re: Duckworth 'confident' she can work with Mattis

There is probably no doubt that she wouldn't be a senator if she were not in a wheel chair.

quote:

---

Tom Cotton or Dan Sullivan

She's about as qualified as McCain or Tom Carper - knowledgable, but spending all your time on air-conditioned bases and going out on missions once a day in a helicopter is not the same as what the former two did...actual serve and led in combat units in war.

---

You mean those senators are actually women?

To say that a woman who flew combat missions and was grievously wounded is not qualified to discuss women in combat is just cracked.

If your real position is that just being wounded shouldn't make you a senator, I get that.

quote:

---

Being wounded, or a woman for that matter, doesn't make her qualified.

---

As what? A senator? Or SME on women in combat?

quote:

---

I don't like how she uses her combat wounds to justify her stance on women in combat. As if her being shot down in a helicopter gives her any fricking insight into the combat arms. She takes advantage of her injury to dupe the stupid American people and give credibility to a stance that will weaken the military and get good people killed. Credibility that's she hasn't earned and doesn't deserve.

---

/Thread


Women have no place in combat arms, and if people were honest, they would expand that policy to all uniformed services.

quote:

---

To say that a woman who flew combat missions

---

Col (I think) Campbell, who flew A-10s during the opening of OIF and flew for 2 hours in a plane that was so littered with AA and Small Arms fire that it barely held together when she landed would take exception to your referring to Duckworth flying "combat missions".

UH-60s fly in support of combat missions. AH-64s and A-10s fly missions to deliberately place rounds on target. That is a "combat mission".

Combat Missions are those in which the primary purpose of the executing unit is to close with and destroy the enemy. A Blackhawk is designed to transport, not to close with and destroy.

quote:

---

UH-60s fly in support of combat missions. AH-64s and A-10s fly missions to deliberately place rounds on target. That is a "combat mission".

---

Not seeing your logic here. She did combat ops as a helicopter pilot. Just like my cook did combat ops as a machine gunner, or my medic did as a driver.

The argument again Duckworth is that she has no expertise on combat arms jobs and manning requirements. She very clearly conducted combat missions. UH60s and Kiowas conducted combat ops throughout all of OIF.

quote:

---

Why is she not qualified?

---

Finding herself in combat once, by chance, is different than serving in an infantry platoon.

quote:

---

Who is qualified to expound about women in combat?

---

Anyone can, but that doesn't mean it comes with any relevance.

quote:

---

Why your girl vote against Mattis' waiver?

---

She's a fricking politician I guess.

That surprised me. I guess he didn't threaten to kill her.