New military roles for women

[The KSB]

http://news.yahoo.com/apnewsbreak-sources-military-roles-women-003743068.html

I am extremely fortunate to be serving at a time when the military is removing a lot of the old barriers. No longer are Soldiers required to hide their sexual orientation. Now there will be increased opportunity for women.

On one of my patrols during my soon to be over deployment we came across an Afghan truck that had turned over. There were about 50 Afghan men standing around the driver who was lying on the ground mortally wounded and unconscious. We stopped to render aid. I was a bit nervous because my medic was female and I didn't know how they would react. As soon as we established security my medic sprung into action. She immediately took absolute control of the situation. She was aggressive and competent. Through the interpreter and using hand and arm signals she barked commands at the locals who were standing around. Not only did they did not hesitate to do obey her orders, but they looked to her for leadership in this situation. You could see it in their eyes and through their body language. This may not seem like a big deal to those who haven?t been to Afghanistan. But trust me, this goes 180 degrees against a culture that violently believes women are in every way subordinate to men. As I watched this situation unfold I was amazed at this incredible Soldier as she aggressively tried to save this man?s life. As soon as she stabilized him she had him loaded on one of our vehicles and evacuated to a nearby combat outpost. That day she was a hero. Not because she was a woman blazing a trail for others to follow, but because she was a Soldier who fearlessly did her job.

 

[FCollinsBuckeye]

Great post, thanks for sharing, KSB. Stay safe.

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

Not trying to minimalize the story, but women medics serving in combat is hardly a "new role"...there were female med corps personnel in Desert Storm, 20 years ago. We've had female fighter pilots for almost 20 years now also. A female triathlon training friend of mine now back in the mainland is a B-2 pilot (and just got married to a female pro cyclist days after the DADT ban came into effect).

 

[The KSB]

You don't think there is anything new about a female medic going on patrol with an infantry platoon in Afghanistan? Also you think there is some similarity between being a female fighter pilot and a female in an infantry company in Afghanistan? I guess if you haven't been there you don't understand.

 

[scooter1369]

My wife was a Hospital Corpsman for 7th Engineers Support Battalion, 1st Mar Div. This was common in the 90's as this was a support unit, not a combat unit. But she trained with the Marines and did everything they did for three years. Not an easy task.

I think the big story, as you pointed out, is that as a female she had the ears of every man there. The fact that they followed her instructions implicitly is big farking deal. Many people in Afghanistan would just as soon throw acid in her face for daring to speak to man she isn't married to, much less bark orders at him.

 

[JCOSU86]

Not trying to minimalize the story, but women medics serving in combat is hardly a "new role"...there were female med corps personnel in Desert Storm, 20 years ago.

She says it goes back further than that:

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

You don't think there is anything new about a female medic going on patrol with an infantry platoon in Afghanistan? Also you think there is some similarity between being a female fighter pilot and a female in an infantry company in Afghanistan? I guess if you haven't been there you don't understand.

I agree that the cultural situation there is different, it's just that it seemed the story was implying the military is just now allowing women medics into combat situations when in fact it's not new at all.