Women in war: multi-useful

This is part of an exchange between the Boys in my clan. 

Have either of you seen the Sinhalese movie "The Terrorist'?  It's about the Tamil Tigers, and their use of women as suicide bombers.  

Getting back to the question, it appears as a necessity that we have to have women in the military and roles in combat is growing.  My preference is not to have women in mixed units, it makes everything much more difficult, but we adapt. 

The volunteer Army initiated by Richard Nixon in '73  took into account that most men did not want to serve in uniform, so the Army became unisex (in a matter of speaking)  VOLAR was the ened the draft and killed the anti-war movement.  To meet shortfalls, the Army recruited females and increased the number of non-citizen immigrants.   Manpower shortages were punctuated down in periods where national leadership (the president) was seen as soft or effeminate.  The Carter years required the armed forces to lower standards for recruitment but many of these recruits were later eliminated in early training character traits or discipline problems.  Women became a fixture in the Army in those years, with a mixed record at the unit level.  I've served with great women, and some scum bags.  Anecdotally, their record is neutral, which is desirable.

Bombastic and warlike, Reagan added at least 4 new divisions to the Army, ordered more aircraft carries, SDI, stealth planes( those were built in secret) etc.  Recruitment of would be killers was very good in those years.  Bush I got a chance to use the Army in the Gulf War, which benefited the military as a training exercise.  Clinton coming at the end of the cold war, oversaw the draw down the military, and while he was disliked, he did little actual harm to the military.  Bush II oversaw expansion of the military and what I see as problematic  growth of the military industrial complex, especially in contract services. 

With all that said, we are at a very interesting juncture in military affairs.  Is the military a fighting organization or a vehicle for social experimentation.  We cannot be both.

In all, I am of the opinion, that we cannot fight, sustain or win, the 1.5 major wars, for which our military was designed.  The military and the citizenry are burnt out on war. 

A little Latin for you to memorize.  Ce vis pacem, parabellum  = if you want peace prepare for war.