Army opens combat engineer positioms to women - your thoughts.

Combat Engineers (12B) now (finally) open to women. Your thoughts?

This is another positive step toward opening remaining Army "direct combat" MOSs to women. In my view, this is long overdue. I am sure many think otherwise.

While I am not an engineer, as a MP I have spent my life with and around them, worked with and around them, so I have seen them up close and personal for a long time

- In the early to mid 90s many MOSs/positions were opened to women. As an example Division MP companies positions were closed to women until then, when all other MP Companies had women already.. This made sense, as all MP companies (at the time/and are) were essentially interchangeable. But, while many other similar changes were made then (Avn, etc) ... Engineers did allow women to lead combat engineers, but not to be enlisted combat engineers.... That made no sense.

- That was also when Ranger School closed to the doors (until 2005/6) to all MOSs unless they were 11, 18, or those who walked with the Infantry... Very few were allowed in - in effort to stop women; Fort Benning will never admit that. Why do I say this. As a Division MP Company Commander 10th Mountain Division (LI) 90-93, my Platoon Leaders positions (MP Platoon Leaders) were coded as Ranger positions, as were many positions in the Division... That means the PLs or others in similar coded positions (like most light combat engineers) should be ranger qualified... So, Fort Benning restricted who could attend. So... A male MP PL should be Ranger Qualied in a light, airborne, and air assault MP Companies, but if you are a female, it is/was no longer necessary...

This change makes sense. Many things we do in the Army, do not make sense...

What are your thoughts? I suspect your thoughts will vary as usual.

Http://http://www.armytimes.com/story/military/careers/army/enlisted/2015/06/18/combat-engineer-specialty-opens-to-women/28916319/c


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