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Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!seismo!rochester!ritcv!ccieng5!ccieng2!kfk
From: kfk@ccieng2.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Question on discrimination re the USAF
Message-ID: <194@ccieng5.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 7-Nov-83 12:52:41 EST
Article-I.D.: ccieng5.194
Posted: Mon Nov  7 12:52:41 1983
Date-Received: Wed, 9-Nov-83 00:41:24 EST
Lines: 34

I was recently discussing male/female discrimination with a friend of
mine, and an event from a couple of years ago occurred to me.  I'd like
to find out what the general feeling is from people on the net on the
subject.

When I was a junior in college, I took a class in the use of nuclear
energy, both in power generation and weapons systems.  As part of our
look at weapons, we got a rather detailed tour of F.E. Warren Air
Force Base in Cheyenne, WY (I was attending U of WY in Laramie).  During
one of the question/answer sessions in which we participated, one woman
from the class made a rather indignant statement that she had noticed
that only men are assigned to the underground launch substations where
the Minuteman III missiles are controlled.  She went into quite some de-
tail on her feelings that this was a serious case of discrimination,
and that the Air Force should change this policy immediately, etc.

The major who was running our session answered her complaint very suc-
cintly by saying that those people assigned to the launch substations
go there for 48 hour periods; that to have both men and women assigned
there could create problems for both in terms of privacy; and that for
one person who is married to be in such close quarters with another
person of the opposite sex for such extended periods could create
problems for the first person's spouse.  He went on to say that putting
women to work in such situations had been considered, but had been
thrown out on these grounds; after all, men were already trained and
assigned.

What I would like to know is how readers of the net (male or female)
feel about this?  You could either just post your responses, or if
enough people are inclined to mail to me, I'll summarize myself in a
week or so.

Karl Kleinpaste
...![seismo or allegra]!rochester!ritcv!ccieng5!ccieng2!kfk