Sixty-one women in the U.S. military have been killed by hostile fire in Iraq - more than twice as many female casualties suffered since women were allowed to join the military after World War II. The number indicates that women are playing new roles in combat zones.

The new data comes from a report by the Rand Corporation examining how the Army assigns women to units in Iraq. The Pentagon released the report this month.

Department of Defense rules don't allow women in ground units whose mission is to engage in direct combat. But as Army Capt. Andrea So explains, those rules are difficult to enforce.

She says she came very close to becoming a hostile fire statistic during the summer of 2004. So was driving a truck in a convoy that was delivering a shipment to a U.S. base north of Tikrit.

"We drove in the gate," So said. "Spent about an hour and a half unloading our supplies on base. And as we were leaving to return, just as we were leaving out of the gate, an incoming convoy hit an anti-tank mine. So that was pretty frightening - because that was not there when we drove in an hour before."

The Rand report says the Army is following the Defense Department's policy by not assigning women to combat units. But the report also says the Army is technically violating its own rules.

According to Army policy, women like Capt. So may not be in proximity to the enemy. But in Iraq, there's no obvious front line; no one knows how to identify who the enemy is, or when - or where - they will pop up.

In 1948, women could only make up 2 percent of the armed forces. But towards the end of Vietnam, that restriction was lifted. As more women filled dangerous positions, some felt pressured by their male counterparts.

Capt. So explains what happened when she first joined her platoon in 2003.

"You had some guys who thought, 'Oh well, I'm going to have to bail out the women in certain occasions. If we're on a convoy I don't know how I'm going to feel if I have a female driver. Or a female gunner. Maybe I'd prefer to have a big strong man on the 50-caliber machine gun.'"

But she says those ideas didn't last very long.

"Guys saw that their female counterparts could really handle themselves, both driving huge semi trucks or handling the crew served that were keeping our convoys secure."

And commanders on the ground seem to agree. When Rand's researchers asked some of them what they thought of the language used in Pentagon and Army policies, one responded: "If the intent is to prevent women from experiencing combat. We're past that."

-------

It goes to show the nature of this conflict. There are no front lines and by the same token any place you are can be the front line. The only way to keep them out of harms way is to keep them out of the war zone totally.

If a woman WANTS to be in the front line then why not if she is capable of doing her job?

well?? i have not gotten an answer from you "the communist". WHY NOT allow a woman the same rights in the front line as a MAN as long as she is CAPABLE of doing HER JOB???

I agree in fact i think that 50% of people drafted (if it comes down to it ever) should b women in fact I am a true feminist, i make them pay for their own food, i dont hold doors for them, i dont offer chairs, i tell fart jokes to them etc etc
Now thats radical thinking

Barbie I never did say I didn't want women in the front line or not. I merely just posted an article.

It was always silly to think that women were not in danger in war zones... before women were even in the armed forces nurses, WAC's, WAV's etc were injured and killed in wars.

And as far as being non-combatants it is, as this article pointed out, an unenforcable policy. It was in the previous Iraq war as well. One of my best friends was one of the first female paratroopers. She went to several "conflicts" including Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

She said she cetainly never felt "safe" overseas serving in conflict zones. But she wasn't injured then, she was severely injured here in the US during a training jump when the pilot missed the drop zone and they jumped in a forested area at night (broken back, wrenched knees, both ankles crushed) and she landed in a tree.

There are no "safe" soldiers. Soldiers are training to kill and die. If there is a draft I beieve that all citizens eligible should be drafted. Women are certainly citizens. I wonder if there is a draft, would women who don't want to go get pregnant on purpose to gain a deferment? Hmmm...

Of course I don't believe in war at all. I hope that there is no draft because I hope that there is no war.

I agree with anoasis on there never being anyone safe in a warzone. Now for all the men who DONT believe a woman can do her job in the military then thats on YOU. IF a woman CAN indeed carry out her job then by all means LET her. Over the years i have worked many jobs women were not really wanted or accepted at. I worked my arse off and was able to do those jobs. For the women who whine and then CANT do that job? THAT really bends me because they always would then scream "discrimination". I also feel that all child killers and molestors ought to be out there on the FRONT LINE...but hey! thats only me!

your facts are a little wrong barbie get them right then talk