Shrub: 4,700 more troops are for "support roles only"- 450 wounded American women might disagree

[RiverStone]

IED's don't distinguish between those soldiers serving in a combat role and those serving in a support role. In particular, women are designated for support roles only; though that has not been the case for many American women serving in the military. I really question if Shrub is using the "support roles" designation as a smokescreen to march more Americans into harm's way. Sadly and tragically, men and women in both support and combat positions will continue to die needlessly for Iraq's civil war. Is it fair to separate out the 4,700 support soldiers from the 21,500 soldiers who have already been escalated into conflict? Of course, this goofy math does not justify 1 additional troop for an already lost cause - I'm simply commenting on our administration's lame attempt to promote it.

Here is an excellent story (Salon 3/7/07) which details the Private War of Women Soldiers. It talks about the myths of serving as "support only soldiers", as well as many other extreme challenges women face on the front lines:

<snip>

Not everyone realizes how different the Iraq war is for women than any other American war in history. More than 160,500 American female soldiers have served in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Middle East since the war began in 2003, which means one in seven soldiers is a woman. Women now make up 15 percent of active duty forces, four times more than in the 1991 Gulf War. At least 450 women have been wounded in Iraq, and 71 have died -- more female casualties and deaths than in the Korean, Vietnam and first Gulf Wars combined. And women are fighting in combat.

Officially, the Pentagon prohibits women from serving in ground combat units such as the infantry, citing their lack of upper-body strength and a reluctance to put girls and mothers in harm's way. But mention this ban to any female soldier in Iraq and she will scoff.

"Of course we were in combat!" said Laura Naylor, 25, who served with the Army Combat Military Police in Baghdad from 2003-04. "We were interchangeable with the infantry. They came to our police stations and helped pull security, and we helped them search houses and search people. That's how it is in Iraq."

complete story here:

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2007/03/07/women_in_military/


* * * * * * *

On Shrub's additional 4,700 troops:

By Tom Raum - The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Mar 12, 2007

BOGOTA, Colombia — President Bush said Sunday that 4,700 additional troops he is sending to Iraq above an increase announced in January are slated for support roles only, and urged Congress to approve funding for the war “without any strings attached.”

Two months ago, Bush ordered 21,500 additional American soldiers to Iraq to help calm Baghdad and the troubled Anbar province.

“Those combat troops are going to need, you know, some support, and that’s what the American people are seeing in terms of Iraq — the support troops necessary to help the reinforcements do their job,” Bush said at a news conference with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe in Bogota.

more:

http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/03/apiraq070311/