age of 40, the recruiter told me I was too old, that the cutoff age was 38 or 39, somewhere in that range.

I expect that the criteria is now changed for someone without the handicap of having one X and one Y chomosome.

[Future Snake Eater]

My point was not that I want to see women in the infantry. That's crazy.

That's what's coming. See Martha "Jimmy-kicker" McSally's very well-thought out remarks on the issue.

My point was women who want to do so and are able to do so should be able to serve in the military.

They already can do that. There are age limits but those are obviously waiverable if you go high enough up the chain.

I've worked with many female Soldiers. Some are dirtbags, some are high-speed--not real different from their male counterparts.

However....

Physically, they are held to lower standards. Pregnant Soldiers are treated like porcelain dolls. They are very distracting to the combat arms units.

With homosexuals added to the mix, it makes the whole thing that much more drama-prone. I should know, I saw it every day in the Brigade TOC in Afghanistan. I longed to go back to an Infantry Company after that experience.

[rabidralph]

Why would you want to kick her ass? She is serving her country and is happy to do so.

[little jeremiah]

From, article:

---

Coast is also looking forward to her life in the Army Reserve. She said she enlisted hoping to work directly with active duty troops, but instead was attached to a reserve unit. On the plus side she will be able to work near her son’s reserve unit.

---

Also check out this info, and, btw, your comment “people who think women can’t meet military standards” is disingenuous. It’s not that simple.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2848172/posts?q=1&;page=209#209

[central_va]

Maybe you were unaware, but woman are prevented, thankfully, from direct combat in the military, so there is no need for them to be capable of hand-to-hand combat with anyone, much less a 53 year-old badass like yourself.

Your post is exactly why women should not be in the military. The billets that women now fill, i.e. non-combat duty used to be used to give a guy a break in between arduous duty. Now women fill those "cushy" jobs ensuring a male is going to have to rough for 20 straight years, if he lives that long.

[Mr Rogers]

The OP posted a link to this thread on one discussing women in the front lines, and using it as an example.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2848172/posts?page=188#188