Hunter plan bars women from Army 'forward support'

[question everything]

Hunter plan bars women from Army 'forward support'

By Dana Wilkie and Otto Kreisher
COPLEY NEWS SERVICE

May 18, 2005

WASHINGTON – Duncan Hunter is defying the government's top brass, pushing a "no women in combat" plan that puts him on a collision course with the Pentagon.

The issue revolves around a disagreement between Hunter, R-El Cajon, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, and the Army over a 1994 policy that prohibits women from serving in direct combat positions.

The Army has decided to assign women to small support units in the 3rd Infantry Division, which was recently deployed in Iraq. The units, called "forward support companies," provide supply and maintenance services directly to the infantry or armored battalions whose job is to engage in combat.

(snip)

After failing last week to persuade Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's aides to block the move, Hunter added a provision to prohibit the action in the fiscal 2006 defense authorization bill.

(snip)


Find this article at:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050518/news_1n18hunter.html

[atreides1]

1. Forward Support Isn't New

I was assigned to a FSB when I was stationed at Ft. Carson Colorado in 1984. It was a new concept, there was a MSB(Main Support Bn) which
supported the FSB's.

The FSB's provided support for the three combat Brigades that made up the 4th ID. We had male amd female soldiers in the MSB and all of the FSB's.

Taking out the female soldiers will result in a support unit that will burn out, because of the added mission for the male soldiers that remain.

But perhaps this has nothing to do with "saving" female soldiers, this could be something that the Xtian Taliban is pushing for.
It does say in the Bible that women are not to be above men, and there are female officers and NCO's in an FSB.

I do know that this will put a strain on the troops left to do the job, but why should Hunter care.

[Ilsa]

2. CNN said that the Pentagon said it would take women out of

22,000 jobs. Might be a reason to start looking at a draft again since they are already having trouble filling forward positions.

[customerserviceguy]

7. The biggest reason we'll never have a draft

is that Joe RedState sexist pig would NEVER put his little debutante daughter in a position of being drafted.

Does anyone here seriously doubt the outcome of a case reaching the Supreme Court based on a male-only draft? Yes, the ERA did not pass, but gender equality has evolved into the law of the land, at least in court decisions, if not actual everyday practice.

Even in a warlike reddest-of-the-red state like Utah, there is no stomach for a draft. Little Molly Mormon needs to get out there and start making babies right away, and her daddy isn't going to want anything that keeps her from doing just that.

They'll just come up with better-sounding bribes to enlist, that's all.

[Az_lefty]

3. If they do this, the Army's not going to be able to meet it's mission

without the DRAFT.

[Ezlivin]

4. Women are torturers, anyway

Well, at least that's what I'm led to believe by who they are arresting and charging with torture-related crimes.

And if you knew my wife....

:)

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

5. The Women's Death Battalion 1917

Maria Bochkareva volunteered in the Russian Infantry during World War I. At first, she was ridiculed by the men who found it odd to have a woman in their ranks. But she fought as bravely as they did, getting wounded three times and receiving a decoration. She then contacted Alexander Kerensky to form an all female combat infantry unit. The Woman's Battalion of Death was formed, with about 2000 all female members, many who were war widows seeking revenge. By the time the unit was retired, it had suffered about 90% casualties. In her book "Yashka, My Life", Bochkareva described her female combat unit fighting in the trenches during World War I. Sometimes, when the male units refused to attack German positions, the women would stand up and charge, trying to shame the men into fighting. The Women's Battalion of Death was the unit defending the Winter Palace. These women were every bit, if not even more courageous than men.

[Ilsa]

8. Thanks. I hadn't heard of this.

This is a new one for me.

[maveric]

6. Duncan Hunter is a shill for San Diego based defense contractors.

he loves war and has taken and been accused of taking kick-backs from them for decades.
He and Randy "Duke" Cunningham are the two biggest losers and crooks, next to Delay, in the House.

[RamboLiberal]

9. Hunter has a female West Point Graduate amputee working

for him. I think this lady is betraying the other women in the military IMHO.

In June of 2004, CPT Halfaker and her squad leader SSG Lara sustained serious injures after a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) was shot into their armored HMMWV and pieced through both of their right sides where they both sustained shoulder and arm injuries. Dawn sustained serious injuries to her right arm and lungs, and military doctors amputated CPT Halfaker's arm after infection set in. She was then sent to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., where doctors were forced to put her in a drug-induced coma to fight off the swelling in her lungs and infection from her wounds. SSG Lara endured amputation and a severe infection as well.

After her injury CPT Halfaker lived at the Fisher House, which is near the respected Army hospital Walter Reed in Washington DC. It is where soldiers who are recovering from their wounds get physical therapy on a regular basis. She had a rewarding experience working with her Physical Therapists, in fact CPT Halfaker describes the physical therapists she worked with at Walter Reed as "extremely organized and dedicated." She also added, "they do not just treat the injury they treat the person. They succeed at raising the morale of their patients by making the weekly schedule creative, fun, and filled with laughter as much as possible."

A sensitive subject with CPT Halfaker is her prosthetic arm. Like many amputees finding a prosthetic that is comfortable, effective, and looks appropriate remains a challenge. CPT Halfaker is not afraid to express her opinion on this frustrating topic. She stated, "Many people want to see me wearing a prosthetic arm because it makes me look like my wound is healed to a certain point, it hides my injury." She learned in Physical Therapy how to cope with the loss of her arm in general, and although a prosthetic arm is something she remains hopeful about, CPT Halfaker is satisfied in working to get as much of her original life back as she can.

During her stay at Fisher House CPT Halfaker's life was filled with activity. Besides meeting President George W. Bush, LTG William J. Lennox, Jr., and rock star Ozzy Osborne, CPT Halfaker was up early three days a week for her 2 to 3 mile run each morning, Physical Therapy, orthopedic consultations, amputee clinics, career counsel meetings, and various other events which changed week to week. In addition to all of this, CPT Halfaker worked two days a week for Congressman Duncan Hunter in Washington D.C., the Armed Forces Services Comity chairman. In her work for Congressman Hunter, CPT Halfaker had a variety of responsibilities from sitting in on meetings with key military personnel to talking with people about legislative issues. CPT Halfaker has also appeared on numerous television shows including the Montel Williams show, and she even graced the cover of the USA TODAY newspaper.

http://www.ayshah.com/html/humble_content.html

[damntexdem]

10. The idiots in Congress have helped Dubya destroy the military.

Now all they can do is make things worse.

And they think that they support the military. Well, they DO need it to try to obtain their terrible goals. But instead they sabotage the very forces they need to rely upon. What a joke!