WOMEN IN COMBAT

Here is a story in today's Boston Globe about women in combat. The Army is changing the configuration of it's combat arms units to place support units in closer proximity. This will put female soldiers into combat in places like Iraq and Afghanistan for all intents and purposes.

I do not doubt that some women are more than capable of engaging in combat operations. But my own experience as an Army enlisted man in a support unit filled with females is that the majority were not capable, physically or emotionally, for that kind of rigorous activity (to be fair, some of the male soldiers were probably not capable as well). While that is just an unsubstantiated opinion on my part, as we were never called to test our abilities under fire when I was serving, I do know one thing for a fact. Sexual activity and romances were commonplace. Not surprising considering the fact that these were young, healthy men and women. Is that kind of activity conducive to good order and discipline? I have my doubts.