Today's news that the military is finally going to let women compete for positions previously only held by men has me feeling like my gender is getting a well-deserved chance to show how tough we really are.
Damn right women should be allowed to compete for the toughest battlefield jobs. It's about time.
Women have long proven they can be super star athletes, emergency room doctors, firefighters, police officers, air traffic controllers and any other difficult dirty job they set their minds to. Giving them the equal opportunity to try out for the most challenging military jobs is long overdue.
Females are incredibly tough inside and out. Seriously. We're amazing multi-taskers, negotiators and problem solvers. We handle stress well. We're determined. And we love being physically stretched to our limits as much as any man.
Nothing has driven this belief home to me more than childbirth and motherhood.
I've watched female friends and family members transform from girls to women facing unbelievable challenges: mindnumbing pain, loss, sickness, bloody accidents, 9-1-1 calls, ambulance rides and car accidents — with the strength of a 1,000 war heroes. And then make dinner and pay the bills afterward.
I'm glad, too, that the military is saying it's not going to make any concessions on the job requirements, unless those job requirements don't make sense. It shouldn't, because if the soldier — male or female — can't do what's required for the job, they're putting themselves and their fellow troops at risk.
So I'm excited by this development. And proud that my gender will have a chance to prove what we already know. We're a lot stronger than you might think.
