U.S. Military Women in Combat! Picayunes by Gary Raymond Compuserve 70613,3165 Copy(c)right, 1993, New Orleans ----------------------------------------------------------------- Recently, sweeping changes in military policy have been enacted that allow women to actively participate in combat roles. This change has raised the eyebrow of a wide variety of citizens with viewpoints that range from shock and disbelief supported by simple old fashion ideas of what constitutes gentlemanly versus gentile conduct to outright male chauvinism. In analysing this situation, I find myself asking two basic questions. First, should they be allowed to do it?, and second, can they do it effectively once allowed? Obviously, the first question has already been acted on. Occasionally I am called upon as an expert witness in matters of aviation because of my background as a former airline pilot, flight instructor, pilot examiner and or flight school operator. So, I feel I am reasonably able to examine the second question (as it relates to female combat pilots) and "wing it" on the first. First, lets reexamine "should they be allowed to do it?". I presently do not see any supportable arguments, either legal or physical, that can be used to decline women combat roles. So, it appears to be more of a cultural issue rather than one based on analysis of any other facts. The cultural aspect is powerful in its traditional roots. American men have always tended to revere the role of women as mother, homemaker and housewife; and, men have always provided all the protection those roles required. Times change, values change, culture changes. Yet understanding this does not make it any easier for a decent traditional male to allow his woman to fight, either along his side or in his place. Nevertheless, forces seem to be at work that are driving the entire world towards more of a unisexual atmosphere in the workplace. Gender is slowly becoming less and less a factor as women take on roles traditionally held by males, and vice versa. Today, it is not uncommon to find male nurses and male flight attendants along with female policemen, firefighters, construction personnel etc. My conclusion regarding "should they" is yes, even if it is after the fact. To me, the decision was both a symbolic and pragmatic thing to do. Symbolic, in as much as enlightened men should now be willing to eliminate all restrictions to career access that were formerly traditionally closed to females. Pragmatic, because it allows women choices that invariably will not change the desire of the majority to continue in their more traditional roles as homemaker and housewife. The big insight most liberated women have come to grasp with in the eighties-nineties is how great it actually was to be a mother and housewife. This is repeatedly demonstrated, as more and more career women, desire to return to their former traditional roles. Finally, regarding the question "can they do it?", my answer is a big loud yes. This, unfortunately, has yet to be tested. I know this position will not harbor well with many of my former colleagues who stedfastly maintain that women who fly well are a extreme aberration of statistics. I have even heard some claim that for every good female pilot there is a male pilot trying to escape from the female form. Without delving into the feminine or hormonal aspects of flying females, I prefer to stick with facts as I have come to know them. In my career as a flight instructor and pilot examiner, I have had frequent opportunity to both meet, train, examine and work with many women pilots. Let me begin with the female as a student pilot. Unquestionable, in my mind, they make better students than their male counterparts. My experience indicated that women learn quicker because of their willingness to learn by rote (show and do) as compared to men, who desire a rational beforehand for every procedure and, continually, through out each exercise. Women will readily accept what you show them, apply it, and worry about the physics of it later. And, regarding ground school, women tend to outshine the guys as well. Their assignments are generally better prepared, they are more punctual and their grades are higher. Male pilots appear to be a bit better able to instinctively rationalize the consequences of events as compared to their female counterparts. Perhaps this coincides with their desire to continually rationalize their way through the learning experience. Since it is my desire to keep this article non technical, I will refrain from examples here. But, if anyone is interested, I will be happy to supply dozens of examples. How much of an edge this might give a man in a combat situations, if an edge at all, is not within my expertise to comment on. Men also have demonstrated higher levels of aggression than their female counterparts. How advantageous this might be today, considering aerial combat is frequently performed at great distances from the enemy, is also unknown to me. It is not uncommon for the attacker to never have visual contact with his adversary. Although the romantic notion of an ariel dogfight is still possible, it is more the exception today rather than the rule. On another level, women tend to be more competitive in the aviation arena. Perhaps its due to there relatively low numbers in a career field that continues to be dominated by men. This can sometimes be annoying to male pilots, who after training, are very prone to desire to kick back and return to the more atypical pilot hedonistic life style. As with any of us who fly, we each have an overload point that can be reached by the constant introduction of additional tasks to be performed concurrently with those already required. The ability of a pilot to multi task, similar to a personal computer, is of the utmost importance in the cockpit. A typical example is talking on the radio, understanding clearances and weather information, all the while maintaining the avigation (control) of the craft, calculating navigational changes and positions, fuel management, pressurization management, planning ahead of your present requirements, dealing with passenger needs, and finally, coping concurrently with all of the above while handling the distractions and possibilities of any one or combinations of hundreds of possible emergency situations. While administering pilot exams in accordance with the current flight standards as set forth by the FAA, distraction was always a testing requirement of all certificates and ratings. Distraction was usually presented in the form of some task involving a simulated emergency. These distractions might range from simply dropping the pilot's pencil to the deck at the very moment he needs it to copy an important clearance on the radio, and or simulating the complete failure of the aircraft power plant. I was never able to discern any differences in performance between male or female pilots who were properly trained. I am aware of other examiners who will disagree with me. But, in my conclusion, I see no reason why women should not share the responsibilities of combat aviation military duties. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Down South, a Picayune is generally known as either a small amount of something of value and or a very picky point of view. The noun is still used as part of the proper name for a large, New Orleans, newspaper. The word (in New Orleans) is generally tied to the view of the world as seen through the eyes of the little (average) man on the street. This Picayune (article and or file) may be copied and or re-distributed without compensation to the author as long as no profits are generated through its re-distribution or sale and it is used in its entirety. All opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. If you disagree with any of the opinions expressed in this or any other Picayunes, you are invited to reply via e-mail on Compuserve Userid 70613,3165. -[30]-