tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30006406.post6599445434868284189..comments2024-03-28T08:41:39.614-07:00Comments on Winging It: Two Steps BackStanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04523232247971115247noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30006406.post-67835220836629266372015-12-07T12:25:32.385-07:002015-12-07T12:25:32.385-07:00Whether standards will/should change and whether y...Whether standards will/should change and whether your average female can do the job and all the ramifications with all of this are, in my mind, reasonable questions. That our society in a large part is <i>celebrating</i> this demeaning of women -- taking the best of humanity to do the worst that humanity can do -- is heartbreaking.Stanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04523232247971115247noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30006406.post-79118915140261367862015-12-07T12:05:48.171-07:002015-12-07T12:05:48.171-07:00In 1974 they decided to allow women to be "pa...In 1974 they decided to allow women to be "paratroopers" and earn their wings at Jump School. The intent was for them to take the job of parachute riggers to free men for combat jobs. So far, so good. But they had much reduced physical training to earn the very same wings we men wore after quite extensive physical training which usually washed out at least 1/3rd of those in training. So why should women be allowed to wear the same badge as men who underwent more strenuous training? Why should these women be permitted to wear the coveted maroon beret of airborne troops around the world? (The US paratroops finally were authorized the maroon beret in 1973 after over 40 years of wearing the garrison cap with glider patch).<br /><br />We were on a proficiency jump mission using UH-1H helicopters and there were some women there who got to hear some guys complaining about them being there, suggesting they shouldn't be able to wear the same wings we wore. One young lady stated that she had a couple hundred skydives and asked why she shouldn't wear the wings. That's when I politely stated that if she jumped with the same gear I jump she could wear them. Of course she had to ask :oD I jumped the WIEC (Weapons and Individual Equipment Container) which weighed in at close to 150 lbs: M-60 Machine guy with tripod, 500 rounds of ammo, PRC-25 [later -77] field radio, 50lb box of C-rations, and all my personal field gear, plus whatever else the platoon leader decided to put in it. At that time the WIEC weighed almost as much as me - 150 lbs - which was why even I had difficulty scooting off the jump step of the plane. At any rate, she just waved me away and walked off.<br /><br />This is an example of the problem of opening up combat to women. And I have links to a whole string of articles addressing the problem from many angles and studies:<br />http://agotoblog.blogspot.com/2015/08/women-in-combat.htmlGlenn E. Chatfieldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04117405535707961903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30006406.post-8012339731085971482015-12-07T11:01:18.518-07:002015-12-07T11:01:18.518-07:00I wonder why, as they become "liberated"...I wonder why, as they become "liberated" and are "just like the guys", they only seem to take on the characteristics of "guys" that are bad?Stanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04523232247971115247noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30006406.post-78690620072038714632015-12-07T10:21:37.465-07:002015-12-07T10:21:37.465-07:00There is a charismatic 30-year-old (+/-) on twitte...There is a charismatic 30-year-old (+/-) on twitter who I have followed for some time. She frequently makes chatty videos and puts them on YouTube. I have been disappointed over the last half year at the off-putting (to me) tattoo she got on her forearm and her decision to make the "F bomb" pretty much an everyday thing in her tweets and videos. I'm sure she would say she is "liberated" and free to be "just like the guys."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com