For the first time since World War Two, a female soldier has been awarded the Army’s third highest award for valor. Even more notably, the award was made for heroism displayed while actively participating in a combat action.
traveled south of Baghdad, launching their assault from trenches alongside the road using rifles, machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades. Hester and her unit moved through enemy fire to the trenches, attacking them with grenades before entering and clearing them.
She killed at least three insurgents with her M4 rifle, according to her award citation. In the entire battle, 26 or 27 insurgents were killed and several more were captured, according to various accounts. Several Americans were also wounded in the firefight.
“Her actions saved the lives of numerous convoy members. Sgt. Hester’s bravery is in keeping with the finest traditions of military heroism,” her award citation reads.
“I’m honored to even be considered, much less awarded, the medal,” Hester told the American Forces Press Service, a military-run information service. “It really doesn’t have anything to do with being a female. It’s about the duties I performed that day as a soldier.”
Meanwhile back home we have some idiot Congressmen who think women should be removed from the front lines because… well, just because. Sgt. Hester’s courage under fire should put to rest any lingering notions that women are not able to perform every bit as well as men in combat. It is a shame that certain people here at home are not able or willing to honor the contribution women like Sgt. Hester make to our armed forces.
Hope this wasn’t diaried already here. I havan’t figured out how to do a diary search yet.
giving women credit where it’s due, but this one worries me.
If the draft is reinstated, there’s no way that women will be exempt, just on the basis of their sex. There has in the past been an argument against drafting women on the grounds that women do not serve in combat.
But this time it will be equal opportunity cannon fodder. I’ll fight any way I can to keep any young person – male or female – from being forcibly dragged off to a war. But I just don’t trust this recent push to certify women for combat, and now awarding a woman a combat medal. . . .
This administration has no respect for women. They have no qualms however, about using women – from Jessica Lynch to Teri Schiavo – to further the neo-con agenda. I’m just very suspicious that this building “women do fine in combat” storyline is not about paying tribute to brave women – it’s about something else. The draft is what comes to mind.
When some wingnuts in Congress try to get women away from combat, DKos is full of cries that it’s a plot by Bushco to reinstate the draft. Now there’s this story, and you’re telling me the same thing, but in reverse.
Quite frankly, while I’m not sure I do buy into the theory that removing women from harm’s way is a prelude to a draft, I find it has a lot more going for it then what you’re suggesting.
And for the record, I don’t buy into the theory there’s going to be a draft, unless another war starts somewhere (which isn’t out of the question by any means, but it’ll have to come first before I get too worried). In any case, I don’t find it very productive to see every frak’n thing as some sort of sinister conspirecy to get people ready for a draft.
I agree that women can fight just as well as men. The evidence has been there for years in guerilla and resistance movements. I think that they should serve in combat units. That being said, I am a little guy. Before the Panama invasion, I had to carry a 65lb rucksack on road marches. When the Invasion came, it weighed 120lbs with ammo, food, water, and cross-loaded team equipment. I WEIGHED ONLY 135lbs! I could barely do it in the mountains of Panama, and our patrols were extremely slow. Those were the days before all this high-speed body armor too.
There is an undeniable physiological difference between male and female human beings (notice I am not using the social construct of gender). If a woman, and I think I know a few, can also undertake the arduous physical tasks as well…then I say give them a shot. But if not, then, perhaps another job is more suited. That doesn’t mean in today’s warzones, that MPs & truck drivers don’t see combat, I am not disputing the courage of women in a fire fight. But we also must consider physical constraints as well.
It is good to see that women are recognized for their contributions in military conflicts. I am glad that this unit was courageous enough to award her the Silver Star with her fellow soldiers.
As a woman veteran from the Vietnam era (early 1970’s) I saw women that were stronger and better at combat areas than a lot of the men. My position was MP and I spent my entire 2 years working for equal treatment on a stateside military base. To watch the attempts at removing the gains that women have made in the military just appalls me.
A person in combat, if there needs to be combat, should be there based on skills not gender.
The wingnuts will always be intimidated by strong women, be it intellectual or physical.