U.S. Representative Judy Chu (D, CA) announced the creation of Femme Fatal, a movement specifically tasked with ensuring that women get the same opportunities to be shot, killed, wounded, and suffer debilitating emotional stress as men throughout the military.
She appeared with Private Ellen Brown, an active-duty female soldier serving with the 10th Mountain Division in southern Afghanistan.
Private Brown, a supply clerk, is currently a member of a Female Engagement Team whose duties include speaking with local women on patrol and searching female civilians. She appeared via Skype from her base’s Morale Welfare and Recreation center.
“Women make up 14.6% of the active duty military, but just 2.3% of the casualties,” complained Rep. Chu.
“Did you know that in the past decade, our military has only had 140 women killed in combat?” asked Rep. Chu. ”Compare that to more than six thousand men killed, and it paints a disturbing picture of a military reluctant to let women near the front lines. Obviously we have to find a way to narrow the casualty gap.”
The idea of women serving behind the front lines has largely disappeared in Iraq and Afghanistan as more and more women have experienced combat at some level.
But Femme Fatal says a “camouflage ceiling” still exists, blocking women from serving in Special Forces, Infantry, Armor, and Field Artillery, a ceiling that Rep. Chu believes can only be shattered by, “blood… lots of blood.”
Read the rest at the great Duffle Blog.
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