Letter: Women, combat just don’t mix

Wednesday, March 8, 2006 | 7:24 a.m.

Regarding the Las Vegas Sun's March 4 editorial, "Ready, willing, able to fight," I disagree that "women who choose the military profession should be allowed to hold any job for which they possess the physical ability and skill, without the interference of old policies and outdated traditions."

There are some roles that women should be barred from, for their own good and for the good of the unit. In general, women can't compete with men physically. When women are allowed into physically demanding roles, usually it isn't based on their merit (as compared to men), but instead to satisfy a quota or political pressure.

It's disheartening to see women returning from Iraq maimed or in a body bag, even though they are barred from direct combat roles. This can't be what the founders of the women's liberation movement had in mind.

Aside from physical ability and skill aspects, there are other considerations for a mixed-gender military unit. Mixed-gender groups inevitably result in jealousies, and distractions from the task at hand - even in business, much less a military unit.

I shudder to think what it would have been like to have women on board our submarine, submerged for 60-day patrols.

I support the idea of women in the military, but only in appropriate roles that enhance the mission, and not detract from it. I hope that our military leaders hang tough and not yield to pressure to increase the role of women, when doing so would be detrimental to the overall mission.

Roger Witcher, Las Vegas