Panetta Opens Thousands of Combat Positions to Women

[bayonetbrant]

http://grognews.blogspot.com/2013/01/news-panetta-opens-combat-positions-to_1024.html

[LongBlade]

Interesting.

[donkey_roxor]

"The U.S. military is ending its policy of excluding women from combat and will open combat jobs and direct combat units to female troops, CNN has learned. Multiple officials confirm to CNN that Defense Secretary Leon Panetta will make the announcement tomorrow and notify Congress of the planned change in policy."

http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2013/01/23/military-to-open-combat-jobs-to-women/

Next step: Congress amends Selective Service law to require women to register?

[GDS_Starfury]

just more pictures!!!

[TheCommandTent]

I have strong personal feelings on the issue that I won't air here but it will be interesting to see how this plays out.  Thanks for the heads up Brant.

[Longdan]

Now how are the boys going to take it?

[MetalDog]

Just saw this over at MSN.  My very first thought was, how long will it be before someone proves this is a bad idea?  Let me make clear that I have not ever served in the armed forces, so I have exactly zero idea or experience in what could possibly happen with men and women serving side by each in harms way.  Having said that, and maybe this is just my innate maleness, but, how can you concentrate with a woman next to you? 

Sure, you could forget for a time that she is a woman, but, at some point, the fact will come home to you that there is a woman in a firefight right next to you.  Or in a foxhole.  Or a confined space.  And at some point, the things that mark the male/female dynamic will be explored.  What if she gets hurt?  Will that trigger your macho protection response?  Or what if you get hurt?  Will she be able to carry me out?  Or you've been in the field, away from your wife for months and Cpl. Jones has been hinting around that a hookup isn't out of the question?  Am I missing something here?

For those who have served, I thank you for your service and forgive me if I am being obtuse or disrespectful.  I just don't get where this is a good idea.

[LongBlade]

I'm wondering what the Vegas odds are on some of this being rolled back.

[LongBlade]

So what do we call this new program?

Infantry with benefits?

[LongBlade]

We've now got three threads on this. I'm going to splice them into a single one.

[GDS_Starfury]

so we'll have subs full of women seamen.

paging Bob... Bob to the thread please.

[MetalDog]

so we'll have subs full of women seamen.

I'm not bob, but I'll give it a shot

so we'll have subs full of women seamen.

That'd be a sticky situation, wouldn't it?

[GDS_Starfury]

depends on how much down bubble you get.

[LongBlade]

I can see this thread is going to be milked for all it's worth.

[bayonetbrant]

take your best shots!