Anon

Bonehead: "Combat is psychological as well as physical."

Agreed.

"If the women have the motivation and the mininum physical skills, she should be able to serve like her male counterparts."

Agreed, with the caveat that the units be segregated. Men and women of that age just cannot realistically be expected to co-habitate like civilized individuals. Don't happen at parties, don't happen at college, and it sure don't happen in the military either. And btw, we've no idea how many women could actually meet the male standards, because they aren't held to the males standards.

"Most of the problems with women in combat that I know of are coming from either the brass, or the males."

I would say it comes from the males and females alike...and a big chunk of the brass ARE females.

"The brass is holding onto the traditional "men only" idealisms and tradition."

This would include the hundreds of female flag grade officers in the US military, and the thousands of field grade officers as well?

That argument is just plain silly because a lot of these units/commands are commanded by women.

"The military has perfectec the art of war using only men. Like it or not, the military will have to adapt for the women."

First, the art of war is not perfected, nor will it ever be. It is a continual evolution as technology and doctrine is improved and refined.

Like it or not, all of us who serve/d will be out of jobs once they invent a robot that can think on it's own. Then we'll get to have this same argument again, 'humans are not good enough to serve in the military'. And guess what, the pro robot people will probably be right.

There is no 'right to serve', so the military doesn't have to change unless it's a change by need, regardless of how unfair you think their policies may be.

"There have been some changes, but they have been a long time in coming. The foot dragging, stonewalling, and discrimination and intimidation must stop."

So must the getting knocked up to escape a deployment, the allegations of sexual harrasment to get a supervisor off your back, the instances of female troops and sailors selling themselves to their shipmates and other men in their unit, and the dual standards that separate the men and women. Unfortunately, none of that will ever stop because all of it is human nature.

When the military is a force of robots, with no humans in sight, that's when those things will finally stop.

"I hope the military is smart and wise enough to adapt in the best manner possible, but sometimes I have my doubts."

I wish people would just let the military handle warfighting as they best see fit. Unfortunately, a lot of people with no fuccking idea what they're talking about seem to think their opinion counts for something.

"Some of the pig headed policies about fraternization in the past were a complete failure, as well as the butt of Letterman and Leno jokes."

Quite the opposite, fraternization is an ever increasing problem in the US military.

"The days of the male military fraternity and, men only in combat are over, in the past, deal with it and move on."

No, the debate is ongoing, and none of us have a crystal ball. So you deal with the fact that debate will not stop simply to placate your sensibilities of fair play, and you move on.

"As for the men, many have a lot to learn."

Well thankfully, you're here to teach us all, since you've apparently got everything figured out.

"The women in your unit is not there for your sexual pleasure."

Nor are we there for theirs. Yet, it takes two to tango cuz.

"Get this out of your mind and grow up. (Hint, Rape is a definate no no. Just like in the real world.)"

And it's illegal, just like in the real world. In fact, rape is a capital crime in the US Military...much harsher than the real world. But as we all know, criminals are not fond of following the law, whether it be civil or military.

"Women are equals and are fully capable of saving your butt when the time arises."

There are no such things as equals in any walk of life. What are you some kind of commie propoganda mouthpiece or something?

I'm not equal at fighting to Roy Jones, no matter how much i insist the opposite. I can't run as fast as Carl Lewis, no matter how much i wish i could. Most people alive can not shoot as well as me, no matter how much they wish they could, and no matter how much they practice.

I'm unsuitable to play middle linebacker(or any position) in the NFL. That's unfair. I demand a chance to play regardless of the fact that there are others that are inherently better than me. Becuase life should be fair dammit!

"They may have to do things differently, but do not make the mistake of thinking they are less capable. They are not."

Science has proven that in some ways women are superior to men , just as in some ways men are physiologically superior to women. Your denial does not change scientific fact backed by countless studies on the differences between the male and female physiology. Some of those studies are quoted in this thread...if you'd actually bothered to read them.

The main attributes needed for a combat arms soldier are strength, endurance/stamina, speed, aggressiveness, discipline and intelligence.

Certainly women are every bit as smart as men, and can be everybit as disciplined on average, but they are not as fast, they're not as strong, and they're not as aggressive on average. They're also not built with as dense a skeletal structure nor is it easy for them to match a males muscle density, on average.

Why does that matter? Because skeletal and muscle density are your natural armor. Because of the males superiority in those two areas men are on averageable to withstand more physical punishment and abuse than women.

No matter how much you wish that these things aren't so, they are, and i suggest it's you that has to learn to deal with that reality.

When it comes to combat arms all available scientific and empirical evidence suggests men are significantly better suited to fill those roles, that's just the way it is.

It's no different than pro sports, but the stakes are a hell of a lot higher. There are no women in pro contact sports for a reason. They're just not big/strong/fast/good enough. It's considered rude to make such basic observations in today's PC driven world, yet the observation is right there practically biting you on the nose. All you have to do is ignore those people that would try to suppress your opinion via labels such as 'dinosaur' and 'sexist'.

I have no problem ignoring the opinions of those that aren't even qualified to make the most basic of judgements on an issue, nor do i have a problem ignoring the pressure of those that would like to silence me to advance their idea of social utopia.