Send Women into Combat in Iraq?

[zepherin]

Whatever is begun in anger ends in shame. Benjamin Franklin

This is how I feal about wars and the draft (male or female).

[Redbone]

Personally, I believe that as long as Selective Service is a law for men, it should be a law for women as well. In the US every man has to register at the age of 18. If he doesn't he can't work for the government, get government education loans or participate in government programs. The same rules should apply to all people when they turn 18 as long as there is a law.

As far as whether anyone should be forced to fight, today's world is different than the world as it existed during the Vietnam war. The government isn't having trouble getting volunteers for the military, so the draft isn't necessary.

I would submit that regardless of personal preference about war vs. peace, there is eventually going to be a time when it is necessary to fight.

There is eventually going to be a time when someone has to stand up to aggression and fear and put a stop it. There is eventually going to be a time when someone has to take a moral high ground and do what's right. If someone hadn't been willing to take a stand then America wouldn't be here today. If someone hadn't been willing to take a stand then there would still be slavery in America. Please don't forget the sacrifices that people made to make this discussion possible. Sometimes you have to fight to make peace.

[detoxsmurf]

>>Some people agree with this but want to put restrictions on what they can do..fine, there are already certain jobs women can't hold. They can't be in special forces (i.e. the Navy Seals or Army Rangers), <<

The powers that be tried to push some females through ranger school a couple of years ago. My buddy was an R.I. at the time and he was "encouraged" to let them slide through. Even though they would never gone to the ranger batt, where do we draw the line. I agree with equal opportunity and all that. But is it fair to the male troops on the front lines to put someone who isn't qualified in the name of equal opportunity.

[pale syncope]

Enlist them yes, but why the front line talk? Use what has worked before( Rosey the riveter).
But there is one field that needs to be addressed and that is spying; A few woman should sign a special form that states that their life will be at risk and the form is for the special few only.

[Curious_One]

Detox, I agree that there should be a line. If a woman is to go through training for special forces, there should be no "sliding through". In a time of war, everyone's lives depends on someone else and I sure as heck wouldn't want someone who just slid through training. When I made that statement about special training I wasn't necessarily complaining...just stating a fact.

I feel that if a woman wants to do those special jobs, she should have to do everything the man has to do and not be able to cut corners. Especially when it comes to lives being at stake. She has to pull her own weight.

[gluckmac]

No one should be able to "slide" through a course like the Rangers, SEALS, SWAT, or GReen Beret where so many lives are on the line. When you are a member of one of these teams you want to know that the people around you can perform correctly because your life might be in jeopardy otherwise. You want to know that your team mates can be counted on to be there by your side.

[bshver]

It seems to me unfair and illogical that women are allowed to vote and participate in a democracy that they do not have to make a commitment to defend. I feel that if someone registers to vote they should also be required to register with the selective service. Right now those women who are not in the armed forces or veterans are taking advantage of the privelidges of our democracy without having to make any commitment to defend those privelidges and rights should it become necessary. I am an 18 year old male who has registered with the Selective Service. I was proud to do so. If my country decides that it needs me to go fight and even give my life so that someone else can enjoy the rights and freedoms of being an American, I will go do it with no regrets.
That said, I think I should also point out that women serving in the front lines should not be a political decision. If a woman can pass the same physical fitness and other requirements as a man needs to pass, then she should be assigned wherever she is needed. There should be no politics involved...If standards are lowered just so women can be allowed to fight on the "front lines" (which in modern war seem to be quite blurred) then there will be more casualties based on unqualifid personnel being involved in combat.
Well, that is my $.02

[owen76]

There was another country that tested that (sorry,can't remember) and more males were killed because they were trying to help the females. Only the women that can pass the men's test should be in. The military is already compromising standards. The same goes with firemen. If she can't pull me out of a burning building, that risks other firemen's lives. In combat, if she is lagging behind because of the weight of the backpack that, will cause other soldiers lives. What if she's taken prisoner? She will probably be raped plenty.

[shkuey]

The Marines have a saying "When you're ready for a wife, we'll assign you one."

Anyone know the statistics for pregnancy in the military? Each naval vessel averages 25 pregnancies a year. The navy should not have to be equipped to deal with this. Women are not even allowed on a submarine for just this reason.

Men are distracted by women in the same way that women are distracted by men, and this is only heightened during periods of stress and high emotions.

If women want to serve I don't believe they should be put on the same front line as men, if they want to crusade and make some all woman front line, fine I suppose.

I don't even believe a married individual should be allowed to serve in the military. When your commanding officer tells you to jump on a grenade, you want that soldier to be thinking about following orders and not about his family at home. That kind of thing can get a lot of people killed.