Female Infantry! and Pana-Girls Return

One of the big news items yesterday was he administration order to let females serve in combat units.  I had a number of people rush into my office expecting me to be irate and to condemn this action.  If so, they were disappointed because this action is long overdue.  I was an ROTC instructor in the early 1990’s and I was asked about this issue in class.  I opined at that time that the restriction would be gone by the time I was retired.  So if anything I feel it’s late in arriving.

This move more than anything else recognizes reality.  Women have been in direct combat for the last twenty years, fighting and dying alongside their male counterparts.  This, at last, will give females a chance to go into combat as well trained and prepared as their male peers. 

I spent twenty seven years in the infantry and I know some of the Soldiers that served in those units could have been replaced by more competent and stronger females.  I met some females in the military that scared the hell out of me.  I don't think finding women vicious enough for the job will be a problem (you haven’t been paying attention if you do).  When females were allowed to be military pilots there was a problem with them putting too many rounds into a target.

The key to the success of this integration will be the establishment of strict physical standards associated with the jobs.  I know most civilians think everything has evolved to push button warfare but that is far from the truth.  The average woman’s upper body strength is not up to the requirements of many combat specialties but there is nothing wrong with having a standard that both males and females have to meet.

I have complete confidence in the Army and the military overall in coming up with a process to make this work.  There will be impacts as combat units are forced to adjust but we’re dealing a new generation of youth (who compose the overwhelming majority of the Soldiers involved) who will make this happen.  From my viewpoint they aren’t burdened with a lot of the preconceived prejudices of prior generations.  This is probably one of the most important benefits of the information age.

Pana-Gals arrived back from frigid New York City and began to thaw out.  Buddy was beside himself and immediately launched out of the funk their absence had created for him (he only had to endure a couple of time outs as a result).  I prepared a spaghetti dinner for them as they were arriving around 7pm and I knew they would be hungry.  I was lucky in that their hunger overrode a too close inspection of my cooking prowess. 

They were overwhelming in their praise of my daughter and son in law as their New York City guides.  They took in a showing of the Phantom of the Opera on Broadway and loved every minute of it.  Afterwards my daughter and son in law escorted them to a bar near their hotel where they passed a fantastic time together. 

Yesterday morning called for the long neglected task of shopping.  Apparently it was so cold that they would walk a few meters and then dodge into a store to warm up.  I’m more than certain this bounding over watch method of movement did not upset them at all.  My sister in law adopted the homeless technique of wrapping her hands in plastic to stay warm.  She claims all future trips into the cold will require a complete body wrap of plastic before she consents.

In the afternoon they were faced with the task of getting from their Times Square Hotel to Grand Central Station to catch their train. They decided it was too cold to use the subways and tried to arrange a couple of taxis.  The hotel concierge must have been as charmed by them as most people seem to be because he arranged a stretch limo ride for them to the train station for only $35.  The rest of the ride back involved non-stop talking (huge surprise) which my sister in law tried to complain about.  At least until I pointed out that she was usually the most loquacious of the bunch and responsible for continuing these never ending laugh fests.

It was so good to have my full house back again.  Buddy agreed.

Frozen Pana-Gals in Grand Central Station

The Intrepid Guides

Ready for Phantom of the Opera