Stop whining, men at arms: Women are already in combat
The integration of women into our military to date has been overwhelmingly positive, but there have been undeniable downsides that we should learn from. One example: When the Army integrated basic training a generation ago, physical requirements were lowered for everybody (we pretended otherwise). We now have the chubbiest, tubbiest military since Sgt. Bilko. Physical toughness should be requirement No. 1 for every soldier or Marine.
(The gender integration of basic training also destroyed the folk-poetry tradition of magnificently obscene, hilariously inventive marching and running cadences — political correctness killed those wonderful “jodies.”)
On the other hand, the Neanderthals among us have to recognize that more than a few women in uniform have not only participated in combat, but performed heroically. In the Military Police Corps, convoy escort duty often led to ambushes and firefights in Iraq. No-nonsense female NCOs won medals for bravery leading men in combat.
What ultimately matters is who can fight. This can’t be about gender above all. It has to be competence-driven.
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I think you’d have to have 18 year old girls register for the draft at the same time you start this new policy. How can you draft men and not women? I think a boy just turning 18 today could challenge the selective service registration requirement on the basis that females aren’t required to register, and how does he not win his case at this point?
Buddahpundit on January 25, 2013 at 10:18 PM
IOW, “What difference does it make?”
davidk on January 25, 2013 at 10:19 PM
Another idiotic piece written by someone that has zero experience with the subject. As a retired military person, I can quote Sheriff Joe that this is “a big f’in deal” that will cause a lot of problems for a lot of people.
RoadRunner on January 25, 2013 at 10:31 PM
I see it as a self correcting problem. Those who aren’t good enough won’t survive. The enemy does not grade on a curve.
BDavis on January 25, 2013 at 10:34 PM
Also, since women will need to register for the draft, up to what age do they need to register? I think they draft 20 year olds first, then 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 19 and 18, in that order. But I haven’t heard where they dispose of men’s selective service registrations at a particular age so I guess all women will need to register. Certainly all women between 18 and 25 will.
Something tells me they’ll just be getting rid of the selective service for good in the next few weeks.
Buddahpundit on January 25, 2013 at 10:36 PM
I think that’s the next political gambit Obama has in store for Republicans. After years of Democrats threatening the draft, they will suddenly, in lockstep, call for the end of selective service. Republicans will either be the bad guy who wants to force our sons and daughters to die in a war, and force millions of women between the ages of 18 and 25 to register en masse for selective service, or they have to agree to weaken our military readiness.
It’s brilliant!…in a Joker sort of way.
Buddahpundit on January 25, 2013 at 10:52 PM
Men will have to pick up the considerable slack from women, and die as a result.
Rebar on January 26, 2013 at 12:20 AM
Christien on January 26, 2013 at 12:24 AM
This is a game to them. Sickening.
Christien on January 26, 2013 at 12:26 AM
Let’s play “military”.
The p.c. idiots’ version of reality.
profitsbeard on January 26, 2013 at 1:35 AM
A commenter on my blog opined that they’re doing this because a dead female soldier is going to cause many times the stink of a dead male soldier, on the front page of the papers.
That sounds right to me. Like the way lefties keep trying to re-introduce the draft. Anything to drive a wedge.
S. Weasel on January 26, 2013 at 7:18 AM
I don’t know, there might be some potential PR value were women to be used to take out a group of terrorists. Even if they got captured, raped, tortured, or killed the PR value might hit a nerve in the MSM.
kregg on January 26, 2013 at 7:33 AM