Great podcast / article! Many important points made and I couldn't agree more. In my own personal experience in combat tours, women had huge impacts from specialized support, to critical enabler functions and "actions on the objective". My experiences included conventional infantry task force battle space employment (dominance) to special operations missions. I'd offer a slightly different angle to the points made that the harder, more challenging and occasionally more consequential actions were with "the grunts". Obviously, SOF is selective and requires levels of performance and talent that few can attain. The "standard is the standard" and meeting and maintaining that to build the best teams to accomplish this difficult missions is paramount. Often, these missions are short duration and are well resourced. Conversely, conventional force combat operations are typically more sustained, longer in duration, not as well resourced, and require different types of endurance, fortitude and capability. In any case, in my experience, having female warfighters on the team was not only valuable but essential. My hope is that the incoming administration populates the leadership with the attitude and awareness to include all who meet the high standards required to build the best teams possible to win. Avoid politics and focus on readiness, capability and lethality. Thank you for a thoughtful and important essay, Joel!
Great podcast / article! Many important points made and I couldn't agree more. In my own personal experience in combat tours, women had huge impacts from specialized support, to critical enabler functions and "actions on the objective". My experiences included conventional infantry task force battle space employment (dominance) to special operations missions. I'd offer a slightly different angle to the points made that the harder, more challenging and occasionally more consequential actions were with "the grunts". Obviously, SOF is selective and requires levels of performance and talent that few can attain. The "standard is the standard" and meeting and maintaining that to build the best teams to accomplish this difficult missions is paramount. Often, these missions are short duration and are well resourced. Conversely, conventional force combat operations are typically more sustained, longer in duration, not as well resourced, and require different types of endurance, fortitude and capability. In any case, in my experience, having female warfighters on the team was not only valuable but essential. My hope is that the incoming administration populates the leadership with the attitude and awareness to include all who meet the high standards required to build the best teams possible to win. Avoid politics and focus on readiness, capability and lethality. Thank you for a thoughtful and important essay, Joel!
Thanks Craig!