re: Duckworth 'confident' she can work with Mattis

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You are a woman wounded in combat?

Her being wounded is irrelevant to the topic of women in combat. Her being wounded means frick all time when it comes to the issue.

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I actually see that. But why could she not have other bona fides?

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Like what?

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You are saying she isn't qualified. It's your argument. Why is she not?

In regards to women in combat she's no more qualified than my kid sister.

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In regards to women in combat she's no more qualified than my kid sister.

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Okay.....two words.......sounds like.....why not?

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While I appreciate her service and respect what she has gone through, none of that makes her an authority on women in combat.

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Even though she is a woman who has been in combat.

So there must be some demonstrable disqualifying factor. is it being a woman herself?

What about Sgt. Hester?



"Hester's military police squad consisting of eight men and two women in three Humvees were shadowing a 30-truck supply convoy when approximately 50 insurgent fighters ambushed the convoy with AK-47, RPK machine gun fire, and rocket propelled grenades (RPG). The squad moved to the side of the road, flanking the insurgents and cutting off their escape route. Hester maneuvered her fire team through the kill zone and into a flanking position, where her squad leader, Staff Sergeant Timothy F. Nein, and her, assaulted a trench line with hand grenades and M203 grenade launcher rounds. Nein and Hester assaulted and cleared two trenches. During the 25-minute firefight, Hester killed 3 insurgents.[8]

When the battle was over, 27 insurgents were dead, six were wounded, and one captured. Sergeants Nein and Hester were both awarded the Silver Star.[8] Nein's medal was later upgraded to the Distinguished Service Cross.[9]"

Is she qualified?

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Credibility she hasn't earned

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You are a goddamned imbecile

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I respect his distinguished career

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I'm sure he gives a shite.

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But what makes her NOT qualified?

She's no more qualified than anyone else who has never been in the combat arms. She's as qualified as say anyone else who has never been in the combat arms. I'm not saying not being the combat arms makes you completely unqualified to have an opinion on the matter, but being a helicopter pilot certainly doesn't make you qualified.

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Since you won't bite on why Sen. Duckworth is not herself qualified to discourse on women in combat, who do you think IS qualified to discuss the subject?

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I will ask you too - I can accept that premise on its face.

But what makes her NOT qualified?

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I never stated she wasn't. But you're obsession with posting her disability diminishes any point you are trying to make.

I think she, and any woman that has served in a combat roll (there aren't many), gives her some credibility to discuss women in the military just from the obvious facts that she is a woman that was in the military.

Outside of that, i do not know her competence on the issue. Granted i do not know what her platform is, and i don't believe anyone does here, either. So in order for anyone to make an informed opinion about her we must know.

1) What is her knowledge, regarding women in military?
2) What is her talking points? What is her angle? What is she trying to accomplish?
3) Does her experience equate to her points she is making?

Just being a woman in the military doesn't necessarily make her an expert on women's roles in the military. It does make her more experienced than the average person not in the military, however.