Comments on: American Women at War

By: David

David — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 03:53:57 +0000

My Sister is a Marine that served as a Lioness in Iraq. She was in a number of firefights and was IN combat.

The ban on women in combat needs to go. It is insulting to women that have been in harms way.

By: Sonya

Sonya — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 22:26:13 +0000

I just want to say I couldn’t be any prouder of all these women. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your service to your Country. I am truly apalled you have had to put up with so much sexual abuse from your “brothers” in arms with no justice in sight. I find it quite hypocritical that these are the same men who claim to be “protecting” women. What a joke. Be strong, be brave and remember you are every bit as good and better than any man serving next to you.

Oh and Military Realist, you are an a$$hat!

By: Military Realist

Military Realist — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 01:51:40 +0000

The situation for women in the armed forces serving in Iraq is the fault of shortsighted military policy. Allowing women into any branch of the military was the opening of the flood gates. While combat branches like the Infantry may hold out for awhile, with current current social and political trends full integration seems inevitable. While many feminists and female veterans may celebrate this as a triumph for the gender most military experts have argued that women lead to disunity in the ranks, especially in combat situations. Cohesion is essential in any combat unit and soldiers must be able to depend on each other for survival. The fact is that women in the military are held to a lower physical standard then men, and combined with the natural distraction women create the overall effectiveness of the Army is reduced.
The only solution which can preserve the effectiveness and performance of the armed forces in Iraq is to remove all women from service on the ground. No unit stationed in Iraq can completely be classified as non-combat, therefore the only option that follows the spirit of these military rules is to remove all service women from Iraq, and revert to the age old structure of an army.

By: HH

HH — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 01:45:30 +0000

[for context, I'm male]

Your guest talk about jaws dropping when people here about female soldiers. I’ve been hearing about female soldiers for so long that I’m kind of surprised to hear such a big deal being made about it, and surprised at the limitations still there about where and how women serve.

From my perspective, women should be equal, both in rights and in responsibilities. The end.

By: Frederic C.

Frederic C. — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 01:41:21 +0000

FYI-Democracy Now did a show at the beginning of this year featuring a member of, “stopmilitaryrape.org,” and there was a stop military rape day (in May, I think).

By: lorie michaels

lorie michaels — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 01:14:08 +0000

Hi JB,
I would define sexual trauma as the effects of sexual harassment or assault. One could also experience a trauma to the body (physical injury) – but in the context I’m addressing, it’s the lasting mental & emotional damage after the actual “situation” has passed. Same with war trauma…still seeing it, still feeling scared/jumpy, insomnia, unable to know who to trust…going inward & wanting to just be left alone. Numb.
It’s a tragedy, and it’s so prevalent right now that it’s getting a lot of press – so I dearly hope that people are finding their way to help & getting out of the slump that either of these situations can land you in. And so many women are experiencing both. If anyone reads this page & knows of a vet with PTSD, please send them the link to the EFT website. Or the StressVet Project…which is offering free, confidential help to vets with PTSD. http://www.stressproject.org
And thank you to the women who have voluntarily placed themselves in combat situations – you have my respect and gratitude.

By: Bob Carey

Bob Carey — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 23:04:57 +0000

Dear On Point,

I am an Army brat and a Viet Nam infantry veteran. Great show and thanks. But this is just what should be the beginning of this topic. You need to do more shows (plural).

I only served for one hitch and never saw a female GI. But today, though I have lived most of my life away from military service for men or women, I live near Ft. Lewis, McChord Air Force Base, and several naval bases.

Not only do I hear about how the wars are stretching many military families to the breaking point on NPR, but I see it all the time at work. This is a place (western Washington) of many veterans and currently serving military personnel and their families.

I happen to be off today because of my work schedule. I have never, like all veterans, had a day off because I am one. It is quite popular today, unlike when I returned from the Nam, for media stories about veterans. I am glad women are finally getting some of what is due them for their service. But RIGHTNOW, while listeners are listening to this, military families are under incredible pressure to survive in Irag, Afganistan, and the USA. Many families have two serving partners and sometimes children. The all-volunteer services, national guard and reserve are being destroyed by these two wars. And then there are numerous stories how the pentagon, congress, and the VA are failing the veterans, their families and many active service personnel.

This is extremely important.

Please do a show on this stuff!

