Women in combat, what do you think?

Question

Should women be allowed in combat? There are some stories of women doing great things in combat, but not that many. From personal experience, I was deployed to iraq twice in a combat unit. Sometimes we went on missions where some females would accompany us. The thing was, the females either stayed in the vehicles or would go into buildings after the men had cleared them. In that sense i don't think women belong in combat at all. They are more likely to get special treatment, usually they don't do much but sit around in the vehicle or where it is been deemed as safe by the men.

Also while in combat, i saw some pretty gory stuff. Some iraqi army guys got executed and i had to help carry the bodies, pick up human parts. After a roadside bomb destroyed an american vehicle, we had to search the are for parts of the american soldiers who tragically died in the blast. A civilian helicopter with americans in it got shot down, we had to secure the are and bag the bodies. This is another reason why women should not be in the military. Men can handle certain emotional situations like this one way better than women.

Ok as far as Am's answer, i was not talking about rank. A vet assistant in the army can outrank an infatry and vice versa. Rank has nothing to do with this question, so because a female outranks a male, does not mean that they are better or worse in anyway. All it means is that they probably been in the service longer.

Reading a lot of these answers got me thinking. Some of you say women can do things better than men, that's fair, but give me some examples. Do all women do this better than men? Also, when you say a woman can take pain or carry a 250 pound man, what do you mean? You mean all women can, or just one or two that you know? One or two does not replace the 100's of women in the military!!!

Answer 1

Only if the woman can do EXACTLY what the men can do. ie: Run as fast, carry as much, etc.

I wouldn't want to depend on a little 115 pound woman to carry my 200 pounds out of a hot zone.

Answer 2

Well as far as carrying a 250 pound person. I carried my friend who weighed that much 50 yards. I also won 20$ for doing it. Ok I do admit that men are stronger. But I hate the fact they will not put us in combat situations. But I see their point. Women bring in life so it is hard for them to take it out. I'm going into the coast guard due to the fact all jobs are open to women. I don't want to be trained for something I will never get the chance to do. Some of us can do it and others can't. But you won't be able to know until they we are put in that place. I hope one day they will give some of us a chance. But I totally understand why we are not in combat.

Answer 3

Even though I do not condone enlisting into the military …
I will say this…
Women KICK @ss!!!
We are not emotionally unstable, like sexist chauvinist men may think…
My Mom is in the military and she probably outranks you and you’ll probably take orders from her… she’s that rank thingy that comes after Major, I think it’s Latinate something … that rank in the Army (I know it’s different for the different branches).
We not only are able to do what men do, but in some cases we are able to do it BETTER, for example women pilots are known to be better (scientifically speaking) at flying airplanes (in combat and not) then men.
Oh yeah, and we're known to be able to handle pain better TOO (in genral).

"Bob Barker" Women and LGBTQ get raped in our own USA military all the TIME DUH... it's NOT our fualts, so why can't WE fight, it's not our faults that MEN have MAD issues!!! Just because that's a risk doesn't mean we shouldn't do it, it's like putting us in a cage because "Oh yall are too beutifull and delicate we can't STAND to see you get harmed or hurt", well then WORK on yalls SH*T and fight sexism DUH! We shouldn't have to continue to PAY for YALLS mistakes... (this is for ALL men out there, so listen).

To answer your add on Q:
There are some men who can't
There are some men who can
There are some women who can't
There are some women who can
So get over your self and GIVE everyone an equal opprotunity!
We (as in Women) didn't fight for women's rights to still be fighting in the 21st century ... (of course I feel the same way about any movement, we're all SLOW ... it's irritating)

Answer 4

What about the women piolots? Do you feel that they are just sitting around? Just wondering. To answer your question though I feel if you are a soldier that there should be no special treatment just because you happen to be a female. Im guessing that not all women are happy to be singled out like that either. If I were a women in combat I would'nt want some guy acting as though I were some fragile flower whom could not do her job just because I was'nt a man.

Answer 5

Women in combat is a sensitive topic. I don't think women should be in combat, not because they "can't do stuff as well as men." I feel this way because what happens is the soldiers become POW's? It is already hard enough to refrain from breaking down. Add in the stress of seeing a woman being raped and beaten, because that is exactly what would happen. Our enemies have no souls, that has already been established.

Answer 6

Thank you for what you did, by serving the country in wich i am not able to serve, at least when it comes to the military! There are , however, men out there that cant handel what you went through, but we send them anyway, I know that it wouldn't be practical to look at soldier/marines/sailor/airman, on a case by case basis, but there are females out ther that can handle combat stress, and mental stress better than some of the members out there now! It is unfair to say, or eliminate a whole group of people, but it is what had to be done, Females can do what men do, that is for your first answer, I know i have met thoes women, and in most cases they surpase many men i know! If you were looking as a case by case the military infantry should be split 50/50, but it isn't!

Do not mistake me, I do support the decisions of my former chain of command, but I do think that there are women out there that can handle everthing if not more than you have gone through!

once again thank you for all you have done!

Answer 7

I don't like women going into combat because of the horrors that could befall them if they are captured. As far as women not pulling their weight it happens in everyjob, and beleive it or not guys do the same thing. When I was in the gulf there was guy in the unit that would fall out on every manuver, one Marine had to carry him, and one had to carry his gear. This took two Marines out of commision. I have also seen that 115 lb woman take down and beat the crap out of a 250 lb man. My point is women can carry their weight. The only reason I disagree with it, is because of the horrors that could befall them if captured. I'm old fashion and beleive we should protect our women from those types of horrors.

Answer 8

I don't see the problem so much with their abilities, but to me it seems to complicate all the practical issues too much. Do they have to be provided separate sleeping quarters, separate showers and bathrooms, separate doctors, etc. And lets face it, 1 week out of 4 they have certain issues to deal with that might get in the way of more pressing matters (and I'm not just referring to PMS).

So I'd say if they can hump their own gear and you make them just go pee and get a shower right there with the regular male troops, then let them try and see if they can make it. If all the special treatment begins, then forget it.

Also, I think the possibilities of being a POW and female are too ugly and scary to think about with the type of people we a dealing with now. It wouldn't be pretty.

Answer 9

I think that a women in combat is great so women are like that but some are not. women can do anything that a man can do but sometimes betters.

Answer 10

I don't think women should be in combat, I agree with your reasoning.