Women In Combat

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URL:  http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2011/03/should_t...

Should the U.S. military lift its ban on women in combat?



Not really sure why this is even an issue any more. Women in combat roles is common place in many countries, Canada included. For all the arguments that are put forth in this news story I can give you an argument against it. Women have been soldiers and covert operatives for centuries doing dangerous duty when the need arose. There have been women on battlefields since the beginning of time. They have looked after the dead and wounded and kept the industries running when men went to fight.

Yes combat requires a great amount of physical stamina to carry heavy loads. However it has been my experience that when a weapons system is to be deployed to the field, and it is of considerable weight, it is usually given to the person who can carry it. some men are also incapable of carrying those combat loads.

Good soldiers have adaptability drummed into their heads from the very first time they put on a uniform. The men and women of the US Armed Forces will adapt to women in combat roles. One day it will happen, its only a matter of time. Women have gathered intelligence and conducted counter surveillance for years. There are women firemen, police officers, tactical unit members, Search and Rescue Techs. this list is endless.

Why would you want to deny someone the right and privilege to serve their country based on their gender. It makes no sense that a women be denied the right to die in the service of her country because she is a women.



So only men can feel their heartstrings compelled to action when an enemy comes knocking?

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Hypocrisy

Image via WikipediaSoldiers as a rule are an easy going lot. They don't ask for much, and don't expect much in return. They don't want pity nor do they want scorn. They will only ask for what is fair and in most cases only take what is owed. They will do the biding of the nation and all that it asks. They will take life, and give theirs if necessary. When on Civie Street all soldiers will know another, sometimes without speaking a word, no introductions are required. All that is required for lifelong loyalty is that the enemy is met side by side and it doesn’t matter if you are black, white, Chinese, Hispanic or anything else, for that bond to exist. This form of respect is only known to those who serve. It is because of this bond that soldiers despise hypocrisy in all its forms. They hate those that say one thing and do another.
Soldiers are no angels; they drink, swear, get drunk and at times become rowdy. When they can, they live their life and find the small pleasures in things that most people take for granted, like dry socks or a stick of gum. They also train hard to do the things that need to be done when duty calls. Canadian soldiers are the devils that are hidden from sight only to be unleashed when fanciful words of politicians are no longer enough.
On the battle field they may only know each other for a few minutes, spending those precious seconds with faces planted in the same piece of dirt. They eat together, sleep together, care for each other and sometimes even cry together. They may not know each other by name, but they are all brothers, and now, in the modern world sisters too. They would give there last bit of food or water to another soldier. They gladly undergo this hardship for they believe, that the nation and the people that elected the government that sent them, are worth it. All they ask of the nation in return is that it stands behind them.
They wear Canada’s flag on their shoulder, but if you look closer you will see that it is stitched to their heart and soul. They wear it with pride and honour, but there are those that think their Canada was made by those thugs that burn cars and scream that the rule of law is oppressive. There are those in the seat of power that see the soldier as a drain on the country, especially if they become injured. It has been stated that it would be better if our soldiers die on the battlefield to save costs. But these same politicians have no problem asking the soldier to help protect them from the thugs that burn the cars.

God and the soldier
All men adore
In time of trouble,
And no more;
For when war is over
And all things righted,
God is neglected -
The old soldier slighted.

By, Anonymous

So, for politicians to argue on whether or not to compensate those that have paid a price for answering the call that they themselves issued, is very hypocritical.
There are those that believe that democracy and the rule of law is there only for when it is convenient, and to be hidden behind and made a mockery. They believe that the burning of police cars and damage to a city is justified and they think that civil unrest and destruction somehow translates into guaranteed rights and freedoms. Many of these people would be the first to mock and belittle a soldiers love and duty to Unit and country. But, these are the very same people that will cry “no blood for oil” as they plug in their iPods and laptops that draw electricity from the hydro plants that use the oil.
Soldiers bare their burdens with a black and sarcastic humour, and they are asked to do the things that only other soldiers know, but they smile and whip off a brisk salute and then turn and face the fog of war.
They don't do this because they want to be heroes or earn a piece of metal with coloured cloth attached. They do this so that the nation will continue and the joys that all free people have, live on. But when they return home the very people that sent them turn their backs and say your valour and sacrifice is only worth so much.
Why must a wounded soldier return home, to a place that he should be safe only to do battle again with the land he loves. Is it too much to ask that the men and women that enforce the will of the nation, be compensated in a fair and respectable way?

