Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!att!cbnews!military From: djh@tcom.stc.co.uk (David Homon) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Soldiers cry off mission Keywords: female troops Message-ID: <13421@cbnews.ATT.COM> Date: 23 Jan 90 03:57:41 GMT Sender: military@cbnews.ATT.COM Organization: STC Telecoms, London N11 1HB. Lines: 27 Approved: military@att.att.com From: David Homon Sunday newspaper report: Two female American soldiers who refused to drive into downtown Panama City at the peak of the U.S. invasion could face charges. The women "feared for their lives", defence sources said, adding: "Tears were involved". The missin was to ferry troops into the sniper-filled city on the first day of the invasion. - What price female troops?? - Comments please?? Dave. [mod.note: I was hoping nobody would bring this up, but I didn't feel I could reject it, because soldiers are a form of military hardware. Given that, I will at least offer my own rebuttal. Soldiers panic under fire, or even the threat of it. It happens all the time, and always has. I feel that this case is receiving undue attention because these soldiers happened to be women. I'm reminded of watching Walter Cronkite's "Vietnam War" series. One episode dealt with a mutiny among the soldiers of a certain infantry company, who bluntly refused to follow orders to walk down a road toward an airlift site. Not a woman among them. - Bill ]