<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	xmlns:georss="http://www.georss.org/georss" xmlns:geo="http://www.w3.org/2003/01/geo/wgs84_pos#" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>U.S. &#187; Darlene M Iskra &#124; TIME.com</title>
	<atom:link href="http://nation.time.com/author/drdmi/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://nation.time.com</link>
	<description>News, Headlines, Stories, Video from Around the Nation</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Wed, 19 Jun 2013 22:13:44 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<language>en</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
	<generator>http://wordpress.com/</generator>
<cloud domain='nation.time.com' port='80' path='/?rsscloud=notify' registerProcedure='' protocol='http-post' />
<image>
		<url>http://0.gravatar.com/blavatar/c065f7f4495e21fd12fbfa8af086eafd?s=96&#038;d=http%3A%2F%2Fs2.wp.com%2Fi%2Fbuttonw-com.png</url>
		<title>U.S. &#187; Darlene M Iskra &#124; TIME.com</title>
		<link>http://nation.time.com</link>
	</image>
	<atom:link rel="search" type="application/opensearchdescription+xml" href="http://nation.time.com/osd.xml" title="U.S." />
	<atom:link rel='hub' href='http://nation.time.com/?pushpress=hub'/>
		<item>
		<title>Weeding the Military</title>
		<link>http://nation.time.com/2013/04/26/coming-to-grips/</link>
		<comments>http://nation.time.com/2013/04/26/coming-to-grips/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:38:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Darlene M Iskra</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Battleland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[National]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[diversity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[military]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[organizational psychology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[women]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://nation.time.com/?p=118142</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As I was working in my garden today, I was thinking how much like the realities of professional life it is. You weed out the plants you don’t want; but sometimes if they don’t belong in one place, you can put them in another where they will thrive. If they don’t, then they are gone. Sometimes, a plant gets too big and you have to cut it down to size and distribute its parts around the garden. The big plant will then continue to thrive, but has spawned many others. I was also thinking, as I was placing rocks around the flower beds, that even though I put the big rocks in front, perhaps because they looked better than a bunch of little rocks, or because they had better holding power, that they still needed the little rocks to support them in that position. If I had just put the big rocks up there, they would have fallen sooner or later. I told the little rocks: don’t be ashamed of your support position. It is very important. But as time goes on, even the big rocks have to be adjusted, as they are taken over by weeds or just lost in the mud. And depending on their ability to fit in, they either stay or they are moved somewhere else. Another thing I like about my garden is its diversity. If the garden consisted of the same plant, or the same color, it would be a very boring place indeed. Plus, some plants do better in the shade, some better in full sun; each has its unique strengths and weaknesses. And individual plants may be beautiful on their own, but the whole is almost always enhanced by different flowers that complement and enhance it. Some being tall, some being short; some bringing one gorgeous flower, others with lots of little ones; some are bushy, some are squat…the goal is to make the entire garden a pleasant experience, where some parts attract butterflies and hummingbirds, while others keep away pests or<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=nation.time.com&#038;blog=20157722&#038;post=118142&#038;subd=timemilitary&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://nation.time.com/2013/04/26/coming-to-grips/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Military Justice</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://nation.time.com/category/military-justice/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timemilitary.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/166044290.jpg?w=240</featured_image>
		<media:thumbnail url="http://timemilitary.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/166044290.jpg?w=240" />
		<media:content url="http://timemilitary.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/166044290.jpg?w=240" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">166044290</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/92ec5ffe9857a3cdd53f5e0ab4f2d3ee?s=96&#38;d=http%3A%2F%2Fs0.wp.com%2Fi%2Fmu.gif&#38;r=G" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">drdmi</media:title>
		</media:content>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>It May Be Time for Navy &#8220;Bootie Camp&#8221;</title>
		<link>http://nation.time.com/2013/03/21/it-may-be-time-for-navy-bootie-camp/</link>
