Women in Foxholes

Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, June 24, 2016 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler

Three years ago, a decree came down from the administration that gave the military until January 2016 to integrate women into all combat jobs, but that decree also authorized branches of the military to ask for specific exemptions. Acting on that decree, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter announced on December 3rd that the Pentagon would open all combat jobs to women.

That was not good news to General Joseph Dunford, Jr., who is a former Marine Corps commandant and current chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He skipped the Defense Secretary’s announcement ceremony, but said, “I have had the opportunity to provide my advice on the issue of full integration of women into the armed forces. In the wake of the secretary’s decision, my responsibility is to ensure his decision is properly implemented.” In other words, he will do his job.

Since the decree had an opt-out provision, the Marine Corps learned through studying its units that all-male units had much lower injury rates and higher overall performance than co-ed units. So, the Marines asked permission to exempt females from infantry and armor positions. However, Defense Secretary Carter did not honor the opt-out provision, overruled the Marines, and mandated that the military operate under a common set of standards.About 90 percent of all military jobs have been open to women for years, but women have NOT been allowed to serve on the frontline, or in direct combat roles or in the infantry, artillery and armor because those jobs demand significant physical strength.

Secretary Carter should consider the reasons no women are in the national Basketball Association, the National Football League, or Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League or other professional sports.

Regardless of obvious reasons women should not be treated as though they are men, the Army pressed on, disregarded anatomical facts, and in 2015 began training women to be Army Rangers. Two females graduated from the Army Ranger School last August.

Just this Spring Armed Services Committees in Congress approved legislation requiring young women to register for the draft. Meaning, if and when the draft is reinstated, both men and women will be called up for combat. Republican feminists on the Armed Services Committee supported that legislation, disregarding the fact that a Democrat-controlled Congress rejected mandatory registration of women in 1980 and the Supreme Court later ruled that exempting women IS constitutional.

Call 1 877 762-8762* and ask for your congressman’s office. Tell him to vote NO on drafting women, because females won’t become males, even if they are drafted and treated like men! For Georgia Insight I’m Sue Ella Deadwyler, your Capitol correspondent.