How do you feel about the Army directing units to place new female Armor and Infantry officers in leadership positions ahead of males?

I'm going to be the elephant in the room women in command of infantry units just won't work regardless if she cuts the mustard! These are hardened combat tested soldies who knows what it's like to actually be in combat not sitting in a fortified office in a large base safe from hostile action except an occasional incoming blast! You can not expect soldiers to follow a non combat soldier regardless of rank or gender!!! Respect is earned not because you wear the officer rank but because you've proven yourself! This is a social experiment that is destined to failure of epic porportions! The Marines are the only branch of service who have tge balls to stand up to these PC libtards who are destroying the military! There will be a new group of children raised without a mother for what the chance to die all in tge quest for equality! Glad I'm retired cause I wouldn't happy to follow this I'll fated edict!!!

SFC Emerson "Zeus" Hazzard - I don't think we will find the awnser SFC until we as a people start thinking with knowledge and not forced into a awnser

CPT Richard Fematt - "You can not expect soldiers to follow a non combat soldier regardless of rank or gender!!!" No, you expect Soldiers to follow the orders of those appointed over them. I retired about six years ago but isn't that still in the Oath of Enlistment?

It is no better for a child to be raised without a father than to be raised without a mother. That is a ridiculous argument.

ALL Soldiers, including Females, should be placed into units based on an order of merit list using a number system in the same way that senior NCOs receive a number when selected for promotion and are promoted when their number comes up.

SP6 Cajun Ray - it may be a ridiculous argument but I've been there seen how noncombatant soldiers are seeing by those that have actually engaged in real combat operations! It's just a fact and like I said it's a social experiment destined to failure! It is a time honored tradition that men go off to war and some don't come back it's a risk all military families accept! Most men are just not ready to take on the role of a mother. It's human nature to look at a senior ranking officer or SNCO without the combat patch in a different way! There is just no way an officer can understand what his soldiers experience as it relates to PTSD, TBI or other just everyday life. The Army fails it's soldiers when high ranking officers are placed in a command position and doesn't wear the patch. You may disagree with me and that's fine but I put 28 years into the military 16 years as an active duty Marine and 12 years as an Officer in the Army and I've seen it all. Females regardless of qualifications based on merit still do not belong in front line infantry units, the Marine Corps proved this point through field exercises involving mixed units pitted against an all male unit! Tge results bear out the facts mixed unit performed poorly as compared to all male units!!!

That IS affirmative action. Now that we have women in all jobs, which is no their right, when will our government change the rules for Selective Service registration? Equality is equality on both sides of the sword. Young women now should have to register for the Selective Service within 90 days of their 18th birthday. The bigger picture that most people forget is that Financial Aid for post secondary education is tied to the Selective Service registration. So how is a young male equal, when if he does not register, he gets no Federal financial aid but young females can continue to draw without the commitment to the Selective Service?

I am soooo grateful for my precious DD 214.

Leadership is Earned and Not Given Just Because! This is not an Election Process, but a Carefully Selection of those who Can Perform and are Qualified to be in that Leadership Position. Now that's Equality

Well said. SMSgt Ken Plummer

Well said. I can't imagine it would be any other way.

I so agree!

So true Keith, so true.

And what will the Sergeants say when it happens to them?
Will it be ok then when a Sergeant who has been working hard for a Platoon Sergeant or Squad Leader position is told 'Sorry, we could not give you that position because the next three have to be female'?.
Or when a young specialist is told 'You are the best specialist we have BUT We did not select you for E-5 because we have to meet a quota.'
If you think that will not happen you are not in the real world.

COL William Oseles, I realize it could happen, and might happen, but what are those Sergeants going to do? Quit? Protest? Nothing?
I vote nothing. This happens all the time in the civilian business world, and in the Military. You just have to suck it up and continue doing a good job. It happened to me in civilian life. I sucked it up and waited for my turn. Within two months, the person who received the Manager position, decided it wasn't his cup of tea, and I got the promotion. Becoming in charge, is more than a title. It has to be done correctly and daily. Even then, you might get burned out. IMHO

Your right Col we do nothing, but keep going on with the mission, The Army has (unofficially) been doing Quota's for years at the DA board level, or it's been very coincidental. But hey that's life.

Damn skippy!

Hear, hear!

SGT Tim Soyars - so being in combat arms and having no hygiene..what is the 2nd and 3rd order of effects with no baby wipes, no massengil in a hot environment for weeks? What will a female do?

Col (Join to see) - Sir weren't you a LTC a little while ago? If so congrats. On the women front, yes we should go ahead and put the best forward, BUT give certain commands, certain command teams, and lower leaders, the chance would never come. The male "good ol boy network" would prevent them from ever getting a chance. So what is worse; giving them the chance to succeed or fail, or just using their sex as a means to justify a fail before we even get started. It seems more like the second is what folks want.

I would like to think that, in my prime, I was a pretty formidable force. While working as a LEO, fight fighter, paramedic, and ER nurse over the last 30 some years, I have met some women that could kick most of our collective asses. Some of them, especially in the Fire Service, had to fight their way into the door and up in rank by being tougher and better at their job that the guys. Robyn Benincasa, one of the worlds top adventure racers and probably one of the toughest people I know, is a Captain with the San Dieago Fire Department who happens to have an all female crew on her station. The can stand to the best of any other in the department. It was a hard road, but they do the job that, if they fail, somebody dies. We know how that work. If you are going to put them in the position, train them. Give them the knowledge and experience to do the job. Give them NCOs that will help them just like they did the last twenty shave tail butter bars. If not, the person who decided to put them in that position better be willing to walk up to that door and explain to that mother why her son or daughter died.

SGT Tim Soyars - My Cousin became a firefighter,20 or so yearsa go as one of the first in the San Francisco area. She passed the Academy. She now works for the Red Cross.

My initial thought exactly. This sounds like something "they" said.

CW2 (Join to see) Second time I'm asking for you to support your statement that "Units are being told to select new female armor and infantry officers for platoon leader positions ahead of their male counterparts." You've received lots of upvotes and many people have bad-mouthed the "policy" that you say exists. But unless you can show us some proof, it would appear you're spreading damaging rumors.