As a fellow officer and woman in the military I am humbled and inspired by your dedication to helping others.  I had never identified a personal hero until now.  Thank you for your inspiration and to the author for sharing your story.

Kudos to her!  She sounds like a good person, and a great soldier.  I hope my sons run into good medics like her.

God bless you.  My husband is getting ready to head over there and I feel better knowing there are people like you over there.  However, I hope he never has to met you and returns to our children and me safely.

My opinion is women should not be in combat positions
has nothing to do with their ability
I just think women are more precious than to be put into those situations
My ideas may come because of having served on submarines for 6 years, and sure do think they should be there, combat or not

A true hero. Wish we had more like her in our unit.
A good piece I think, deserves to front page so people can actually, see that us as women have the right to bare arms and fight for our country as the men do. I have seen it myself some women do hold up better than the men, but attributes do differ. Either way, I would stand by any soldier that would serve there country and even more if they make the ulitmate sacrifice. Kudos to all my sisters and brothers with there boots on the ground.

Women in combat is a tricky issue. Some women in the military are well-qualified for it while some aren't. How to designate which women should and which should not
be placed in combat roles in an official by-the book process would be impossible. When I was in the Marine Corps (during peacetime 96-01) I saw some women I would rather have next to me in combat than some of the less dependable male Marines. But only a few.

Just because women can do something, doesn't mean they should.  The problems that come from having men and women mixed together in units is easy to see, at least on the enlisted level.  Lt. Col. Michael Oshiki doesn't exactly work at the squad level, so he probably isn’t in touch with what’s going on right now.

Great article. I'm a female and I just joined the army yesterday. Waiting to go to basic.

This is an impressive article about an impressive soldier.  I wish we could hear more good like this as I know there's a lot of it that never gets reported.

I think it's about time we not only re-evaluate the role of women in combat, but the fitness tests that must be passed by all memebers of the military.
With the way combat is today, no armies lined up, directly confronting each other, with reasonably clear lines, anyone in a combat zone can be considered to be on the front lines.
Accepting this, maybe the Army needs to also accept a basic Marine Corps principle -every Marine is a basic rifleman-.
As far as I am concerned (I am a former Marine), if you are going to be in the service, you should have to be able to pass a rigorous fitness test, one that reflects the exertions you would face in combat. It should include running with full gear, negotiating obstacles etc.... The pass/fail criteria should also be the same for everyone. Combat doesn't distinguish between age or sex, neither should a fitness test for any personell who can possibly see combat.

She's the embodiment of what America is really about.

Who the hell would want a woman soldier beside
him in battle. They are not as capable due to
physical strength demands,etc. War is also not a
social expierement, so ladies get a grip on the
fact that you are not the same as men and stay
the hell out of the way. A Vietnam veteran.

Why are our men and women being placed in harms way in this so called war, yet our government beleives it to be only a confrontation, giving th govrnment the right to nolonger pay hazard pay to these special people. Morters being dropper on you all day sounds like a VERY hazordus job to me.

I admire women like Maj. Clarkson; she and the female soldiers like her are an invaluable part of today's armed forces.  I see where they can do the job as well, or better, than men in many situations; but I agree that they should not be in combat by design.  With few exceptions, women are smaller and weaker.  In some combat scenarios, that may not be a liability, but there are many where it could be a huge problem for the women and her fellow soldiers.  We need women to serve but let’s more stick them on the front line just yet.

I hope I live to see women in all walks of life treated equally.

Bah, tired of the "there is no front line" semantic argument.  Its hogwash. All MOS's are expected to be able to defend themselves, and routinely find themselves the targets of IED and ambush in Iraq, thus prompting the over used and little understood "no front line" phrase. This type of reactionary combat is different from what combat arms are tasked with, although they experience their fair share of the ambushes.  Combat arms are tasked to explicitly seek and and engage the enemy - this type of combat / mission has an entirely different set of physical requirements then the typical react to ambush type of combat that is most referenced in Iraq.  And it is in this type of combat that women are particularly ill suited, as demonstrated time and again by every military in the world.  This does not mean women are inferior, it simply means they are different.  It is only those who do not understand the nature of the most demanding type of combat who don't have a problem with women participating in it.

The real reason women are not permitted in certified combat units is these are the units from which many, if not most, general officer promotions are made--all the way to General. Men do not want to increase the pool of prospective promotees by including women. Protection of (assumed) male perogatives is behind all of this, not the inability of woment to do the job needed.

