First female infantry recruit is a Louisiana police officer

First female infantry recruit is a Louisiana police officer | Fox News:

“I have served the front lines in my hometown,” Barnett said in a statement, “and now I am going to serve the front lines for my country.”

She doesn't look especially prepossessing in this picture, does she?
Neither did I, when I was sworn in.  Nor did the other 99 males in my class.

Training makes the difference.

There's a lot of controversy about women serving in the military, but I was unaware until today that there were NO women currently serving in the Infantry.

Why is this so controversial?

Because:

• Female infantry may get wounded and their fellow soldiers may be more protective of her than focused on accomplishing the objective;
• Problems with possible hanky-panky within the unit
• Some BS about "Bad Hair Days" (Menstrual Cycle Emotionalism)
• Private shower stalls?
• Can't keep up in Physical Training Exercises
• Can't carry their wounded buddies out of the Action because 'upper body strength'
• Squeamish

Have I missed anything?

It's all a bunch of baloney.  Women can make fine Infantry soldiers.

Rudyard Kipling had a poem about "The Female of the Species":

   WHEN the Himalayan peasant meets the he-bear in his pride, 
    He shouts to scare the monster, who will often turn aside. 
    But the she-bear thus accosted rends the peasant tooth and nail. 
    For the female of the species is more deadly than the male

He often mentioned female vindictiveness, especially in "The Young British Soldier":

When you're wounded and left on Afghanistan's plains,And the women come out to cut up what remains, Jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains An' go to your Gawd like a soldier.

Kipling had a much more rational view of the Human Condition than most of us.  That might be because he spend much of his formative years in a war zone, and he watched .. not so much 'British Troops' but "natives" (often Afghan and Indians) in desperate plights where putative 'civilians' were caught up in war-time situations and were called upon to defend their homes and their families.

Considering that those civilians were not formally trained, and only haphazardly (if that) armed, they seemed to be able to function quite effectively when defending their homes and their families.

Granted, the prospect that U.S. Troops might include women in a direct-contact role doesn't include the defense of home, hearth and family, there's no reason why properly motivated women couldn't perform quite well in a direct contact situation.

What do they have to do? Shoot people?

Piece o' cake.