Historic All-Female Helicopter Mission
01-10-2008, 01:36 PM
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Historic All-Female Helicopter Mission
On Christmas Day in Iraq, two crews of American women -- including two from Washington state -- made history.
From a military press release:
LSA ANACONDA, Iraq - While their families, children and friends back home sat down for Christmas Eve dinner, two all-female UH-60 Black Hawk crews woke up early Christmas morning and began preparing for a rare and important mission.
Female Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 147th Aviation Regiment spent their Christmas Day executing a 100 percent female-run flight mission. From the intelligence briefings in the morning, to the two four-woman flight crews, all the way to the fuel teams, the mission consisted of only women.
The two helicopter crews flew over Baghdad picking up VIPs and transporting a general and several soldiers during a general aviation support mission.
"Women in the military have overcome some huge barriers," Chief Warrant Officer Angie Barros is quoted as saying in the release. "I believe this mission will be an eye opener, but unfortunately, I'm afraid the stereotypes will always be there. It's how our society was brought up. Even at the end of 2007, [we're considering this] an historic event."
http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/t...ves/129146.asp
From a military press release:
LSA ANACONDA, Iraq - While their families, children and friends back home sat down for Christmas Eve dinner, two all-female UH-60 Black Hawk crews woke up early Christmas morning and began preparing for a rare and important mission.
Female Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 147th Aviation Regiment spent their Christmas Day executing a 100 percent female-run flight mission. From the intelligence briefings in the morning, to the two four-woman flight crews, all the way to the fuel teams, the mission consisted of only women.
The two helicopter crews flew over Baghdad picking up VIPs and transporting a general and several soldiers during a general aviation support mission.
"Women in the military have overcome some huge barriers," Chief Warrant Officer Angie Barros is quoted as saying in the release. "I believe this mission will be an eye opener, but unfortunately, I'm afraid the stereotypes will always be there. It's how our society was brought up. Even at the end of 2007, [we're considering this] an historic event."
http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/t...ves/129146.asp
01-10-2008, 02:00 PM
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It's only cool if they didn't do it on purpose. I've been seeing these "all-female" type things for about five years, and I've only seen one that was unintentional, a local training sortie at Eglin.
01-10-2008, 02:21 PM
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I don't think there's any base/aircraft/mission that hasn't done an "all female" crew. It's good for publicity & recruiting, and it does send a good message to other women. But it also sends a very clear message to the rest of the squadron. Men and women are equal, but when a group of women does something, it's somehow more special.
01-10-2008, 03:17 PM
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I don't know much about what goes on in the military, but I am all for a positive message to men, women, young and old. If it means having an all female crew, then it's an all female crew.
I'll probably get excoriated for holding this belief, but I don't think men and women can ever be equal. We are different, with different temperaments, mental and physical capabilities. We approach problem solving in a different way, for example. There's always the outlier female who can outfly, outdrink, outparty any male, but those are not the norm. If we are to mean anything as a society, we will build systems that exploit different strengths, rather than try to fit a square into a round hole.
I'll probably get excoriated for holding this belief, but I don't think men and women can ever be equal. We are different, with different temperaments, mental and physical capabilities. We approach problem solving in a different way, for example. There's always the outlier female who can outfly, outdrink, outparty any male, but those are not the norm. If we are to mean anything as a society, we will build systems that exploit different strengths, rather than try to fit a square into a round hole.
01-10-2008, 03:24 PM
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Who cares? They're just doing their job.
01-10-2008, 06:51 PM
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I don't know much about what goes on in the military, but I am all for a positive message to men, women, young and old. If it means having an all female crew, then it's an all female crew.
I'll probably get excoriated for holding this belief, but I don't think men and women can ever be equal. We are different, with different temperaments, mental and physical capabilities. We approach problem solving in a different way, for example. There's always the outlier female who can outfly, outdrink, outparty any male, but those are not the norm. If we are to mean anything as a society, we will build systems that exploit different strengths, rather than try to fit a square into a round hole.
I'll probably get excoriated for holding this belief, but I don't think men and women can ever be equal. We are different, with different temperaments, mental and physical capabilities. We approach problem solving in a different way, for example. There's always the outlier female who can outfly, outdrink, outparty any male, but those are not the norm. If we are to mean anything as a society, we will build systems that exploit different strengths, rather than try to fit a square into a round hole.
01-10-2008, 08:58 PM
#7
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Whatever, every hawk sortie is all female. Every hawk pilot gets issued a skirt as soon as they start the blackhawk track.
01-11-2008, 05:54 AM
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01-11-2008, 05:56 AM
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I don't think there's any base/aircraft/mission that hasn't done an "all female" crew. It's good for publicity & recruiting, and it does send a good message to other women. But it also sends a very clear message to the rest of the squadron. Men and women are equal, but when a group of women does something, it's somehow more special.
In any case, who cares.
01-11-2008, 06:02 AM
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They are either qualified or they arent. Either way they are flight crew members and making a big deal over it cheapens makes light of those who will never see such recognition for doing the exact same JOB.
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