Are you freaking kidding me?  She's a physical therapist and the other person quoted here is a Lt. Col. surgeon.  These two people are so far removed from seeing actual combat or experiencing anything like what an Infantryman sees it's not even funny.  Of course a rocket landed 300 feet away from her tent! (Oh, excuse me, she lives in a trailer)  They land all over the place at a large base where officers hang out and try to look busy.  Just because it's a low-intensity conflict and there are no well-defined enemy lines to cross, giving the whole area of conflict a certain measure of danger, doesn't mean she's fighting up on the front lines.  If you think Infantry, SF and Rangers should be opened up to women, then you're crazy.  I wasn't anything special, but I did make it through Ranger School while nearly two-thirds of my class quit or was booted out, and there is no way any of the women I met in the four years I was in could have made it through.

Whereas I applaud the service and welcome the comments of MAJ Clarkson, LTC Oshiki, and others serving in combat service roles, I disagree that somehow by proximity she (MAJ Clarkson) is either trained, capable and/or prepared to serve in a direct combat role.

I wholeheartedly agree with the idea that there is no true "front line" in the war in Iraq.  But, pointedly, there is a major (and an inherently more dangerous) difference between serving in a medical combat service support role as a physical therapist in a combat zone and serving in a direct combat role in a regular infantry unit, much less a Special Forces or Ranger element.  All line soldiers serving day-to-day in direct combat roles, walking on patrol and engaging the enemy on a regular basis, knows this fact.  They also know that seemingly everyone, from policy makers to, yes, the news media including imbedded reporters (as well as the myriad of personnel in combat support and service support roles, sometimes known as “REMF’s”. If you don’t know what it means, you probably are one) THINK they know the difference, but typically do not.

In my experience as both a front line soldier in and later as an officer in US Army Special Operations units in direct support of combat operations in the Global War on Terror, many "wanna be's" opine that because of their proximity to combat, their personal assessments of their physical fitness, their various (some times dubious) motivations to serve in combat, and their desires for the benefits of inclusion in the small but growing "club" of seasoned combat veterans, they are both qualified and/or somehow entitled to serve in units that are doing these jobs and/or make “qualified assessments” of such organizations.  There are few absolutes in the world, but, if you have never been a line soldier or officer in these units, it is nearly, if not completely impossible, to judge whether or not someone is fit to perform these dangerous and exceedingly difficult missions.  
It is not, as LTC Oshiki states, necessarily that MAJ Clarkson and other females are considered less capable than men and/or that men can’t “handle women doing the job”, but, more so that 1) current US law prohibits women from serving in direct combat roles, and 2) that there is an unspoken mistrust of a system that forces upon and allows the continuation of reduced physical standards for females in other roles.  Additionally, it is known full well that medical personnel, typically, are less physically fit and “mission ready” in tactical terms than their infantry (this of course includes Special Operations Forces) brethren.
Combat is not the place for anyone who cannot meet a single and rigorous standard for competence and fitness.  Yes, there are plenty of hard charging female soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines currently serving in the ranks of the US armed forces, but, those that are operate under different physical fitness standards (for matched age) than their male counterparts.  Anyone that has served a day in a combat unit knows that “on par” physical fitness and training is a keystone to unit cohesion.  This is only one slice of the issue, but it is a key factor in understanding the mind-set of line commanders and the infantry soldier.  A female who can keep up with the infantry/line soldiers in physical training, carry the same weight in training and in other support roles, and who can repeatedly perform the same (physical and non-physical) mission essential tasks that an infantry soldier is expected to perform, under duress, can and will earn a measure of respect and trust amongst those soldiers and officers.  This in and of itself does not fully indicate the extent to which and the effectiveness with which the female soldier can perform the duties of the infantry soldier. Only training and experience can do that.
Currently, women in the United States armed forces are barred from serving in direct combat roles, true.  No one would argue that in the current conflict that the conventional concept of a front line is not a reality on the ground in many if not most cases.  Convoy operations and helicopter flights involving enemy fire aside, there is little in the story about MAJ Clarkson that would lead one (especially one who has been on the ground and knows the difference between flying over a firefight or providing aid to wounded soldiers after the event and actually being IN a fire fight) to lend any sympathy to hers or the reporters scarcely hidden agenda of promoting a brand of feminist activism.  

Those of us who have been in Ranger and Special Forces units, who have been specially selected, screened and trained for the hardest assignments, and who have seen the ugly face of combat up close and personal, rather than just its gruesome aftermath, know and fully understand that is not a place for self promotion and/or career advancement.  Rather, combat is a crucible of sheer terror, gut wrenching and face paced decisions, unending self-sacrifice, deep commitment to the welfare of your comrades over that of yourself, and grueling training followed by even more grueling situations, the experience from which tends to shy one away from self promotion and personal agenda promulgation.

