Back from combat, women struggle for acceptance

I notice that there are many veterans here. So this story might interest you guys.

WASHINGTON — Nobody wants to buy them a beer.

Even near military bases, female veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan aren't often offered a drink on the house as a welcome home.

More than 230,000 American women have fought in those recent wars and at least 120 have died doing so, yet the public still doesn't completely understand their contributions on the modern battlefield.

For some, it's a lonely transition as they struggle to find their place.

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The Associated Press: Back from combat, women struggle for acceptance

Wow I never would have thought, I have tons of friends who are veterans and/or currently overseas, the women don't get treated any differently than the men from what Ive seen

It was a big mistake to include women in combat, there is no vital need as there is in Israel.

It was a big mistake to include women in combat, there is no vital need as there is in Israel.

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Suddenly the problem comes into perspective. I'm sure the first thing a female vets wants when she gets home is some condescending sexist crap. Its shameful you would demean the honorable service of a soldier because of stupid prejudices.

rathi said:

Suddenly the problem comes into perspective. I'm sure the first thing a female vets wants when she gets home is some condescending sexist crap. Its shameful you would demean the honorable service of a soldier because of stupid prejudices.

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Its not prejudice, but simple reality. Unless Germans are driving toward Moscow, women in uniform have no place on the battle field.

Its not prejudice, but simple reality. Unless Germans are driving toward Moscow, women in uniform have no place on the battle field.

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Why not? Anyone is willing, loyal and capable should be allowed to serve.

rathi said:

Why not? Anyone is willing, loyal and capable should be allowed to serve.

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Good luck marshalling the forces of the mentally handicapped.

rathi said:

Suddenly the problem comes into perspective. I'm sure the first thing a female vets wants when she gets home is some condescending sexist crap. Its shameful you would demean the honorable service of a soldier because of stupid prejudices.

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It doesn't necessarily require sexism; the fact is that mixed units have lots of problems unique to the presence of females in tense or isolated situations (such as 'deployments'). There is alot of resentment of females for this reason among those who have to deal with the drama that they bring, and there is more than a little resentment on the part of the combat arms guys who feel that they are put at greater risk due to the drive to include them. We tried taking female "Lioness" teams out on two separate occasions; and both times they were major liabilities that put our guys in greater danger. I'm not saying all females are like that, but its' the common enough experience that its' the operating assumption many of the guys in the non-mixed units have. Then we read about women who get bronze stars and suchcrap for going on a convoy which didn't even get hit and all we can conclude is that females in general are being babied and treated special in order to maintain a politically correct military; and that the brass considers that political correctness a higher value than the greater danger to the guys on the sharp end.

imagine if you were supposed to be swimming from one side of a pool while another individual was supposed to walk alongside. now imagine the person walking was carrying a weight. now imagine that you got tossed that weight because "the person walking was naturally weaker than you"; and you were told to keep on swimming. carrying that weight that drags you under. now imagine that the person walking was praised for their hard work and effort, once you both made it to the other end of the pool.

yeah, you'd eventually resent the walker.

Areopagitican said:

Good luck marshalling the forces of the mentally handicapped.

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He did say capable.. :2razz:

Good luck marshalling the forces of the mentally handicapped.

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Are you volunteering?

More than 230,000 American women have fought in those recent wars and at least 120 have died doing so, yet the public still doesn't completely understand their contributions on the modern battlefield.

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The contributions made by female soldiers is no different than the contribution made by male soldiers. If female soldiers are waiting to get some speical recognition, over male soldiers, then me thinks they'll be waiting a long time.

apdst said:

The contributions made by female soldiers is no different than the contribution made by male soldiers. If female soldiers are waiting to get some speical recognition, over male soldiers, then me thinks they'll be waiting a long time.

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I'm under the impression they aren't waiting for special recognition, I would guess they are waiting for the same recognition. Matters not to me who fights for our freedoms, male OR female, I for one am thankful for their service.

Bullets don't give a **** if the person who fired the gun had tits or a pecker. They aren't any less lethal.

apdst said:

The contributions made by female soldiers is no different than the contribution made by male soldiers. If female soldiers are waiting to get some speical recognition, over male soldiers, then me thinks they'll be waiting a long time.

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You clearly did not read the source article. The problem many women are having is that it is assumed they are not real vets. No one is asking for special recognition, just recognition itself would be nice.

She described the attitudes as "Oh, you didn't do anything or you were just on base," said McNeill, who suffers from postconcussive headaches, ringing in her ears, and other health problems related to roadside bomb blasts. The 25-year-old from Hollandale, Wis., was a sergeant in the Army Reserves.

She said she seemingly even got that response when she told the VA staff in Madison, Wis., of her work. She said she was frustrated to see in her VA paperwork how what she told them had been interpreted.

"It would say like, 'the patient rode along on convoys,' like I was just a passenger in the back seat," McNeill said.

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If you take the 30 seconds to read the linked story, you would not make such stupid mistakes.

Soldiers are soldiers. They all wear green. When a female sniper breaks the current record of 29 kills, she can be treated special. Until then, she's just another gear in the Green Machine.

There are plenty of male soldiers who get the same ****ty treatment by people who have zero clue of what a combat theater is like.

Reddress the one item I took away from this article is the same problem allo tof Vets are having and have had for many year and that is the VA and it BS System it has to be the worst Governmental run Dept. in the whole United States.

The paperwork is so stupid the whole thing needs to be gutted and started over.

As for the topic I know quite allot of female Vets who would disput the article I'm not saying it's wrong but it is rather ascrewed don't you think.

When a female sniper breaks the current record of 29 kills, she can be treated special.

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Yeah, but then we are just going to be giving drinks to a bunch of dead soviets.

apdst said:

Soldiers are soldiers. They all wear green. When a female sniper breaks the current record of 29 kills, she can be treated special. Until then, she's just another gear in the Green Machine.

There are plenty of male soldiers who get the same ****ty treatment by people who have zero clue of what a combat theater is like.

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What part of wanting to be treated the same is complicated for you?

Redress said:

What part of wanting to be treated the same is complicated for you?

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What part of they're probably already being treated the same is so complicated for you?

Do you think that male soldiers don't run into idiots, too?

I've certainly ran into my share.

Redress said:

What part of wanting to be treated the same is complicated for you?

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I'm waiting for them to want to be treated the same. The ones I've run into want to be treated special.