What is your opinion/experience on Female Soldiers in Combat?

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</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font color="#000000"><font face="Calibri"><font size="3">As a 1SG in combat my organization was organically all male
from the 82</font>^{<font size="2">nd </font>}<font size="3">attached to the 1</font>^{<font size="2">st</font>}<font size="3"> CAV and 4</font>^{<font size="2">th</font>}<font size="3">
ID.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>While we were deployed I was given a
chemical platoon from Fort Hood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>This
platoon had a good number of female Soldiers in it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>My mission did not change, but now the
mechanics of organization did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>After assessing
the strengths and weaknesses of the platoon I was given I dispersed them
throughout my organization as our missions increased.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Two of my unit’s missions were to leave the
wire daily and maneuver around the streets of Baghdad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Sometimes the missions involved multiple
squads or even multiple times each squad went out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Because of this I had female Soldiers in
turrets and also female SGTs in charge of convoys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Out of all the stuff my unit endured and
reacted to while deployed we wouldn’t have been able to complete all the
tasks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>The female Soldiers that I had
and were selected to be on squads that left the wire daily did a fantastic
job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>All of my Soldiers organic to my
organization were steely eyed killers and they treated these new Soldiers as
equals and fought shoulder to shoulder with them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>It doesn’t matter what your gender is, what
matters is leadership.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>A great leader
can find a way to accomplish the mission.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;
</span>A great leader doesn’t discriminate against gender.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>They find a way to mold the team and inspire
mission success.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>A great leader is both
male and female!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span></font><font size="3">I have witnessed it and
I would take any highly trained and motivated Soldier on my team any day!!</font></font></font></p><font color="#000000" size="3" face="Times New Roman">

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Stop telling them they can't and they will stop proving you right.<div><br></div><div>This is a leadership issue. Let them know you believe in them and their ability to get the job done, and they will get the job done &nbsp;as often and as well as any of your males.</div>

Gentlemen,&nbsp;<div><br></div><div>I am astonished and pleased to hear so many promising reports and positive assessments of women leadership and operators actively engaged in modern armed combat organizations.<div><br></div><div>This is so different from the role American women were permitted in the Vietnam conflict.</div><div><br></div><div>It is, however, consistent with performance of Israeli and Russian women in combat.</div><div><br></div><div>Warmest Regards, Sandy&nbsp;</div><div><br></div></div>