The Reality That Awaits Women in Combat

The Wall Street Journal ^ | January 23, 2013 | RYAN SMITH

[MasterGunner01]

“I’ve read that Israeli troops couldn’t deal with the sight of female casualties in combat; what kind of man could?”

That is why today, although women are given arms and combat training in Israel IDF (and in the Russian Army and AF), they are NOT assigned to front line fighting units. The Russians learned this lesson in WW2 (1941-1945) and the Israelis learned it in their War for Independence (1948-1949).

[ansel12]

That was kind of baffling.

Tell myself what, a candidate’s formal position on an issue? I obviously know his position, I posted it to you.

When the worst candidate in history for a particular race is chosen, and then loses in a disaster, blame myself for that presidential election? You can’t be that silly.

You didn’t look into the positions of your candidate?

[kearnyirish2]

In the WWII and Israeli independence war, both sides using women were simply out of men; we’re far from that (though I’m sure we’re running low on men willing to go die in some toilet with unloaded guns for no good reason).

Iran (and Syria, and anyone else willing to try) needn’t fear the US military in terms of ground wars anymore; we don’t have the numbers.

[MasterGunner01]

Whether the Russians or Israeli had tapped out the manpower pool is moot, but what needs to be trumpeted is NEITHER country does it now and WHY they don't. The WHY is very important and this is totally overlooked by SecDef Panetta. Women in combat comes with a very high price tag and these armchair field marshals aren't going to be on the front lines doing the fighting. Indeed, they will be sitting on their fat butts in the rear where shots fired in anger are never heard.

[combat_boots]

The reality?

Enemies who don’t consider women human, sub-par to men.

The Taliban.
Al Qaeda
The Muslim Brotherhood.

“Some men shoot to kill. He’d shoot to wound....and kill (4) others.” (who would be drawn out to the wounded woman). From “Shooter.”

[kearnyirish2]

“Whether the Russians or Israeli had tapped out the manpower pool is moot”

Not exactly; there was a desperation that we simply don’t share at this point. The reason they did that back then illustrates why we shouldn’t do it now. I actually have no strong feelings about this; I could truly care less.

[MasterGunner01]

As one who's been on the sharp end of the spear, I regard the lives of my troops as something precious and not to be wasted through ill conceived social experimentation. It is difficult to lose people through accidents or enemy action in the military. Women have NO business in front line combat units for many reasons, but the people pushing this — especially female officers who think this is a fast track to general’s stars — is that war is an equal opportunity killer. War makes no distinction regarding sex, rank, or social position. War kills, maims, and wounds. The physical hurts heal for the most part, but the psychological damage lasts a lifetime.

[westcoastwillieg]

What an Army - from macho to queer with the stroke of a pen - now it’s lesbians take the point

[Chainmail]

You may as well have just campaigned for Obama for the effect you had. There never will be the perfect candidate for you, so your vote or absence of vote will always go to the enemy. Hope they come for you first.

[jpsb]

Could be, the only reason women are excluded is because they were bared from front line combat positions. That is no longer the case if this policy change remains in effect

At President Clinton's request, the Department of Defense reviewed this issue in 1994. DoD noted that America's prior drafts were used to supply adequate numbers of Army ground combat troops. Because women are excluded by policy from front line combat positions, excluding them from the draft process remains justifiable in DoD's view. Although no conclusions were reached, DoD recognized that policies regarding women need to be reviewed periodically because the role of women in the military continues to expand.

[ansel12]

You may as well have just campaigned for Obama for the effect you had. You took an election that Obama couldn’t win, and found a way to make him president.

[Chainmail]

You really don’t see the world the same way as all those other people, do you? I would recommend a change in your prescriptions.

[ansel12]

Troll, no.

[ansel12]

You really don’t see the world the same way as all those other people, do you?

Again, that is your place.

Decades of running for office and an election that just took place with millions of Americans voting, and you still are clueless about your idiot man, and your being our of touch with reality.

[Popman]

Women do not belong in combat. In fact they do not belong in the same military as men. They should be serving as WACS, WAVES or some separate entity from men.

You are a misogynist / S

[Chainmail]

You need to get some sleep, avoid coffee, read some books. You are wound way too tight.

The Mittster probably wasn't all that bad a guy but most of all, he wasn't Barack Obama. You and more than a few doctrinaire "conservatives" vastly underestimate the danger that Mr. Obama and his supporters pose to America and the world. By the time he has all of his plans in action, it will be too late for all of us.

Sitting home and dreaming of Sarah Palin or Ron Paul won't rescue the country - we needed a break to protect the Supreme Court and to develop a genuine conservative set of candidate leaders. We don't have that break now and we are reaping the whirlwind. The world we knew and cherished is almost gone.

[ansel12]

Governor Palin has a greater effect on America than Mitt Romney, and her’s is a positive effect.

How do you explain that compared to, Mitt Romney?

[Chainmail]

Ha! I knew it - you had to be either a "Paulbot" or a Palin fanatic.

1. I didn't have any great affection for Mitt Romney but he was light years better than Obama.

2. Sarah Palin is undoubtedly a nice person but she wasn't in the running, not even close. I'm fairly sure that I wouldn't be enthusiastic about her because she doesn't seem particularly well educated, she has that grating voice, has zero military experience, and she quit as Governor. I'd have voted for her if she was the candidate against Barack Obama but it would have been holding my nose while doing it. We can do a whole lot better than that.

[ansel12]

Yes, this is freerepublic, a conservative political site, of course the leader of the conservative movement and the politician who gave us Senator Ted Cruz and our only senate seat pick up during the Romney disaster, is well known here, and popular, haven’t you heard of conservatism and the tea party, Romney was against all of it.

Palin was the most popular Governor in America, earned her reputation as a courageous reformer and fearless leader, and was perhaps the most popular governor in history, with consistent approval in the 80s, and even to 93%, since leaving office she has assisted in about 80 elections, becoming the most important and influential endorsement in American history.
Governor Palin is the daughter of, and the mother of, Army veterans, and commanded a state guard that is known for keeping at a high state of military readiness because of it’s strategic location.

The failed governor of Massachusetts left office with 34% approval after giving America gay marriage and Romney/Obamacare, and was forced to give up his announced plan to seek reelection after devastating the state’s GOP, and then turned the seat over to the democrats, he then made two failing runs for president, for what reason no one knows, but it all resulted in a 20 year history of running for office and having a single failed term to show for it.

Mitt Romney is a member of an anti-military, even anti-American family who immigrated to America in 1842 solely to serve their cult leader and who even left the nation in opposition to it, Mitt being born in the US because their adopted country became too violent for them, no war, no draft, no sense of patriotism, has ever managed to get a male in Romney’s direct line to serve America in uniform, they have avoided military service during their entire 170 year history, Mitt himself as a draft evader as his father ran to become commander in chief during war time, and his five sons of course, were all military age males as their father ran for commander in chief.

[SauronOfMordor]

There are few things more likely to destroy unit cohesion than inserting a woman. She’ll be screwing Dave one week, then break up and sleep with Sam, while flirting with Tyrone. The unit will wind up pissed off at each other.