Posted on Jun 11, 2022
John Joseph
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Have the women with combat jobs and have made it to the Ranger Regiment and Special Forces actually been fighting along side men, or have they been just for show?
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Responses: 89
CPT Consultant
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PO2 Gerald Alexander
PO2 Gerald Alexander
>1 y
We’re talking about rt now! No life lost for doing the duty of protecting women for a social experiment.
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SFC Samuel Morgan
SFC Samuel Morgan
12 mo
It's not that women don't belong in combat, it's their need to break the barriers that exist like SF training. Men have different muscular and physiological differences
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SPC Matt Ovaska
SPC Matt Ovaska
4 mo
They reap what they sow. Men no longer want to join a politically correct military The experiment and results are succeeding their goals. It took 50 yrs.
(5)
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PO3 Edward Riddle
PO3 Edward Riddle
28 d
Aho!!! Brother Eric. Thank You for the info and sources.
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SSG Gregg Mourizen
25
25
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I find it strange how there are so many people responding with negative comments or circumventing the question all together. Hell, I served along side many women, who II would have gladly stood beside in a combat or peace keeping role.
Obviously, women have been serving along side men, since the beginning. There are many examples of women serving along side of men. I have seen many example of women, holding support positions, working beside SF operations, without the designation. Often doing the same work.

That wasn't the question.
Reading it,
I expected to see real yes or no answers, hopefully, with examples.
I hoped to see examples of female soldiers serving in SF, Ranger Regiments, RECON, SOF... excelling in their field.
-Are these women getting a fair shake? Equal opportunities?
-Are they, as one responder described it, only being allowed to hold 'Token' positions?
-Are these women excelling in these advanced positions. Again examples would be nice.
-Are these women finding special niches for themselves where their smaller size and strength, would be more of a benefit, over the larger, stronger men? For example Tunnels, confined spaces, Close courters combat, Demolitions, MOUT...etc.

These are just a few of the more specific questions I would love to hear the answer to. Answers, I am assuming the original poster was looking for. I don't think he was asking a history question.
How is this special, current issue of integrating women into these specialty fields really going?

I do have to admit, the Little Big horn example was kind of interesting.
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CSM William Everroad
CSM William Everroad
>1 y
I am sure those serving in these types of units aren't actively trying to broadcast their service. I had a opportunity to speak to one of the first female graduates of Ranger school. She did not like the attention, and would have much rather been the quiet professional that attracted her to the profession in the first place. Same with the female Sapper graduates. They want to do their jobs and don't need articles published showing they are successful. They want their OER/NCOER to speak for itself and move along with their career.

We all run into professionals every day, and never once question their ability, until they show they cannot. Then it is up to us, as senior leaders, to put the right people in the right place at the right point in their career.

I would presume that the negative reaction seen in this thread is because the question continually comes up in the context that females have to demonstrate their value to this organization in order to be treated as a Soldier.
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TSgt James Sutton
TSgt James Sutton
2 y
glad you served alongside women in your units....but as the question was asked...was that a Ranger or Special Forces unit they were serving in along with you or are you comparing apples and oranges here?
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SSG Gregg Mouritzen
SSG Gregg Mouritzen
2 y
TSgt James Sutton -
No, not SF of Ranger Bats.
3 in support roles in two different infantry companies. One supply, 2 admins. Where I might not have cared for one of them, I felt very comfortable with them having to cover their side jobs: security, convoys, training, etc. One was also the police liaison for counter-drug enforcement activities. One deployed with our infantry company for peace keeping operations. One of the first females to do so. Professional, capable and competent.
I also worked with multiple females it a training support batallion and in the medical field. Many medics, MP's, among other MOS's.
As an instructor I was able to observe many female soldiers in training environments and felt comfortable with most of them and their abilities.
The ones I had issues with, were the same types of issues I saw with male soldiers. Not willing to listen, egos, physical and mental capabilities.
The only real issues I had were the guys playing hero, trying to get "favors"/attention from the females, and of course the females who prey on them. There have been many times (not as rare as you would think) males and females who couldn't keep their hands off of each other, instead of paying attention to their tasks and sectors.
In fact, nothing new for the military environment.

Overall, I feel comfortable with women in these roles. If they can complete their training, pull their weight, competently fill a role, be willing to take the risk and stay out of trouble, I see no reason for them to not be there. Operations in the middle east, and other parts of the world, have proven that there is a need.
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SPC Matt Ovaska
SPC Matt Ovaska
1 mo
I met an E7 who was in charge of a special rescue unit in Afghanistan. One of his men was reassigned stateside. They sent a female replacement. The E7 said. "Welcome aboard. This is the job description of the man you'll be replacing. She whips out the stress card. and says, "I'm not doing that!" He stated that this was not stateside and the team had to do things this way in a combat zone in order to avoid casualties." She replied, "Not doing it" she reported him. He got busted from E8. I asked him, "Sooo, what are you doing now? He replied, "After 18 yrs, I'm getting out. " His life was shattered by Clinton's experiment. So sad.
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SSgt Christophe Murphy
20
20
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What are you trying to figure out? Women have been serving in Combat consistently for decades. It's been happening for a good long while. Are you wanting to know if female Rangers are door kicking or is this more general? Even before SECDEF opened up all jobs to females we had female engagement teams out there doing their thing shoulder to shoulder supporting infantry units.
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PFC Elaine Knowles
PFC Elaine Knowles
27 d
1976.
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SSgt Christophe Murphy
SSgt Christophe Murphy
27 d
SMSgt Clayton Cortinas - You are free to research the USMC Lioness Program. They were an attachment to Infantry units just as Artillery FO's, Tanks, STA, Air Controllers and Combat camera. They were with them and making contact just as anyone else in those units and in those situations. The context is different from your Aunt as they were in Front line units outside the wire moving directly into contact.
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SMSgt Clayton Cortinas
SMSgt Clayton Cortinas
27 d
Thanks for the tip/ifo.Will do.
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SSgt Christophe Murphy
SSgt Christophe Murphy
27 d
PFC Elaine Knowles - I'm all for anyone serving who can do the job. Comparing CEOs to combat troops is comparing apples to jet fuel. The context and criteria are not the same. Even more so if you are talking about Tier 1 Units. Though around 100 Females have passed Ranger school only about 7 are serving in Ranger Regiment. Graduating a school is different than the Billet of a Ranger in Ranger Regiment. Only 3 females have passed the Army Q course (Special Forces) with the first being in 2020. No females have passed Buds. Only one female has passed the Officer pre buds training. Not to make this a bash session against women. There are plenty of Men who fail to meet these standards as well. Combat units, especially tier 1 units are not for everyone.
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