this post was submitted on 22 Aug 2023
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207
Female soldiers in Army special operations face rampant sexism and harassment, military report says (apnews.com)
submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
35 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

U.S. Army Special Operations Command, in a lengthy study, reported a wide range of “overtly sexist” comments from male soldiers, including a broad aversion to females serving in commando units. The comments, it said, are “not outliers” but represent a common sentiment that women don’t belong on special operations teams.

“The idea that women are equally as physically, mentally and emotionally capable to perform majority of jobs is quite frankly ridiculous,” said one male commenter. Others said they’d quit before serving on a team with a female, and that serving in such a situation it would create problems and jealousy among their wives.

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[–] [email protected] 45 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It revealed that “the vast majority” of the negative attitudes toward women serving in special operations “unfortunately did come from senior noncommissioned officers. So it does seem to indicate that it is generational,” Command Sgt. Maj. JoAnn Naumann, the most senior enlisted soldier in the command, said in a call with reporters Monday about the findings.

Well, that's rather predictable and good news for the long run. Just retire these dinosaurs and replace them with younger soldiers. No more old boys' club.

And while we're at it, why don't we get rid of the selective service system or force women to be join it? Equal rights, equal responsibilities.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago (5 children)

Germany used to (I think used to) have a system where, for a year, you either joined the military or did a civilian service job like work in a hospital or nursing home. I'm by no means a warmonger or interested in a bloated military, but that doesn't sound like a terrible idea to me.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

There are lots of countries that have compulsory military service with alternatives for conscientious objectors (which is basically what you're describing).

I agree that it's a good idea. Moreover, it comes closer to the original meaning of that whole "well-regulated militia" thing. We should consider doing like the Swiss do: give (roughly) everybody mandatory firearms training, send them all home with an infantry standard-issue assault rifle, and then severely restrict access to ammunition except for legitimate purposes like practice at the firing range.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Here in the US I’m pretty sure our Supreme Court would rule that ammunition is speech.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

They have that in the US and it’s called Peace Corps but since the 80’s the conservatives hate it and push for military instead.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

The problem is the Peace Corps is totally voluntary. There's also AmeriCorps, which is similar, but domestic. What we need is to get kids who don't understand what community means, and that's a lot of them at this point, to learn what that means. It's a way out of this libertarian capitalist hellhole.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

Philosophically it's a horrible idea to me, being from the US. First, it's pretty against ideas of freedom and self determination. Secondly, and worse, is that conscripts often are basically an internal sabotage threat. Work to rule, no interest in anything but getting out, actively tend to hurt morale given their resentment, etc. Oh, and 1 year of training / 1 year of service is basically a little past basic training, so not really well trained for modern combat. See what Russia is getting with conscripts for instance. I suppose if you just want bodies to throw into a meat grinder it might work, but unless you have enough to take staggering losses to overwhelm better trained and higher morale troops - and you're willing to take those sorts of losses... the conscripts are just mostly a drain on resources IMO.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It was a pretty big waste of money. You'd have massive numbers of people who'd have to be half-assedly trained for a lot of money just to leave service again right when they started to be somewhat employable. There are reasons why we don't do it like that anymore.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Fair enough, you know better than I would having lived through it. I don't know about the practicalities of such a plan, I just think teaching people to serve the community when they're young is a good idea.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

And having seen the other side, might make some people a lot less entitlted too.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I strongly believe that everyone should work a customer service job like retail or waiting tables early in their career. It would make a lot of people less of an asshole when interacting with employees.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Not to diminish anything enlisted woman have gone through, but this is by no means unique to military service. I am a women, who works in a very male dominated field, and the hostility, belittling, sexism, etc I have to endure, that my male counterparts don't is massive.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

Yup. Worked male-orientated jobs almost my whole life. The battle is real.

[–] AllHailTheSheep 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'm in IT, the difference in how I'm treated before and after I transitioned is crazy. I haven't legally changed my name yet so I just pretend to be a guy for all my jobs solely to avoid that.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

About a year ago I decided to remove my name from my email signature. It’s mind boggling how different email replies/inquiries are now. People just assume I’m a man because making cars go fast = men things. When they finally meet me, or talk to me on the phone, there’s an instant demeanor change. Some not bad, others hostile.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Get rid of the GI Bill, or at the very least, tie it to the draft. As in, you don't get post service benefits unless there's a draft going on. Otherwise you just volunteered.

Then, provide those same benefits we provided since 1944 to the legal and medical professionals. Kids enter into service at 18-20 and come out as public defenders, nurses and doctors, where they are subject to working in poor areas to help the underserved.