Ban on women in combat to be lifted

[Moliere]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/01/23/panetta-opens-combat-roles-to-women/

This is a great win for women on the road to equal rights.

[All-American]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013...oles-to-women/

This is a great win for women on the road to equal rights.

I guess I hadn't realized that this had not happened already.

[venkman]

This is a mistake

[old_gregg]

Are women still banned on combat-operational submarines? I know one fear was that if they got pregnant while a sub was deployed for months at a time it would disrupt the whole mission.

[Sullyute]

This is a mistake

Why is it a mistake? If a woman volunteers for the armed forces and wants to move up in the military she needs combat experience. It seems that we would want people in high military positions to have had similar experiences to those that they are commanding to go into battle.

[Indy Coug]

We do not doubt, our fathers knew it.

[byu71]

As long as they meet whatever standards the military has for someone (man, women or gay) qualified for combat, I wouldn't care.

[Flystripper]

As long as they meet whatever standards the military has for someone (man, women or gay) qualified for combat, I wouldn't care.

Agreed. If a double standard emerges then shame on military leadership, but it isn't the fault of the woman soldier.

[Joe Public]

As humans, have we developed military technology, strategy, etc. to the point where groups no longer need to keep women from the battlefront to maximize the ability to repopulate the group? It may be so, at least for developed countries. This is only one of several factors that kept women from the field of battle in the past, but it may be a factor that is now at least regionally obsolete.

[Katy Lied]

I know someone commissioned by the Navy to do a study on pregnancies on aircraft carriers; there are a lot of them, all out of wedlock unless the couple subsequently gets married, which can also upset the smooth running of the ship.

A certain (I don't know if this was sizeable) percentage of the pregnancies were not terminated because the mother wanted out. Perhaps being pregnant gave rise to the urge to muster out. Perhaps the mother wanted out and thought this would be a no-nonsense way to get out. (Not saying they got pregnant because they wanted to get out, but once finding themselves pregnant, they opted for getting out of the service.)

For the ambitious female soldier who wants the experience, can handle the heat and has no intention of participating in a sexual liaison that could only hurt her career, I say let them go into combat.

Apropos of nothin', the same friend who did the pregnancy study also got a contract to study micro-penis size in the military. It's not what you're thinking. This was a study of penises in the womb.

[Danimal]

I know someone commissioned by the Navy to do a study on pregnancies on aircraft carriers; there are a lot of them, all out of wedlock unless the couple subsequently gets married, which can also upset the smooth running of the ship.

A certain (I don't know if this was sizeable) percentage of the pregnancies were not terminated because the mother wanted out. Perhaps being pregnant gave rise to the urge to muster out. Perhaps the mother wanted out and thought this would be a no-nonsense way to get out. (Not saying they got pregnant because they wanted to get out, but once finding themselves pregnant, they opted for getting out of the service.)

For the ambitious female soldier who wants the experience, can handle the heat and has no intention of participating in a sexual liaison that could only hurt her career, I say let them go into combat.

Apropos of nothin', the same friend who did the pregnancy study also got a contract to study micro-penis size in the military. It's not what you're thinking. This was a study of penises in the womb.

The rate of military sexual assault is staggeringly high. Being pregnant may not mean they consented to participate. I do think this will be good for military culture as more men will be led by women and thus will be compelled to treat them with dignity and respect.

[Slim]

Is there like a pull up or mile time required for combat approval?

[venkman]

Why is it a mistake? If a woman volunteers for the armed forces and wants to move up in the military she needs combat experience. It seems that we would want people in high military positions to have had similar experiences to those that they are commanding to go into battle.

I'm not interested in weakening our infantry forces (which is what I think this will do) so that women can get into higher military positions.

Standards will be lowered. To few women will meet the current standards, so they will be lowered eventually. Women will introduce unhealthy dynamics in front line forces. Sexual tension between men and women, competition between men over a woman, chivalric impulses, etc.

I realize I'm hopelessly old fashioned but I just don't think women belong in combat.

[venkman]

VDH's quick take

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/338687/women-front-victor-davis-hanson

[Devildog]