		<comments>http://nation.time.com/2013/03/21/it-may-be-time-for-navy-bootie-camp/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 21 Mar 2013 12:01:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Darlene M Iskra</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Battleland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[family formation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[military]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[navy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pregnancy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[women]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://nation.time.com/?p=112221</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Pregnancy &#8212; especially in the Navy &#8212; has become the newest “hot button” issue. Well, truth be told, it’s not really new.The topic of women getting pregnant while on sea duty have been around since women first were allowed on sea duty.  The latest Navy Pregnancy and Parenthood Survey came out in September 2011, and basically stated that the trend in the service&#8217;s pregnancy rate has been the same since 1992. I have mixed feelings about this issue, because I joined the Navy as a career. After I got married &#8212; to another career-minded, sea-going officer &#8212; we knew it would be almost impossible to be married and have children while managing two careers. I opted not to have children. I don&#8217;t feel that pregnancy and sea duty do not mix, but it is a hard row to hoe if you want to make the Navy a career. Many female officers and senior enlisted are successfully doing so, but it takes a committed partner, as well. Official Navy policy towards pregnancy states: Pregnancy and parenthood are natural events that occur in the lives of naval servicemembers and can be compatible with a successful naval career. The issue at hand is how to manage pregnant service women while maintaining the Navy’s operational effectiveness. The main culprit in this situation is the Navy’s sea-going responsibilities, and the need to maintain adequate personnel on the ship to do the many and varied tasks. They range all the way from those not requiring a lot of skill, such as those assigned to new recruits, to those highly technical jobs such as nuclear engineer, navigator, or electronics and computer maintenance. The 2007 policy states, “There are responsibilities that come with parenthood, and for those in uniform, these responsibilities require consideration and planning due to military commitments. Naval servicemembers are expected to balance the demands of a naval career with their family plans and responsibilities.” The reality is that the Navy bends over backwards to ensure pregnant women have a safe pregnancy and that the pregnancy does<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=nation.time.com&#038;blog=20157722&#038;post=112221&#038;subd=timemilitary&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://nation.time.com/2013/03/21/it-may-be-time-for-navy-bootie-camp/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Military Women</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://nation.time.com/category/military-women/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timemilitary.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/090918-n-8607r-124.jpg?w=240</featured_image>
		<media:thumbnail url="http://timemilitary.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/090918-n-8607r-124.jpg?w=240" />
		<media:content url="http://timemilitary.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/090918-n-8607r-124.jpg?w=240" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">090918-N-8607R-124</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/92ec5ffe9857a3cdd53f5e0ab4f2d3ee?s=96&#38;d=http%3A%2F%2Fs0.wp.com%2Fi%2Fmu.gif&#38;r=G" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">drdmi</media:title>
		</media:content>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Sexual Assault in the Ranks, And in Society</title>
		<link>http://nation.time.com/2013/03/05/sexual-assault-in-the-ranks-and-in-society/</link>
		<comments>http://nation.time.com/2013/03/05/sexual-assault-in-the-ranks-and-in-society/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 05 Mar 2013 12:38:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Darlene M Iskra</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Battleland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[military]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sexual assault]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[women]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://nation.time.com/?p=109532</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The specter of violence against women, including domestic abuse and sexual assault, continues to grow unabated. Even with films such as The Invisible War, and desperate acts of retribution such as Lorena Bobbit’s penile amputation, and murder –as- self-defense depicted in The Burning Bed &#8211; violence against women appears to know no bounds. Scads of documentation by the Pentagon, law enforcement, and NGOs have not seemed to change the dismissive attitudes about the subject. Some blame the victim: &#8220;She was in the wrong place at the wrong time&#8230;she was drinking&#8230;she was wearing provocative clothing&#8230;what do you expect when women decide to enter a man’s world?” Some excuse the perpetrator: &#8220;Boys will be boys,&#8221; while others engage in denial &#8212; &#8220;It was consensual” &#8212; continue to excuse violence as par for the course. Murder of the men, and rape of women, as a method of ethnic cleansing was a tactic used in ancient times, and continued as recently as the wars in Bosnia. Institutionally condoned rape as a method of keeping military men under control was common as recently as World War II, in brothels for sex slaves in Japanese controlled Korea, and “work camps” for Jewish women in Nazi Germany (one has to wonder, if the Japanese found Koreans and German Nazi’s found Jews so disgusting as humans, why they would want to have sex with them?). Even for the U.S. military, brothels were common outside of military posts both stateside and overseas. Whenever a Navy ship called at a liberty port, condoms were standard issue before allowing sailors to depart the ship. It’s no wonder that sex has become a commodity, as well as an ingrained sociological force that men so often take as their right. While sexual assault and rape in the military have come under scrutiny in recent years, with repeated studies documenting the problem, it persists, as it persists in society. Why? I think it is because our whole social structure revolves around sex. It sells everything from cigarettes to cars. A selling point in the entertainment<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=nation.time.com&#038;blog=20157722&#038;post=109532&#038;subd=timemilitary&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://nation.time.com/2013/03/05/sexual-assault-in-the-ranks-and-in-society/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Military Women</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://nation.time.com/category/military-women/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timemilitary.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/111008-n-dr144-182.jpeg?w=240</featured_image>
