Get to know…Victoria

I’m Victoria; no I don’t have a secret… so don’t ask.

Age is irrelevant but if you must know, I am 23 yrs old getting ready to celebrate a birthday at the end of June. [Note: I hate my birthstone]

I’ve been married two years this July to a Soldier. The military has sent us to the majestic Rocky Mountains but Pennsylvania is the original “home”.

I take pride in destroying stereotypes and learning new things. I am an Army Reserve Mechanic and spent three years at The University of Scranton studying Physics. I currently work for a company that is developing Physics curriculum for middle schools, I design the Platform design for new users.

I hold a place in my heart for the Dallas Cowboys, no matter how many awful seasons we have – and it is many terrible seasons [The Colts are my number two because of my husband and it’s okay because they’re AFC – except I hate them on 21 December because they’re actually playing Dallas]. German National is my team of choice for soccer. I’ll watch most other sports and I’ll always try playing a sport at least once. I love playing soccer, swimming, and dancing everything from hip hop to country two-step.

You’ll get my opinions on everything from life, love, fashion and sports… oh and probably housewife101 because from what I hear I’m an epic housewife.

Females and Combat Arms

Women have been fighting in the armed forces for quite some time now; however, recently discussions have been popping up and opinions are being asked about women finally joining the combat arms ranks. According to an article I ran across online four female Marines have successfully passed and completed USMC infantry school and more are said to follow. Is this good idea, the United States allowing females to serve combat arms? Other countries do it, does that mean it’s time for the US to follow?

I don’t know if I have fully picked a side as to whether I am for or against this notion. I think that anything a male can do a female can do it just as well because of our mind telling us that we can not fail or seem weaker than our male counterpart. But let’s be honest, females can’t do everything a male can do. Our bodies physically, mentally and emotionally will not let us… or perhaps it’s just me. I’ve thought about this topic, Females in the Infantry, for some time now. I haven’t developed a pros/cons list because I haven’t been able to come up with any “pros” as to why females should be combat arms. Does not having any pros mean that I am against it? No it doesn’t, just means means that I haven’t thought of anything that screams – YES FEMALES SHOULD BE COMBAT ARMS!

There are the obvious reasons that go into the “cons” side of the list when developing this argument:

• Hygiene. Females bodies are delicate, regardless of the hell we put them through, they are delicate. There is a pH level that needs to be maintained and can’t be left uncleaned for more than 3 days at a time. It’s even less than 3 days if it’s your time of the month. We are high maintenance when it comes to our hygiene.
• Physical Strength. Yes, there are females that are stronger than males… I understand this, I have seen the crossfit games. However; males bodies are developed to be physically strong. They’re meant to bare the physical load of things. Gear is not light, especially humping it on your back for a long while.
• Emotionally/Mentally men are more capable of not getting attached. For instance, if there is a small child chances are women are going to think twice before men for the shear fact it’s in our nature. Does that make men heartless, cold blooded, or not fatherly? No it does not. Females are just more nurturing and maternal by nature.
• Damsel in distress. Growing up we’ve read the stories; Prince Charming saves the Princess and lives happily ever after. Just like it’s in women’s nature to be maternal and nurturing it is in men’s nature to be protective of their female counterpart. How can a male service member focus on the mission if a female service member is on the same potentially dangerous mission. His focus ends up making sure that we are safe, instead of the task ahead.

The list can probably go on, but I am going to leave it there for fear of boring you [or getting angry because an argument I read dealt with the rape issue of females in combat MOS. I didn’t realize you couldn’t be raped in a support MOS but hey, not my opinion and no where in my contract did it say “Job Hazard: you might get raped”. See now I’m angry about it].  My counter argument for the few things listed above:

We can’t knock it out/rule it out until it has been tried and failed or tried and succeeded. 

Perhaps females can be infantry, field artillery and tankers… and I mean real infantry-women, field artillery, and tankers not being an Officer attached to the battalion or battery, the medic, supply, or any other support MOS. I mean actually hold the MOS of an 11 series or 19 series and fully complete their training programs [to male standards].

Eventually we will find out if females can be successful outside of the support MOS; but we won’t know until we try and it’s coming up on that time that the United States is ready to try it.

What’s your opinion on the subject matter? Do you feel that the United States should attempt to integrate females into the combat arms MOS or do you believe there is no reason to fix something that isn’t broken?