Army Pink

03.25.2003

Whatever you may think about the war, it has greatly expanded the role of women in the armed forces. Women account for 1 in 7 military personnel in Iraq.

If you read some of the war reports carefully, you'll notice that women are serving in forward combat roles. Here's an excerpt from a recent Washington Post story on the Apache helicopter attacks on the Republican Guard 50 miles outside Baghdad:

Lt. Carrie Bruhl, 26, a co-pilot and gunner who was seeing her first fighting, said the sound of bullets hitting "sounds like a sledgehammer ... The first round that came in, I couldn't feel my legs." When her helicopter returned to base at about 2:30 a.m., the Oceanside, Calif. native said the first thing she did was "make sure my legs were still working."

I found the post from blogger Phil Carter (via Command Post). Carter noticed Bruhl's name specifically because they met at UCLA.

So far, one female soldier is a POW and another is MIA. Here's a story on female soldiers in Iraq. Here's the story of Major Shari Corbett (and a few others) — she leads an attack helicopter squadron in the 101 Airborne. Lt. Vernice Armour is the first female African-American attack chopper pilot.

Posted by Miguel at 01:23 AM

Comments

Being former military of a Cargo helicopter, I will say, although women may not be physically able to carry the strnuous loads the Marines and 11B (infantry) carry, we are ale to do other missions.

However, this doesn't come without some sort of cost. My years I served I was "one of the boys." I adapted well and was very respected. In the end it was a great expirience. My job, if necessary, was a Chinook Flight Engineer. That means using an Air-60 machine guns and whatever else to protect my crew.

Did it matter if I was a women pulling the trigger or fixing the flying fortress...NO. However, if I became captured...it all matters.

Why?

Men get raped ann abused in war, but it isn't talked about. Women...if they want...DO IT

Posted by: Maiden America at April 3, 2003 02:18 PM