		<media:thumbnail url="http://timemilitary.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/111008-n-dr144-182.jpeg?w=240" />
		<media:content url="http://timemilitary.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/111008-n-dr144-182.jpeg?w=240" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">111008-N-DR144-882</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/92ec5ffe9857a3cdd53f5e0ab4f2d3ee?s=96&#38;d=http%3A%2F%2Fs0.wp.com%2Fi%2Fmu.gif&#38;r=G" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">drdmi</media:title>
		</media:content>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Lady Navy SEALS?</title>
		<link>http://nation.time.com/2013/02/11/lady-navy-seals/</link>
		<comments>http://nation.time.com/2013/02/11/lady-navy-seals/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 11 Feb 2013 13:50:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Darlene M Iskra</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Battleland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[National]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://nation.time.com/?p=105236</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Navy is moving forward with plans to include Navy women in previously closed billets including the Marine Corps and Special Warfare (Navy SEALS). Gender-neutral occupational standards will need to be developed and congressional notifications made prior to implementation of any changes. This does not mean that standards will necessarily be changed; it only means that occupational standards will be developed and/or tested in billets for which the only previous criterion was being male. These standards would be used to assess and assign Sailors to Marine Corps and other ground combat positions. Note that this could potentially eliminate men from assignments as well if they don’t meet the standards. The January 31st announcement stated: The elimination of the policy will potentially open over 5,000 enlisted United States Marine Corps (USMC) Ground Combat Element positions, and 150 USMC Ground Combat Element officer positions… guidance for the assignment of women to Coastal Riverine Forces and USMC Air and Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO) positions will also be developed…[and] Navy will work with Navy Special Warfare Command and US Special Operations Command to develop and evaluate a way ahead for the assignment of women to Naval Special Warfare-designated billets. Special Operations Commander Admiral William McRaven stated: I guarantee you, there will be females out there that will come to [Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL] training or be Rangers…and will do a phenomenal job. There is no doubt many women will fail trying, just as more than two-thirds of men fail trying, but I am betting there are a few good women out there who will succeed. Re-watch the Demi Moore movie G.I. Jane. I believe that is an accurate depiction of what any woman who tries this will have to endure. It is not for the weak of heart. As I stated in my December 21 post, now we just have to wait for the right women to volunteer and put themselves on the line. As reactions to my previous posts have shown, there is a remarkable resistance by men to any change in personnel<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=nation.time.com&#038;blog=20157722&#038;post=105236&#038;subd=timemilitary&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://nation.time.com/2013/02/11/lady-navy-seals/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Military Women</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://nation.time.com/category/military-women/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timemilitary.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/156481982.jpg?w=240</featured_image>
		<media:thumbnail url="http://timemilitary.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/156481982.jpg?w=240" />
		<media:content url="http://timemilitary.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/156481982.jpg?w=240" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">Demi Moore In &#039;G.I. Jane&#039;</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/92ec5ffe9857a3cdd53f5e0ab4f2d3ee?s=96&#38;d=http%3A%2F%2Fs0.wp.com%2Fi%2Fmu.gif&#38;r=G" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">drdmi</media:title>
		</media:content>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Women in Combat: Is It Really That Big of a Deal?</title>
		<link>http://nation.time.com/2013/02/06/women-in-combat-is-it-really-that-big-of-a-deal/</link>
