hornetguy
15-Year Member
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2006
- Messages
- 2,353
+1 MedB
As a wife of a now retire AF flier, I remember when Jeaanie Flynn, now Leavitt became the first female fighter pilot. It was akin to this conversation now.
Was I opposed then? Yep! Am I still opposed? Yep!
Jeannie and Fifi Malachoski (1st female Thunderbird) are both amazing pilots. Nothing can change my opinion on that fact. Their flying skills are amazing and they earned the opportunity.
However, they did allow them to enter under female standards, not their male counterparts and that is where my issue lies.
Bullet is not a small guy...5'11 @ 195 lbs. Fifi is a tiny thing compared to Bullet,.they both flew the Strike and if that jet went down in the drink or on land I know Bullet could pull them out due to the standard he had to obtain, but I can't say the same for them because their standard are lower than his.
I now have a DS that is an AF pilot and he will have female co-pilots. It is my Daughter in law that worries if they can pull her DH out of the drink with 20/30 foot swells wearing gear and weighing 40-50 lbs less than him.
All because the AF when allowing women into the rated world were not forced to meet the same standards as men.
Every year this becomes an issue/discussion/debate.
I will end my post with what I always say. I dang well know there are women that can run faster than their male counterparts, that they can lift/pull/whatever at the same level or better, so why when lives are on the line do we accept the fact that we need to lower the bar?
~ Oh yeah...I forgot...because we have MoCs pushing it with little to no current combat experience and they want to appease their constituents for re-election. I am old enough to remember the media realized years ago Soccer Moms were a force to be reckoned with as voters...a new constituency that could bring them across the finish line!
I know that Jeannie and Fifi due to their flying skills got their aircraft home safely, and luckily the AF has never lost a jet where women were involved, but it wouldn't shock me if they do and the crash review board determines that the guy could have lived if they were held at the same physical standards the AF addresses this issue.
I am not a litigitous person, but if my DS dies in the drink because the female co pilot couldn't get him, after the funeral my first phone call will be to Frank Spinner to sue the AF for allowing standards to be set lower from a physical perspective.
The physical standards are meant for fitness, and even then, the men's standard is hardly difficult. The test is a WAIST MEASUREMENT, push ups, sit ups, and a run. Things like pull ups that might actually test the ability to pull someone out of the water are not a requirement. I see many men around my squadron that would struggle to pull a large guy out of the water. Several of the women I work with are power lifters and rugby players that would do better at pulling me out than several of the men. There is no standard that tests the ability to help aircrew and there are just as many men who would struggle as women. Unfortunately, I think this is a straw man argument given the realities. What should we do? We could always limit them to single person cockpits to make sure they don't get in that situation. I'm sure many would not mind that limitation.
You've classified these policy revisions as social engineering. The same was said of integrating blacks, women, gays... and more recently the scandals about saying God in the oath. Without some of the "social engineering," I would have been barred from military service for no logical reason as I'm perfectly fit to serve, as are many who were once barred.Though, does not politics play a large part in the issue before us?
It's disingenuous to build a straw man to disqualify women. Support it and demand standards remain the same via letters to congress, etc. MemberLG does a good job of properly separating the arguments. Advocate and demand the same standard. If it is then changed, demand reprisal from those who changed the standard. But don't bar women from serving because of the idea standards might change. Demand they don't change and allow women to serve.