by Amber Lafoy

Created on: November 11, 2008

Being in the military isn't easy for anyone especially if you are a female. We are stereotyped as being weak and unable to handle things like a man can. I have been a part of the Alabama Army National Guard for almost eight years. I have served 12 months in Iraq from 2003-2004, worked many stateside disasters, and also work garrison duty at the State Military Department due to my MOS, which is 31B, Military Police. When I was going through basic training the drill sergeants treated everyone the same. They didn't see us as male and female, they saw us as soldiers. When I was assigned to the 1166thMilitary Police Company here in Alabama I was put into a platoon of veterans that had fought in Vietnam and Operation Desert Storm. They took me under their wing and taught me things that would keep me a live if we ever went to war. What I suggest to any female going into the arm forces is this, you might be a female but when you put on the uniform you become a soldier. Don't think that you deserve special treatment because you are a female. You need to look, listen, and learn as much as you can because you may never know when you might be put into a situation that you need to fight your way out of. Being a female in the arm forces is very dangerous, because if you are ever in a war zone and get capture, you don't know what the enemy might do to you. Being a female and a POW can lead to a number of bad things that can happen. Be prepared for anything, which is what my platoon sergeant always told me. Even though I was a female in my platoon they treated me with the up most respect. I showed them from the get go that I was eager to learn anything that they were willing to teach me when it came to military tactics. I always tried my best and asked questions when I didn't know the answers to something. When I was in Iraq, a lot of the things that were taught to me were put to the test. I saw a number of females that were not prepared for what they had to endure which put a larger strain on the other females who were prepared. It made us look bad, and we had to put up with the slack of what they have caused. Many males feel that females don't need to be in the military, that they should stay at home and be house wives and such. I on the other hand feel that if a female can carry her weight and do her job as she is told, there shouldn't be a problem. Yes there are some females that are in the military right now that should not be there, that I don't doubt one bit because I have seen it. But don't judge all of us for their failures. Give each of us a chance to prove ourselves, because there are a number of us that can do our jobs with no problems.

Learn more about this author, Amber Lafoy.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.