Jude Eden has written in the PoliZette section of LifeZette a post entitled The Many Problems with Coed Marine Boot Camp. Now, Jude Eden knows about Marine Corps Boot Camp. She earned the Eagle, Globe and Anchor and served from 2004-2008, including an eight month deployment to Iraq. As a Marine’s daughter, I say Semper Fi and Oorah, Marine. Nothing but respect.

For background purposes, let us remember that Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter, in December, 2015, ordered all combat positions opened to women. The Secretary of Defense, of course, has vast military/combat experience. Oh wait. Nope. Closest Secretary Carter ever got to combat was Yale University.

Then, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus ordered the Marine Corps to integrate boot camp. Secretary Mabus has also seen combat up close and personal. Oh wait. Nope. He did serve in the U.S. Navy on the USS Little Rock, a cruiser from 1970-1972. Well, at least he has worn the uniform.

Ms. Eden points out in her post that in both of the circumstances, opening all combat positions to women and integrating Marine Corps Boot Camp, gag orders were placed on those involved. Because that is the way to you do in a Constitutional Republic democracy Soviet-style totalitarian society.

I encourage you to read Miss Eden’s post in full. She knows. She has lived it. I have not. I have seen a son through The Citadel the Military College of South Carolina, one station unit training at Ft. Benning (infantry), Basic Officer Leadership Course (Transportation), deployment to Afghanistan and now Captain’s Course.

Additionally, back in the early 1980’s, I was in advertising with a major soap company. Back in the day, women were not often seen in non-clerical positions in advertising. Not military, not combat. Just integration. Met my husband there. Yep, fell in love and married a co-worker. That happens. Not wrong. Not bad. Just human nature.

The military is not selling soap. The military is brutal. Military life, itself, is challenging. Young people with raging hormones, handling weapons, in sexually charged situations.

From Miss Eden’s article:

The Army knows intimately what can go wrong combining young end-of-teen-aged kids together in the formative period of boot camp. Remember Aberdeen? Multiple Army drill sergeants were abusing their authority and having sex with or raping females under their charge. Even when relationships are consensual the damage can be just as great. The expenses are high in time, money and effort to shuffle personnel due to relationships, fraternizing, pregnancy, misconduct and the litigation thereof, let alone the destructive impacts to the personnel themselves and their units. That we’ve come to tolerate this mess in the fleet and other branches’ boot camps hardly justifies doing more of it by forcing the Marines to follow suit.

There are jobs in the United States Military that men and women can do equally well. There are occupational specialties that men must do only. Women’s bodies are different. Women’s bodies break down more easily. Read this article from NBC News in 2012.

The leaders of the military, the General officers, will salute and follow orders. We live in a politically correct world where the truth must not be told. Men and women are different. Equal as citizens, yes, certainly. Equal as Marines and soldiers. Hell, no!