Another hero

[CSM]

New York Daily News
April 7, 2006

Sarge Lost Hand In Iraq, Not Her Zeal

By Richard Sisk, Daily News Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON - Sgt. 1st Class Juanita Wilson summed up in three crisp words yesterday why she was staying in the Army after losing her left arm below the elbow in Iraq: "I'm a soldier."

With 37 other troops, Wilson of Clarksdale, Miss., took the reenlistment oath on the steps of the Capitol from Command Sgt. Maj. Michele Jones, the Army Reserve's senior noncommissioned officer.

Wilson, a supply sergeant with the 411th Engineer Battalion, said she was on a resupply run near Camp Victory outside Baghdad on Aug. 21, 2004, when an improvised explosive device went off under her Humvee.

"At first I didn't realize what happened," she said. Wilson quickly told the driver to "move us out of the kill zone. I realized I lost my hand when I looked down."

After more than a year of rehab, she was anxious to get back to duty. "I never even gave getting out of the military a thought," Wilson said. "I feel I still have a lot to offer."

Wilson, 32, said her 7-year-old daughter, Kenyah, knows why Mom is staying in uniform.

"My daughter understands the military," Wilson said. "My daughter knows I'm a soldier."

This also highlights how ridiculous the whole argument over having women in combat roles really is. If they are going to get wounded and killed anyway, I say let them fight right along side the men if they so desire.

 

[Gunny]

New York Daily News
April 7, 2006

Sarge Lost Hand In Iraq, Not Her Zeal

By Richard Sisk, Daily News Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON - Sgt. 1st Class Juanita Wilson summed up in three crisp words yesterday why she was staying in the Army after losing her left arm below the elbow in Iraq: "I'm a soldier."

With 37 other troops, Wilson of Clarksdale, Miss., took the reenlistment oath on the steps of the Capitol from Command Sgt. Maj. Michele Jones, the Army Reserve's senior noncommissioned officer.

Wilson, a supply sergeant with the 411th Engineer Battalion, said she was on a resupply run near Camp Victory outside Baghdad on Aug. 21, 2004, when an improvised explosive device went off under her Humvee.

"At first I didn't realize what happened," she said. Wilson quickly told the driver to "move us out of the kill zone. I realized I lost my hand when I looked down."

After more than a year of rehab, she was anxious to get back to duty. "I never even gave getting out of the military a thought," Wilson said. "I feel I still have a lot to offer."

Wilson, 32, said her 7-year-old daughter, Kenyah, knows why Mom is staying in uniform.

"My daughter understands the military," Wilson said. "My daughter knows I'm a soldier."

This also highlights how ridiculous the whole argument over having women in combat roles really is. If they are going to get wounded and killed anyway, I say let them fight right along side the men if they so desire.

I really have no problem with that except .....

If a woman meets the same standard men have to meet, fine, let her in the club. If she doesn't, she stays in the rear with the gear along with the wimpy guys that get culled and sent to work at the gym, rifle range, base maintenance, etc.

What I saw before I retired was that was not happening. Instead, they were "dumbing down" the physical requirements for ALL just to be politically correct and say women were offered the same opportunities.

I don't care how smart you are, nor how gung-ho you are, nor what your gender is. In the field, it comes down to "Can you hump your load AND carry ammo AND still do your job?"

 

[CSM]

I really have no problem with that except .....

If a woman meets the same standard men have to meet, fine, let her in the club. If she doesn't, she stays in the rear with the gear along with the wimpy guys that get culled and sent to work at the gym, rifle range, base maintenance, etc.

What I saw before I retired was that was not happening. Instead, they were "dumbing down" the physical requirements for ALL just to be politically correct and say women were offered the same opportunities.

I don't care how smart you are, nor how gung-ho you are, nor what your gender is. In the field, it comes down to "Can you hump your load AND carry ammo AND still do your job?"

Yep yep yep...we are in complete agreement.