Despite winning the Silver Star for bravery under fire in Afghanistan and being personally decorated by the Vice President, SPC Monica Brown (a medic who happens to be female) is being pulled off the front lines because her profile is getting too much "attention". It's apparent from the Washington Post article that this was not the decision of anyone in her company:
"I didn't want to leave," Brown said, after being pulled from the platoon. Robbins said he and his men, who called Brown "Doc," also wanted to keep her as their medic. "I've seen a lot of grown men who didn't have the courage and weren't able to handle themselves under fire like she did," said Staff Sgt. Aaron Best of Canton, N.C., Robbins's gunner that day. "She never missed a beat."
Military women don't just happen to be in combat roles, we need them in combat roles for our current conflicts to deal with the cultural sensitivities of working with Muslim women in Iraq and Afghanistan. This move by the Army was most likely ordered by some staff weenie at the White House to appease the blue-haired, geezerly voting bloc that thinks young girls shouldn't be playing with the boys and other outdated "Leave it to Beaver" paradigms on society. In doing so, they are seriously undermining the mission at hand. (h/t to Ms. Kiyum)
Back where you belong, missy!
See what the others have said:
7 comments:
Hey sir just wanted to say stay safe and I love to read here cuz I always learn something, (which is good for us knuckle draggin types). Wow the fucking Army definitely makes my mind swim sometime with the amount of bullshit that goes on. They should pull incompetent leaders off the line after they have been submitted a Bronze Star for service award for mediocrity and cowardice, and leave the go getters where they can actually go out and get. WTF? Thanks again sir and stay safe! If it weren't for Soldiers like SPC Brown when the PSG is cowering in the truck we'd be seriously f-d.
Love the graphic! Now I have to get back to the kitchen.
So... Why is it a problem that she was getting too much attention? I seriously doubt too many units in the field get the Washington Post sunday delivery.
Women Air Force MP's have been running convoy security duty for years. Somewhere on Liveleak there is a Army Combat Correspondent video they posted themselves about how good a job they were/are doing. I think there is entire squads that are female. I know lots of women that can pull a trigger as well as me, more power to them.
Lt. my cousin is getting redeployed in AH-60's next month, he swears he'll 20 mm/hellfire anyone that tries to dump a mortar round at the GZ for you. Keep up the good work.
Gruntshit,
I appreciate your insight! Since you were in a combat unit. I hesitated to post this, since I do not have first-hand knowledge of the dynamic of women outside the wire. But, from the article, it looked like all the people in her immediate chain-of-command that the decision to yank her was bullshit.
Ms. Kiyum,
Glad you like the graphic, I thought it was pretty hilarious (do women still cook in high heels, because they better! i kid i kid).
N in SF,
It's not so much the attention in Afghanistan, but rather the attention in Washington I suspect.
Subrookie,
Kudos to your cousin for the air support. I'm sure it has saved my life on numerous occasions.
Rather than the White House, it more than likely came from a little lower in the chain...because they were afraid they might get a dead hero.
With all the attention being focused on her (and rightly so), it is likely that the enemy would try and target her. They do monitor the media, you know.
While they being sucessful, is unlikely, I can see this action being taken by the risk adverse among us.
I recall reading the story about her soon after the award was given, and I seem to recall that they pulled her back to the BN aid station just after the event occured...so is this something else or people just catching up to the whole story?
Back when we left Baghdad in DEC MND-B had a pretty good handle on IDF...hopfully they can get that issue beaten down again. It's nothing a few Hellfire misisles in the right place won't solve.
Outlaw 13,
The helos and drones have been working overtime in Sadr City. But there's still a bunch of IDF due to the militia making trouble. They've gotta run out or all be killed off sooner or later...
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