Intruders in the North

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I am always amazed at the complacency that my fellow Canadians show when there is an incursion or show of force by a foreign power in Canadian airspace. I realize that Canadians are as a rule  not a very confrontational group of people and they still think that their Armed Forces could better be utilized in the role of "Peace Keeper".
The recent interception of two long range Russian Bombers over the Canadian North, should be a very big cause for concern. The frequency and length of time that these over flight patrols are taking is increasing, and keep in mind these flights are often conducted with live Nuclear Warheads.
When the U.S. Conducted armed and un armed Cruise Missile tests in Canadian Air Space in the 80's and 90's, people lost their minds. I recall seeing Cruise Missile Nets sent into the air with hot air balloons, in a ridiculous attempt to intercept these Missiles. But when the Russian's come knocking on our northern coastline, the worst people can say is that the government is playing up this incident to bolster its position on the purchase of new fighter aircraft.
Canadians need to pay attention to the world around them, and to this simple rule of thumb, "if you can't defend it, you can't keep it". The opposite to this is, that if our northern coast line is indefensible, or better to say if it can not be defended, Canadians need to be prepared to give it to some one who can.
Make no mistake that the Americans are well aware of Canada's defense capabilities and would have no problem "Assisting" in defense of the north. We must also keep in mind that if Canadians fail in their responsibility to defend Canada's sovereignty, the US Government will be more than happy to do it for us and in so doing strengthen their claim to our north as well.
It wasn't that long ago that the US Navy poked a nuclear Sub's Conning Tower through the Polar Ice cap, also without the permission of the Canadian Government. They did nearly the same thing as the Russians did and for the same purpose, to show, the flag and to say "we can do this anytime we want".
Canadians need to wake up to the fact that the natural resources within our borders make this country an industrial power house. In the not to distant future, as natural resources around the world dwindle, the ability for Canada and Canadians to defend our own borders proportionately to emerging threats brought on by dependence on country sustaining necessities such as oil and natural gas, must increase to maintain our own sovereignty.


Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

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The Final Muster

I write this post with a feeling of great sadness. A truly great and storied generation has passed into history. With the passing of John Babcock, Canada's last First World War I veteran, the living memory of Canada's bloodiest and most heroic period is gone. I cannot help but think that something has been taken from me, something that I cannot hope to recover. Like a physical piece stolen from my heart and mind, and from my soul. Never again will I have a chance to hear their stories from their own lips, never again will I hear their tales of youthful valour, or see the distant pain of remembered horror. Never again will I see the slight smiles that cross their faces when remembered comrades visit from their clouded memories.


My wife and I attended Vimy day ceremonies here in St. Catharine's. It was a cold day and we were clearly not dressed for the weather. The police had blocked off Church and James Streets in anticipation of a crowed that would never arrive. There were local dignitaries and politicians, a Piper and a Bugler and a few members of the public that happened by. It saddens me to see that sacrifices of Grandfathers and Grandmothers, Great Uncles and Aunts, no longer matter to the current generation. Growing up in this country as an immigrant, I read stories of these men and women and their acts of valour and bravery. These people were heroes to me, people to be revered, even if they themselves did not think so. They heeded the call to arms for King and Empire. For the first time the New World coming to the rescue of the old.

Where ever soldiers go when they pass away, each man in his turn, smartly dressed took his place in rank and file. The Canadian Corps is complete, all four divisions present to the last man. All the companies can now be formed, the final Muster can now take place, and the final roll can now be called. Canada's greatest army is now once again complete.

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• Career warrior who hated war dies at 110 in Australia (theglobeandmail.com)
• Career warrior who hated war dies at 110 in Australia - Globe and Mail (news.google.com)