Again I applaud MAJ Clarkson’s service, but, have to wonder aloud that this story has more to do with pushing a not so hidden agenda than speaking to the merits of an imperfect (but arguably necessary) current policy on women in combat.

Spending over just 9 years in the Army special Forces and real world intell(viet nam era) times have changed and I myself being a male nco had many women in platoons that I ran and they did just as good and in many instances better  then a lot of the male soldiers.  I cannot in this time and day that females are not allowed in special forces when it's aknown fact that they are as every bit as able and competint to do just as well if not better then a lot of men in those roles.  I for one find it a travesty that women are not allowed the same oppotunity's as males in these roles.  Wake up Washington and the U.S.A and see the light and let the women that want to do their part be given the same chances as males.Ladies, I for one take you'r side in this matter

Wow, you are awesome!  Your story gives me courage to keep trying while unemployed and wondering how I will survive.  If I ever met you, I would definitely bow/curtsy/salute/get your autograph or something.  Keep up the great work!!

While I think women can be in combat roles (specifically in which they're actually fighting others), I don't think they should be. To be in a combat situation is something entirely contrary to the feminine nature of women, women aren't designed to be aggressive, they're designed to be caregivers and nurturers, combat goes directly against this. However, I'm less against a woman being around combat, such as flying a helo picking up wounded, etc, than fighting. As I said, fighting and killing is contrary to the feminine nature, and I think the nurturing side of women should be protected and encouraged, and putting women into fighting roles does the opposite.

Ppl may view this as sexist, however, it's simply respect for the different design of men and women, we're designed for different roles, and so one gender is more or less capable of doing certain things than the other. While women are capable of fighting, they shouldn't be.

God bless you!  Prayers are with you all over there.

Now that is what I call a great example of a modern female soldier!  If men do not want females on the front line then that is there opinion but to be allowed to work in the environment she is working in only proves that we are caple as women when called upon to help our fellow soldier now matter where the "war or front line" may be! I think women do have there role in the military and should not be in an environment that makes her fellow soldier uncomfortable but being able to satisfactorily complete a task and be good at it is the most important thing and she is doing it!  

Women have been in combat since this country has been in combat and before.  I served with a "frontline" Infantry unit in Desert Storm.  By front line I mean right there!!  I was a medic and had enemy soldiers surrendering to me.  If a women can perform physically, let her go into whatever job she is qualified to do.  I took an ambulance squad of two other women and one man.  We received casualties in areas that the medevac would not fly and were shot at right next to the 'infantry' male soldiers. and guess what?  Each member of my squad was awarded the Combat Medic Badge which is given to medics who came under fire in a combat zone.  

Atta girl.  Hang in there.  Keep up the good work.

i like the way the freakin' writer is giving away how many stryker bases we have operating,also the way they give away how we do things---greaT!  Just maybe you all airheads would realize that this is how the enemy is getting most of their intelligence--it is from the media---dumb@$$------you want a story so bad just to get promoted or win a free skatin' award huh?  But people are getting killed because of your SO-CALLED REPORTING...why dont you write about the verteran that came home to no job,no wife,bad credit,foreclosure,community hates him and called him a clean up man for Bush,--not everybody in America is happy with us veterans, as much as you like to present the fantasy...there are peole that wont hire you specifically because you are a veteran,write about that

Thank you Maj. Clarkson for your service to our Country and your dedication to our Service personnel.  As a country, we are lucky to have you and those amongst you in our military.

On that woman thing....thank you for proving that a woman is equally capable, logical, lethal, and non-hysterical in combat.

If A woman is captured the military cannot place higher emphasis on rescuing a female over a make hostage, but with the media coverage the way it goes and has if the military does not make rescuing the famale hostage a higher priority then the media would and has had coniptions.  Thus, the attention a female hostage would get over a male hostage would be a huge gap.  Look at why the prince of England is not being put in the front lines.  He being who he is would make his unit a target.  Same goes for a woman.  The enemies we face know they cannot really win so they are always looking for ways to turn the media in their favor.  Don't give the women to them I say.  All in all I agree women are and should be on the front line if capable but then there is my exception above.
Signed
For god (pick your god), Country (USA and any country for Freedom for all) and women (keep them safe as without them us males would just beat each other up)

I don't think that it is possible to appreciate the physical and psychological impact of being in the infantry, let alone the Rangers or Special Forces without directly experiencing it.  Until you've carried a 100lbs ruck for 20 clicks up a mountain, experienced hallucinations from sleep deprivation, or have looked down on the body of your first kill, there is absolutely no way to know how you will respond. Having said this and even though it's been tried before, if the field were completely level (women required to pass every qualifier that men are)and a woman is able to make it - let her try.  Only a quarter of my class graduated from Ranger school and I would guess that half of those could handle the operational tempo of a Ranger Battalion.  If we need to open combat arms up to women so that this question can be answered once and for all; I say do it! It would be interesting to me to see how many women would actually step up to the plate.

