Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!uunet!cis.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!linac!att!cbnews!cbnews!military From: madmax@gargoyle.uchicago.edu (Max Abramowitz) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Re: Combat MOS for Women ? Message-ID: <1991Jun22.042249.4647@cbnews.cb.att.com> Date: 22 Jun 91 04:22:49 GMT References: <1991Jun20.021602.2623@cbnews.cb.att.com> <1991Jun21.014957.15697@cbnews.cb.att.com> Sender: military@cbnews.cb.att.com (william.a.thacker) Organization: University of Chicago Lines: 44 Approved: military@att.att.com From: madmax@gargoyle.uchicago.edu (Max Abramowitz) In <1991Jun21.014957.15697@cbnews.cb.att.com> "Hanhwe N. Kim" writes: >The Israeli Defense Forces stopped assigning women to combat MOS's >because opposing arab forces were more reluctant to surrender to >IDF units where women were present, thereby resulting in >consistently higher casualties for those units. I heard this, but I was also told by a family friend who is an officer in the IDF that there was another reason that women were removed from combat positions. It seems that the men serving with women would risk themselves when the women would be in trouble (for example being pinned down by a machine gun). *** On Soapbox *** Every time the issue of women serving in "front-line" combat positions is brought to the attention of the "ever informed" American public I get very annoyed. The debate always focuses on whether or not women can perform effectively as soldiers. This is not the real issue, because in my mind there is no question of women being able soldiers; they are. Does anyone remember the CNN Broadcast the night that the Iraqis were SCUDing Israel? Two reporters broadcasting from Tel Aviv, one male one female. The guy was so scared he was worthless. The woman was calm. It was clear that she was leading the whole group (reporters and support staff) keeping them functioning during a stressful time. The retired general serving as the CNN military analyst back in the US kept referring to her as, "a good soldier". There is a hurdle which must be overcome before women can serve in combat positions, however this is not a hurdle which women must overcome, rather it is a hurdle which men must overcome. Once men learn how to deal with women fighting in the "front-line", women will. The debate has always focuses on the issue of the ability of women, when it should focuses on the issue of why men serving in combat positions have difficulty with women serving in combat positions. *** Off Soapbox *** max abramowitz madmax@gargoyle.uchicago.edu The University of Chicago is an institution. Institutions do not have