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From: ssc-vax!shuksan!major@beaver.cs.washington.edu (Mike Schmitt)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Soldiers cry off mission
Keywords: female troops
Message-ID: <13818@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Date: 9 Feb 90 01:45:39 GMT
References: <13421@cbnews.ATT.COM>
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From: ssc-vax!shuksan!major@beaver.cs.washington.edu (Mike Schmitt)

In article <13421@cbnews.ATT.COM>, djh@tcom.stc.co.uk (David Homon) writes:
> 
> 
> From: David Homon <djh@tcom.stc.co.uk>
> 
> 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.  

  True enough (I won't tell you what happened to me the first time I got
  ambushed :-).  But, it's hoped that the 'panic' is a controlled panic,
  panic and fear that gets the adrenalin pumping and then training and
  discipline take over and the soldiers take the correct action.

> I feel that this case is receiving undue attention
> because these soldiers happened to be women.

  Again, probably true.  

  
> 	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 ]

  I remember this incident.  The story behind the story seems to be that
  that company took some heavy casualties on that same road previously.
  Then, a brand new platoon leader (Second Lieutenant) arrived and wanted
  go down the same road in this operation - much to the dismay of the
  'older' more experienced platoon sergeant who tried to dissuad the 
  lieutenant that that was dangerous and there was a better but alternate
  route.  The lieutenant was being stubborn, trying to exert his authority
  and demanded they follow his orders to the letter.  "No sir", said the
  sergeant, "I cannot in good faith order my men down that road, you'll have
  to court-martial me."  'Course the men were going to follow their sergeant.
  Then, the whole thing got blown out of proportion by the news media.
  "Normally" an incident like this (and this wasn't rare) would be taken care
  of by the "chain of command" - especially if new/fresh officers/leaders 
  were doing stupid things.  The sergeants could usually straighten things
  out.

  So, you see.  There are echelons of ethics and integrity operating.
  The highest plane says, "Duty, Honor, Country."  Another plane says, "An
  "An officer's word is his bond, and what he says, does, signs, testifies
  the truth of the matter."  A lower plane says that an "officer must have
  moral courage and take care of his men."

  But there is another directive that all officers and sergeants must adhere
  to - and is usually the first directive amongst a series of orders, 
  plans, and directives.  It is, "DON'T DO ANYTHING DUMB!"

  ...and THAT is the only one that counts.



  mike schmitt