Sincerely,

Bob Carey
Sgt. E-5
Co. A, 5th Btn, 12th Infantry
199th Light Infantry Brigade
Mekong Delta, Viet Nam
1968-1969

By: JB Finn

JB Finn — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 22:44:47 +0000

Can you please define sexual trauma? How is it different from sexual harassment or sexual assault?

By: ti

ti — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 16:38:59 +0000

This was an excellent show and I, sadly, was not able to pay full attention to it at work. I heard one of the callers recount her request to serve in the field, the tension in camp (unspoken expectation for payback from asking for routine favors such as a ride, having to deal with being chatted up near the latrines, etc.). I would like to thank her for her courage in sharing this story and in facing not only the enemies of her country but also simultaneously facing those within her country who have chosen the reprehensible path of the sexual bully. It seems, given any high concentration of men (schools, prisons, camps, fraternities, and armies) a group of these abusers will self-organize and begin a hushed but self-congratulatory predation of women or, in fact, anyone they think they can successfully assault without immediate reprisal. This group enjoys inflicting the abuse and sees it as a deserved benefit of their position of authority. It is important to realize, however, that these predators (though often never pushed and sometimes even given a clandestine sort of admiration) do NOT represent all of male humanity. They are a surprisingly large minority that are afflicted by an appallingly ignored form of sociopatholgy. Women such as the caller who have faced these people and survived are brave and strong and righteous. Predatory groups such as these need to be identified, treated, and dissolved (as opposed to being slapped on the back, admired, and promoted). Men who participate in these activities are sick and should seek help — the fact that others participated with them does not mean that they are “normal.” Healthy men who condone this abuse (whether through secret chuckles or through willful ignorance) are cowards, and, though surely surrounded by many more such cowards, should not feel any less ashamed at letting this sort of behavior go unresolved. This is an enemy within our psyches and must be brought to light and fought in the open. Historically the ability to inflict unnecessary humiliation and pain upon ones peers has been (sometimes quietly, sometimes publicly) admired as an expression of power. In fact, it is an expression of deep weakness, mental illness, ignorance, and lack of self-control. It is incumbent upon healthy people to identify and de-escalate this behavior whenever possible, and those, such as the caller, who have faced this head on are the bravest of all of us in this struggle.

By: Kim Ponders

Kim Ponders — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 16:06:31 +0000

Hi–

I’m a lieutenant colonel in the Reserve and the author of a novel about a woman flying in the Gulf War called “The Art of Uncontrolled Flight”. Women have shown themselves to be just as brave and tough in combat as men despite the fact that they’re all too often treated as second-class soldiers by their own peers and supervisors. As a nation, we’ve preferred to avoid conversations about the role of women in combat because it’s an uncomfortable subject. But women ARE in combat. There’s no denying it. Recognizing that and discussing it on the national level will go a long way toward allowing female soldiers be treated with the respect they deserve. If we continue to avoid a national dialogue on this subject, far too many women are going to continue to be subjected to sexual harassment and other gender bias.

By: lorie michaels

lorie michaels — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 15:53:55 +0000

I’m prior service (no combat) & experienced sexual harassment several times. I’ve been working with other vets & women who have experienced traumas – I really want to pass on a web site & info about a process that has been working extremely well for both war & sexual trauma. It’s called EFT & the web site for more information is http://www.emofree.com
It has made a huge difference in my life & with the men & women I’ve worked with.

By: Deborah Douglas

Deborah Douglas — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 15:38:07 +0000

There seems to be some confusion among your guests and callers regarding U.S. law. For example, one of the extraordinary changes following the first Gulf War was the repeal of the legal restrictions that barred women from serving in combat aviation. The new law allows each branch of the service to make their own decisions about what positions should be open to women (and men for that matter). As the callers have suggested, the military and society are still debating the question “should women be in combat” but there is no legal barrior preventing them from doing so. This is quite different from the first Gulf War when women in the same situation as today’s military women would be in violation of law.

By: sylvia spasoff

sylvia spasoff — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 15:37:24 +0000

Canadian women are also serving on a equal basis with their male colleagues in Afghanistan. One of our heroes is Captain Nichola Goddard who was killed on duty in 2006 while serving as a forward observer from a tank to direct artillery attacks. On this
Remembrance Day we are remembering all of our troops killed in Afghanistan, as well as the earlier wars.