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

SSG Bethany Viglietta
My advice to the recruiters...get them to MEPS (either drive them to the hotel or put them on the bus to the hotel). Make sure they are ready for BCT. Make sure they have a copy of all their ship documents, ETC. About this time, you are saying to yourself, 'That is what we do for al DEP/DTPs?' That is the actual answer, ship them to training.

Females need to be competent at tasks that require strength and endurance should it be carrying 100 lbs. artillery rounds, throwing a 40 lbs. tank round into the breach in 6 seconds or less, road marching many miles will full gear and equipment. Don't show physical nor emotional weakness. Being a good overall soldier with a good attitude is implied, but combat arms require knowledge on how to fight.

For the following narrative I will discuss 19k or tankers as an example. Master your craft as a tanker. Learn the art and science of warfare so the reasons for executing tasks before and during the fight are understood and executed without thought. The goal is not only to be the best load but also the best tanker possible. I will use this analogy. If someone wants to become a true artist the person should not be content at being competent at pencil drawing only. There is more to being an artist.

Responsibilities of a loader. (This is the most junior position in a tank.):
- Grab rounds from the ready rack and throwing it into the breach in 6 seconds or less after the fire command is given.
- Assist the Tank Commander in navigating through rough terrain.
- Assist in the maintenance of the tank.

Understand formations on the move and in the defense:
- Collum formation is used when enemy contact is not expected.
- Counter Collum formation is used when enemy contact is possible.
- Wedge formation is used when enemy contact is expected.
- After contact the tanks by might bound to the enemy by section.
- The tanks might attack by fire only.
- In the defense the formation is often a line.

Understand sector sketches and things like:
- Obstacles.
- Most dangerous enemy weapons systems.
- Avenues of approach.
- Target reference points.
- Firing plans.

What to do in Assembly Areas:
- Prepare for future operations.
- Maintenance.
- Resupply.
- Rest.

Women have no business in combat units. It distracts the real members of that unit and takes away the comradeship that keeps that unit from falling apart. Furthermore if women are so great at combat where were they in WWII, Korea and Vietnam. Nursing and paper pushers...where they belong. It goes to say that women are taking over this once great nation in droves and I see no way for America to continue leading the free world as we have seen. Especially given today's corrupt politics and greed.

Check out the PBS documentary on the "Lioness" program from OIF. Nuff said.

I realize this is an old post but I am compelled to say something. It is the same for the males:
- Be a team player and don't talk bad about your buddies.
- Have a great attitude.
- Be willing to learn.
- Be willing to work hard.
- Take diaper wipes to the field and deployments.
- Be a good follower because that is the foundation to becoming a good leader in the future.
- Watch what your buddies and bosses do. See if they are good or bad examples.
- Have fun in life.
- Use every available means to improve your life to include education.
- Know the army values and never stray from them. Stay pure.

My advice, learn your job inside and out, be the one soldiers come to for advice. Work to excel and be humble about it. If the Ma Deuce needs to get carried down to the motorpool for an FTX, don't shy away from it, embrace it.

Simple , combat arm's is the hardest job in war time , why ? Because it's the intention of Combat Arm's Soldier's to go say hi to the enemy up close and very personal , so that means that you as a combat arm's wannabe must be in better shape physically and mentally compared to your male counterpart's , the truth is if you can't exceed the standards don't bother wasting your time ,if you think you got what it takes then step one is find a friend who is Combat arm's qualified and ask him to prepare you ...... After that it's go time to find out what your made of.... Can you earn the Blue Cord

Be of strong character and have high integrity. I know you hear this all the time as it is really important in the military. The truth about these two characteristics are found in the orange, when you squeeze an orange till it busts you get orange juice. if you squeeze an orange till it busts and you get lemon juice then it obviously is not an orange. I say this because like the orange when we are squeezed who we really are will be what comes out. If your character and integrity are not very strong those around you will find out pretty quickly if you are an orange with orange juice or an orange with lemon juice. Who we are is found on the inside. Develop from the inside out and you will not go wrong, your orange will always have orange juice in it.

That's the lesson the question I have is. What do you really really really want to do? Why do you want to do it? Make sure both of these answers line up with your big picture. Your big picture question is where do I want to be in 20 years or even 10 years and is this going to help me to get what I want at the end of 10 or 20 years.

I have read this questions several times over the past few weeks and have been searching for an answer and did not really have a good one till now. I truly hope this helps someone. I want the best for you, as you should want the best for yourself.

My advise is simple. Don't bite off more than you can chew. Women in Combat arms has been coming for a while. We have even had two females graduate from Ranger School. But the thing to remember is that graduation and a Ranger tab does not a Ranger make. With the training tempo of SpecOps units being so high, it is the very few males who can keep it up for years on end. Don't get me wrong. I have worked/trained/taught women who were harder than woodpecker lips and I would be honored to have them at my six. They could do well there, but this would be hard for most. There are plenty of Combat Arms jobs out there in some high speed, low drag units like the 101st & 82nd Airborne. If they are young and don't have any experience in the military, i.e. prior service, then look at them hard when and where they want to go. To get in over you head will only hurt the recruit and make the failure rate abnormally high. This is the case for females AND males.

SSG Bethany Viglietta - 90 up votes & 434 comments. Did you get some good insights and ideas which are not covered during yr training? What are the top few things you mention to a HS grad?