I applaud all women who serve in the military.  Their various duties are a tremendous asset to all of us.  I still do not want them in my foxhole, not because of them, but because of me. I was born and instilled with, a need to protect others who were perhaps not as strong or as quick as I, as part of the responsibilites of being a male.  It's not a choice for me, it's just the way I was put together. As a former US Marine, I have first hand experience in the distraction of helpng those less able then I, and the cost of doing so.

I agree with David B. You here how U.S. Soldiers dying every day, and you wonder if they are growing stronger. No, they just get good intel. It sucks that amid the high tensions right now, reporters aren't using good disgretion, just going after the almighty Pultzer.

And I salute the females in service. Im a man in  service and I have seen women pick up weapons and fire just as effectively as any man. I feel that a women who want's to serve her country should be able to in any capacity and not be restricted from the "Front Lines" (Ha, front lines, funny concept these days!). I wish a politician could start working on that bill and stop being afraid of having that blood on their hand and their rating drop.

While I'm not military, I hope to be one day. Thanks for your service, whoever here has served. But I have to agree with some of the male veteran opinions - as a male, with a lot of male friends, we place girls and their welfare with us, especially girls we've come to know and respect, far above our own. Really, I think a lot of men are like that... consider this, in actual combat units that see hell, they're mainly men, correct? The military is male-dominated and most of those men probably have mothers, wives, girlfriends, sisters, daughters, etc. Most of those men would be interested in defending their women in case of danger. Wouldn't that translate to combat? Really, if you've been raised to believe that one doesn't hurt a woman, especially physically, and that women are something worth protecting, that's gonna mess with a man's mental state in combat. I know it would affect me differently, seeing a female cut down over a male. Combat is already incredibly stressful and intense; why add another variable causing problems for the core of any infantry force, the men? Not to mention, most healthy males are interested physically in women. If you bother to study WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, and the accounts of combat soldiers on a front line, their thoughts consist of food, shelter, and women. Especially, when under a huge amount of pressure, and having women in close physical proximity and needing a way to release stress... it's just not a good idea. Not to mention, if men and women are captured together, the woman runs risk of sexual abuse, and she is often used as a breaking tool for the men. When the 13 British Marines and sailors were captured by Iran, who did the Iranians use to break their captives? They threatened the woman, and naturally, her male comrades stepped to try and save her, at the expense of their honor and their nation.

Why does it always have to come down to who served better than whom? Isn’t this the United States of America? Didn’t we ALL go through boot camp and get crapped on equally? I know women who can kick all yall’s butt any time; any place, and if I ever get into a firefight, I want them on MY side! Thank God for these women professionals who are willing to take a huge cut in pay to serve their country? When push comes to shove, we need all the help we can get out there and you guys who want to complain are usually the loudest when you get hurt. How about shutting up and letting people do their jobs? Be glad you have the help you’re getting because in other countries, they go home messed up and stay that way.

David,
I regret your feelings, and invite you to write your feelings for publication. Not in a Blog ... that's too easy. For people who have lived what you did, and can live to tell about it, there is no easy way.
I look forward to your book.

i say there is a front line to an extent its called going outside the wire, fobbits will always have stories of rockets and mortars landing near their hooch i was in iraq and the MOS's do combat patrols are infantry MP's armored and engineers and eod women are allowed in the MP corp and when it came to an actual in your face battle or ied strike or nething evryone of them froze up plus a mans natural instinct is to help a woman so your combat effectiveess goes out the window not to mention that male and female soldiers will get emotionally involved complicating things even more im tired of hearing fobbit stories about mortars and their bullshift CABS and the whole 3 times hey went outside the wire for those of us who spent our deployment inhabiting buildings and sitting on op's doing the real combat mission everyday, you fobbits make us sick face it you are not anything but a support element and half of the MOS'S never leave the wire thats u cooks and gate guards an mechanics finance post office workers you joined the army to work a civilian job not fight so quit degrading what we do over there so you have a story

Anonymous in Fort Benning has written the most balanced and thoughtful comment.  

