Female Special Operators Now in Combat

[Richard]

Active CSTs in A-stan - some of the comments accompanying the article are interesting. I hope it works out for us.

Richard

Female Special Operators Now in Combat
Mil.Com, 29 June 2011

Army Special Operations Command has deployed its first teams of female Soldiers assigned to commando units in Afghanistan, and military officials are assessing their initial performance in theater as "off the charts."

In a controversial move early this year, the Army created a new avenue for women to serve with front-line combat units in some of the most specialized and covert missions. The so-called "Cultural Support Teams" are attached to Special Forces and Ranger units to interface with the female population to gain vital intelligence and provide social outreach.

"When I send an [SF team] in to follow up on a Taliban hit … wouldn't it be nice to have access to about 50 percent of that target population -- the women?" said Maj. Gen. Bennet Sacolick, commander of the Army Special Warfare Center and School, which runs the CST program.

"And now we're doing that with huge success," Sacolick said. "They are in Afghanistan right now and the reviews are off the charts. They're doing great."

So far, nearly 30 of the female CST Soldiers are deployed to the war zone, working in villages and towns that the commandos have cleared.

"They're supposed to be used on secure target areas," Sacolick said. "I don't want them fighting their way to a target."

While the Army has assigned women to front-line units in the past during searches of female civilians and detainees, the move by USASOC formalizes what some advocates have been hoping for in terms of opening up combat arms units to women.

The Soldiers assigned to the Cultural Support Teams aren't required to endure all the training of a Ranger or SF trooper, but they do have to learn advanced weapons handling and even fast-roping. Through three separate nine-day assessments so far, the Special Warfare Center and School has about a 50 percent attrition rate, officials say. Those who make it go through a six-week training course that teaches the Soldiers regional culture, intelligence gathering and small-unit combat tactics, officials say.

"I place less emphasis on the immediate physical standards," Sacolick said. "What I don't compromise on is intellect. I'm looking for smart kids."

Though USASOC will consider female Soldiers -- NCOs and junior officers -- from any MOS, they are especially interested in those from healthcare career fields, including nurse midwife (66G8D), as well as military police and military intelligence, according to the perquisites and requirements detailed on the Army Special Operations Command website.

The Special Warfare Center plans to run its next assessment for CST members in early September, officials say.

http://www.military.com/news/article...in-combat.html

[Dusty]

Can they cook?

[Barbarian]

Can they cook?

Oh, I swear to GOD Dusty!! If I'm ever in the Ozarks....you are so going to get it!

Bwahahah!

This from top to bottom is a Dog & Pony Show.

I do not disparage any person for wanting to serve or a woman who feels she can do more in a combat roll.

Perhaps an American female soldier will attampt to communicate with local women about women's concern for childcare, health, rape, enemy activities. Not the first time women played a direct roll in covert operation, (i.e, French Resistance, WWII, coldwar, etc.), but this little girl is barely big enough to carry the weapon accross her chest.

How is this roll different from CA operations currently being performed and has been successful for the last 20+ years?

Originally Posted by NORMAL550GIRL

...Is it maybe because it's from Special Operations Command that it becomes so "newsworthy" ?

Can't get much past you, you got it on the first try.

Feel bad for our Ft Bragg brothers who have to work with their hands tied behind their backs, hanging pressed shirts, button with the use of their toes, blind folded and given no closet space.

[MTN Medic]

I am sure in her 6 week POI, exactly 4 days were spent doing "SUT."

But, she's got her painted m-4 with her (likely unzeroed) optics and lazers and P-mags. LOL. This should get interesting real quick.

[11Ber]

Originally Posted by MTN Medic

I am sure in her 6 week POI, exactly 4 days were spent doing "SUT."

But, she's got her painted m-4 with her (likely unzeroed) optics and lazers and P-mags. LOL. This should get interesting real quick.

A) Painted M-4= Check
B) Non-Traditional Uniform=Check
C) Cool Glasses= Check
A+B+C= Special Operator


Walks like a duck, must be a duck right? I have seen some of these in action with another unit I piggybacked with one night and can say I was not impressed. Several breaks in contact on approach. Gained nothing from talking with women and children on the x. But her terp was smoking hot so they're good in my book.

[Box]

Step one
Collect a large quantity of smoke

Step two
Combine smoke with equal parts of mirror


rinse and repeat

[Roguish Lawyer]

Originally Posted by Dusty

Can they cook?

LMAO

[PRB]

Ok, out on a limb here.
Prior to 911 and the involvement of female soldiers at the level of activity seen today I was TOTALLY against this sort of thing.
This was based upon simply my experience to date. I thought that the American public would recoil at females in body bags.
I thought female soldiers would not step up in the fashion they have, but they have.
The guys on this web know some hard core chicas that are willing to mix it up.
The female soldiers have done whatever has been asked of them and done right by it.
I was wrong.
In this form of application I'd say 'wait and see' you may be surprised.
No, they ain't special operators, but if they volunteer, bust their chops trying and deploy, execute according to oplan/order and are value added then God bless 'em.
Some guys in SMU's know what I'm talking about.

[MTN Medic]

Originally Posted by PRB

Ok, out on a limb here.
Prior to 911 and the involvement of female soldiers at the level of activity seen today I was TOTALLY against this sort of thing.
This was based upon simply my experience to date. I thought that the American public would recoil at females in body bags.
I thought female soldiers would not step up in the fashion they have, but they have.
The guys on this web know some hard core chicas that are willing to mix it up.
The female soldiers have done whatever has been asked of them and done right by it.
I was wrong.
In this form of application I'd say 'wait and see' you may be surprised.
No, they ain't special operators, but if they volunteer, bust their chops trying and deploy, execute according to oplan/order and are value added then God bless 'em.
Some guys in SMU's know what I'm talking about.

SMU's train their soldiers. From what I read, there is a 6 week POI. I don't see much opportunity to learn even a warm and fuzzy about FM7-8; along with all the other time intensive stuff they are learning.

Not knocking THEM, but rather the way they were trained, this is implemented and how much danger they are putting themselves (read, us) in.

I guess with 12% of combat arms soldiers slated to ETS because of DADT, we might need the bullet flingers.

Those who make it go through a six-week training course that teaches the Soldiers regional culture, intelligence gathering and small-unit combat tactics, officials say.

"I place less emphasis on the immediate physical standards," Sacolick said. "What I don't compromise on is intellect. I'm looking for smart kids."

The other problem. If these statements are true, these chicks are dead weight in a firefight. Now, the one chick you talked about might be the exception to the rule, but I am certain that Women like that are few and far between.

[PRB]

Originally Posted by MTN Medic

SMU's train their soldiers. From what I read, there is a 6 week POI. I don't see much opportunity to learn even a warm and fuzzy about FM7-8; along with all the other time intensive stuff they are learning.

Not knocking THEM, but rather the way they were trained, this is implemented and how much danger they are putting themselves (read, us) in.

I guess with 12% of combat arms soldiers slated to ETS because of DADT, we might need the bullet flingers.



The other problem. If these statements are true, these chicks are dead weight in a firefight. Now, the one chick you talked about might be the exception to the rule, but I am certain that Women like that are few and far between.

Not disagreeing with your comments. Only time will tell and the aar's. Folks that don't like a hot kitchen usually opt out anyways.

[one-zero]

[Irish_Army01]

Saw that on another forum.. guess it going down too well with you folk..

[Utah Bob]

FSO tab??