Stateline responds to women in combat
By: Marty Kasper
Updated: January 28, 2013
ROCKFORD - Many people scross the country are concerned women won't be physically able to serve hand in hand with men on the front line, and that their very presence could create distractions during life or death situations.
But those people might be surprised to learn, that's not really a concern amongst the enlisted.
"I believe a woman can physically fight in
combat, most definitely," said
Putting women on the front line has created
passionate debate.
"In my opinion it's scary, I just can't see it,"
said
But for the troops it's just business as usual. PFC Smith just returned from basic training,
where being physical was an everyday thing.
"If you messed up, then lots of push ups,"
said PFC Smith.
Smith ran, she shot weapons, she was forced to do
everything the men did.
"There was no difference for me," said PFC
Smith. "We just worked together as a
team."
A cornerstone Sergeant Ben Frazier says is a
long-standing military philosophy.
"If you cannot work as a team, you will not succeed,"
said Frazier.
And when it comes to handling a weapon, PFC Smith is
well aquatinted with that too. "It's
with you 24/7, you sleep with it, eat with it, just everything," said PFC
Smith.
People we spoke with Monday weren't so much worried
about women not being able to physically hold their own, but rather worried
about what would happen should they get captured or mentally broken down.
"We're strong, but we can be very vulnerable,
and that part scares me," said Harris.
One man we spoke with says he doesn't doubt that a
women can fight successful in combat, but he fears for their safety and just
doesn't want to put them in harms way.
"If I have a girlfriend or wife and she's in the
military, I'm going to be really concerned about her being hurt or injured,"
said Hines.
SGT Frazier says he supports the decision to lift he
ban on women fighting in combat. "A
female can do whatever a male can do, so it's going to be a great opportunity,"
said Frazier.
And he believes their success in combat roles will be
more mental than anything.
"That's how soldiers
earn trust with other soldiers," said Frazier. "It's the mental aspects of it."
Depending on what the
military chiefs propose for integrating women into combat roles this May, it
could open up 230-thousand jobs to women across the country.