Women can and should be allowed to serve.  Equally if physically possible.  In support roles if not.

it brings back  memories of  nha-trang hospital in vietnam  1968  while  i   was taken cvare of wounds   while serving  with    173rd airborne brigade.keep up the  good  work  ladie...

there is no  front line in   any  war,,,,,to all soldiers    keep the  good  work...its part of bein  american

there is no  front line in   any  war,,,,,to all soldiers    keep the  good  work...its part of bein  american

Lets think about something for a minute. If Clarkson is a physical therapist than she should know full well that science proves that women are naturally different than men. This difference is weakness. Any medical examination of one male and one female would show that men have characteristics that are more suitable for war. Now if she wants to try for SF than let her. But let her try with the exact same standards as the men. Then we will see how fit she really is. The SF is for the best and that means alot of men cant handle it either, this isnt bad people. As far as Clarkson, she is an outstanding woman that is doing a great job and I support that. Lets just not get ahead of ourselves when it comes to women in certain roles.

I love the troops but I hate their orders.  We'll get all of you home as soon as possible.  This police action will never end unless we simply exit the country.

Vietnam was a failure from the word go, Iraq was a failure as soon as they decided that the new government would just magic up some peace.  Great plan guys...great plan.

I wonder if our brave no-bid contractors had built the new Iraqi infrastructure properly, if the Iraqi police could be a more effective force.

David b, are you enlisted and fighting in Iraq?  If not, shut up.  Even if you are, how dare you try to censor the press!  We aren't even at war...War was never declared.  If the government was serious about this police action there would have been an official declaration of war and a draft.  But there aren't.  Face it, this war isn't as important as you think it is.  Please, find your spine and quit quivering in fear of the thought of the turrsts blowing up your house or something.

I for one don't like the idea of women on the front lines, just think if a few were captured. Hmm imagin a woman being decapitated on film and shown to the world or being raped . I belive women are on a higher standard then men because they can give life. imagin one that was pregnet but really dint know yet. can you imagin the american outrage if these types of things happend. I belive that every women deserves same pay as male counterparts in the american workforce but to see the bearers of life in combat on front lines i dont think i could handle.

Those in the American military are inherently less intelligent and uneducated.  They clearly lack the mental capacity to deal with such a complex social situation as accepting that a woman might perhaps prove equal in ability to a man.
I don't mean this comment to be particularly malicious, but it is reality.  Granted, such a broad generalization will have its exceptions, it is also historically undeniable that those in the military, particularly those in Iraq, like Vietnam, are the people that have little to contribute to society.
As a result, forcing them to accept equality amongst race, religion, ethnicity, sexual preference, and gender would only lead to more problems.

I believe women deserve equal treatment and I applaud their efforts to put themselves in such positions.  However, it is the limited minds of the lower class that make up the military that suggest that mixing genders is a bad idea.
 

Let the men who have actually been in combat decide the question of women by their side. I for one, would say no and it has nothing to do with capabilites.

When are we going to realize you cannot be anything you want . . . I hear (not clearly) a radio commentator with a major speech impediment. I find kids that can't walk suing so they can play football and on and on. You take the hand you are dealt and play it - don't ask other people to sacrifice so you can get thru SF or SEAL.

No doubt Clarkson is doing a great job and I thank her for that but combat? If she knew what it was really like I don't think she be so quick to think she was missing something.

I would say if women can pass the same physical fitness standards as men they are qualified. Right now there are 2 sets of standards in all services, one for men and one for women. I've yet to see a woman who can do more than 5 pullups, and they would need to do this and more to pass the USMC's PFT.

"If liberty and equality, as is thought by some, are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in government to the utmost." -Aristotle

We need to continue to fight for democracy and equality at home.

Thank God Clarkson is willing to do this in spite of the opinions of those who don't deeply believe in democracy. There are too many cowards patronizing those they percieve as weak and needing protection.

A democracy cannot stand when it throws equality out the window when it comes to something as serious as war. Thank you for showing us a brave hero in spite of the situation. Sometimes you just have to sit in front of the bus.

Women do not belong in the military, police, or fighting fires among other jobs. If it's inappropriate to do the job while wearing a dress, it's a man's job.

I don't think women can realistically have a role in military. Combat is inheriently a physical event and although it's likely a few women have the physical strength to meet some established minimums, very, very few women can do it as well as the average male soldier.

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