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Man oh man. Though I've never been in combat, I've got just about 10 years of active duty Naval service and I'll tell you what I've seen so far.
Women in the military is necessary, but causes a new set of challenges that the direct results of unfortunately are not ever truly felt by those who make that decision. It's not a good or a bad thing. It's not "G.I. Jane". It's women serving honorably, and disonorably. It's the men around them serving honorably, and dishonorably. As one who has worked side by side with women I have no problem with the concept, but the problems that arise when those women (or men) follow those urges we all have only decrease mission readiness. Is it fair that a female can choose to get pregnant so she can miss a deployment, now causing someone else to fill that billet while she's gone? You can't make her promise not to. But you have to let her go when she does. A man can't get pregnant to get out of a deployment. Is that fair that she has an "out" that he doesn't? Sexual assault cases, fraternization, and harassment grab headlines when they occur in the military, further damaging an already unpopular service.
The other issue is that women coming home in body bags is, in our nation, even less acceptable than men dying. Is THAT fair?
This decision should be made by front-line commanders, not civilian officials who don't have to take those units into combat, or deal with or worry about what's actually going on in those units. My observation is that while most women serve honorably and with no problem, the few who misbehave or do not uphold their commitments to service are ruining it for the rest of them, just like the men who act like asses do.
-Mikey
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