This isn't limited to a physical aspect (of course men are stronger and bigger); I'm also asking about intelligence, weapons handling, endurance, etc.
I've seen both extremes on this forum- "macho-man" idiots who make wise-@$$ remarks, and "macho-feminists" who go on a tripe about how sexist men are and how superior a particular female officer is. Sometimes it's hard to find a direct, informed answer.
So please respond only if you have first-hand knowledge and have seen these things for yourself. And please give serious, RESPECTFUL answers. I'm not asking for more PC or more machismo; just be realistic, based on what you personally experienced. Thank you.
2007-02-25 12:18:56 · 8 answers · asked by ATWolf 5 in Politics & Government ➔ Military
personally, (myself being a woman might make this statement biased) i belive that women do as well in the military as men do. granted, we have different body makeups.. we don't grow muscle mass the same as men, and therefore have different standards for PT.. which some think is unfair, but our bodies aren't made the same. i've known some females though to score better on PT tests than males.. even if they were held to the same standards. (they did more situps, pushups, and ran faster than some males) personally, i can do more situps than a lot of guys, and i can beat some of them at pushups.
you asked about intelligence and weapons handling... i honestly see no difference. i have no personal experience with intelligence aspect other than i scored the highest possible on my ASVAB. for weapons handling... there is no difference. several females in my company scored higher on weapons qualification than most of the males.
so the only difference i see is with the physical aspects, because our bodies are made differently. and that's nothing we can do anything about.
2007-02-25 12:34:03 · answer #1 · answered by Barbara H 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
ok, personal experienc. I have had both men and women over me; both of their ways were different as far as how they took care of soldiers. they both had kids of their own and they watched over us like parents would.
As far as intellegence- they both were extremely smart in their job aspect however the woman didn't know all the regs needed for the "soldiering". For weapons handling and endurance.....yeah men can shoot better from what i have seen....on an overall basis. However, there are a few out there that couldn't shoot worth crap. Endurance all depends on the person, whether or not they are physically active. I as a female ran a 26 mile marathon with a couple other people. This doesn't mean that I have more endurance that a man. Some men can do the road marches a lot faster than me.
I feel as though men and women are equals in the military. It all depends on what type of person they are. If they are hard working then they will get the job done and earn the respect of others.
2007-02-25 20:28:32 · answer #2 · answered by Just Tryin 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I will give it to you straight. Yes there is a physical difference. The PFT (physical fitness test) standards are lower for women than they are men for every branch I know of, women have a reputation of not pulling their weight. This is one of the reasons women aren't allowed into combat roles in the US. Pregnancy is a huge issue, very damaging. Pregnant women do not deploy and a replacement will not be sent for a good 6 months or more when it does. There are social issues too. I recall a conversation with a gunnery sergeant and said he didn't like co-ed ships because when ever there were females around, his Marines got into trouble. All male units tend to run smoother than co-ed ones. To be fair, there are some women in the service who the above statements really don't apply and it's a pleasure to have them in the service.
2007-02-25 20:36:12 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Women in the military vary the same way the men do in their abilities. There are some soldiers men and women who excel at the some aspects suck as PT or weapons but are not good at technical skills. It depends on the individual. There were some soldiers both male and female I would have entrusted my life to in Iraq and there were soldiers both male and female whom I wouldn't have trusted unsupervised with a broom.
2007-02-25 20:54:45 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I suppose it gets stereotypical because of the way girls are seen, girly. I know quite a few girls who i wouldnt wanna mess with, for the fact that i know they would f-k me up..
Its the men who wish not to be seen as little *******, but thats just my opinion.
I dont mind, in boxing, we dont do that, we respect them, because some would mess us up.
2007-02-25 20:23:48 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
women have the same capacities as men. I was int he military and there were smarter and fitter men than many men. The problem to was due to their period. Having a period during a military operation puts them at risk of getting infections and so forth. they are as capable as men.
2007-02-25 20:24:48 · answer #6 · answered by manglada 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
My wife and I were both in the Navy. That is how we met.
Military women are highly professional and do their jobs well...same as the men.
Of course, a few on both sides of the gender fence screw up, and they pay the price.
2007-02-25 20:24:04 · answer #7 · answered by powhound 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
my sister was in the marines. she said that some women did better than a lot of men.
2007-02-25 20:27:28 · answer #8 · answered by [quarantine] 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