What is your advice for Females joining the ranks of the combat jobs in the Military?

Create an inner circle of friends that you can turn to for support, encouragement, and to help you learn your job, maybe even help you when others are criticizing you. I heard some today tell so else they were an overachiever. I told them there is no such thing as an over achiever those who love average lives see everyone who excels at all as overachievers. You and your inner circle hold each other to a higher standard.

My recommendation, encourage the go-getters to become bigger, faster, stronger - seems moot to think about the already existing expectation, but challenge them to focus on meeting the physical standards of their male counterparts so that the transition doesn't shock them or the military as a whole.

I also recommend to young soldiers, go to a training range and become proficient using firearms in a tactical scenario. That and become comfortable with spartan resources and little to no creature comforts.

The US Military Forces are not the place for social experimenting. These social programs, women in ground combat roles, gays and transgenders in the military, etc. have done nothing to further the #1 mission of the US Military...to kill people and break things. None of these programs improve efficiency, and all of them have cost defense dollars that could be better spent on weapons, training, etc. Women do have a place in the military, flying combat aircraft...yes, manning crew positions (including command positions) aboard Naval surface combat ships...yes, and many, many others. But in direct ground combat roles? No. Women, in general (yes, there are exceptions), are weaker and smaller than men in general. They do not have the muscle mass men have (men have about 40% muscle mass, women have about 30% muscle mass), nor do they have the muscle strength men have.
http://healthyliving.azcentral.com/much-muscle-mass-male-female-1709.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10904038
Upper body strength is critical in ground combat. Can a woman retrieve a large wounded member of her team and bring him/her to safety? What happens if the combat situation deteriorates to hand to hand combat with a woman team member having to fight a large opponent of the enemy?
These, and many more questions need to be answered before we try another stupid social experiment. We Soldiers, Marines, Airmen, Sailors, and Coasties have all lost comrades to prior social experiments that liberal politicians have forced upon us. Those politicians may not care about the lives of my brothers and sisters, but I do. Women are great at doing a lot of things men are not good at. So why don't we recognize that men are great at doing some things women are not good at?
My advice? No, don't do this, this is just another politically correct stupid idea.

To be part of the unit, same treatment as everybody else. No especial ways of doing things, do the best they can just like everybody else No difference in gender.

While the sex of a person determines whether we call a male a male and a female a female, gender assignment is not so clear cut. I know women who have skills, abilities and mindset that tops many males, so the male/female issue is largely a social construct. Females joining combat arms MOS's should "know thyself", know the MOS, study up on the history of warfare. Then make the decision as they see fit.

Remind them that they are being recruited into a male dominated MOS that has been that way for over 300 years. Expect to be ridiculed and to hear allot of BS from these male soldiers. They are going to need to be RESILIENT to comments and remarks. I served with the 82nd Airborne from 93 to 96. It was tough for females who weren't in the infantry. The females then expected that treatment but overcame it easily. Let them know they need to keep their head up, think straight, and use that ridicule as fuel for the fire to prove that they can overcome any and all obstacles that are thrown at them.

As a female holding AFSCs in what was once male dominated career fields, i would say that any woman wanting to be in a combat position should have the drive and personality for it. Not all men are geared mentally and physically for these jobs and it's not different for women. Combat is not for the weak minded. This is something you should make well known to anyone wanting to take up the front line positions. Good luck! I know there will be some kickass females out there!

They choose to serve their country. My advice is serve with honor and distinction.

Your advice should be that which mentally and psychologically prepares the future soldier that the job which they are trying to achieve is not based on gender but on its critical part to the accomplishment of a large, team-oriented, mission.

My advice is plain and simple, do what you can do, be who you are, listen to each other, learn from each other, stay professional and grow together as an effective combat team. Your gonna have some who doubt you, don't doubt yourself and trust your instincts.