		<comments>http://nation.time.com/2013/02/06/women-in-combat-is-it-really-that-big-of-a-deal/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 06 Feb 2013 14:04:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Darlene M Iskra</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Battleland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[National]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://nation.time.com/?p=103447</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The announcement that Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has lifted the ban on women in direct ground combat has brought out the normal pundits who either support it &#8212; or who don’t. What I have found in the more than 10 years I have been studying military sociology &#8212; and the 21 years I experienced in the military first-hand &#8212; is that the naysayers have probably never worked with dedicated women who only want a chance to serve their country like their male peers. I am really getting sick and tired of the same old same old arguments, which were the subject of my Master&#8217;s thesis in 2003: most of the arguments are speculative and not based on reality. Further, the con arguments are based on emotion while the pro camp is based on logic… to wit: “Women can’t do combat infantry,” as opposed to “Military jobs should be based on performance, and those who can meet those standards should be able to participate.” This criterion eliminates any gender bias, and is not calling for the lowering of standards, which should be based on realistic performance measures. I myself was in a military specialty that had previously been all-male until 1974 when a young enlisted woman named Donna Tobias forcefully and successfully graduated from the Second Class Dive School in Little Creek, Va. She then went on to work at the Harbor Clearance Unit as a fleet diver, and then was an instructor at the submarine ascent training tank in Groton, Conn. She later got out of the Navy, received her Master’s degree in special education, and spent the last 25 years of her life mentoring the less than capable beings of our world. They never forgot her. Five years later, in 1979, the first woman salvage diver, Ensign Susan Trukken, graduated from the Naval School of Diving and Salvage at the Washington Navy Yard. Two women followed in the next class, me and my dive buddy, Martha Herb, who would become the first woman diver to make admiral. I can<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=nation.time.com&#038;blog=20157722&#038;post=103447&#038;subd=timemilitary&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://nation.time.com/2013/02/06/women-in-combat-is-it-really-that-big-of-a-deal/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Military Women</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://nation.time.com/category/military-women/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timemilitary.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/rtr3cvzc.jpg?w=240</featured_image>
		<media:thumbnail url="http://timemilitary.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/rtr3cvzc.jpg?w=240" />
		<media:content url="http://timemilitary.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/rtr3cvzc.jpg?w=240" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">U.S. Marine Corps handout photo of Lance Cpl. Stephanie Robertson speaking with civilians during an engagement mission in Marjah</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/92ec5ffe9857a3cdd53f5e0ab4f2d3ee?s=96&#38;d=http%3A%2F%2Fs0.wp.com%2Fi%2Fmu.gif&#38;r=G" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">drdmi</media:title>
		</media:content>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Lifting the Ban: Now What?</title>
		<link>http://nation.time.com/2013/01/25/lifting-the-ban-now-what/</link>
		<comments>http://nation.time.com/2013/01/25/lifting-the-ban-now-what/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 25 Jan 2013 13:45:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Darlene M Iskra</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Battleland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[National]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://nation.time.com/?p=99313</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The timing was right, politically, for the outgoing Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta to declare that he is &#8212; upon the recommendation of Army General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs &#8212; lifting the ban on women in ground combat. The team that believes in equal opportunity, as well as equal rights, will have the opportunity to make this happen, and to ensure the continued effectiveness of the military and the safety of all the troops involved. Many naysayers predict the end of the world as we know it…all too often when there is a change in military personnel policy, whether it is for blacks, homosexuals, or women, they predict the worse: race riots, lynchings, fragging, unmitigated rape of both men and women…the list of serious crimes these people think will happen goes on and on. But for the most part, most people in the military understand the need for change, and though they personally may not like it, they learn to live with it. Eventually, they tend to end up accepting that it was the right thing to do. The arguments I hear most often are that women don’t have the necessary strength to hump a 70-pound pack over hill and dale, and that there will be an increase in the already too high number of sexual assaults in the military. Therefore women should not be put in harm’s way. My response to the first: while most women are less physically strong than most men, there are individual women who can physically do it, just as there are individual men who cannot. The decision point should be on the ability to do the job, not gender. As for the second argument, there are two issues. first, men, not just women, need to learn what rape is and how to prevent it. Second, leadership needs to stop protecting rapists and stop tolerating a command climate that looks the other way when sexual violence or discrimination occurs. Too many complaints are pooh-poohed,. There is little in the way of recourse<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=nation.time.com&#038;blog=20157722&#038;post=99313&#038;subd=timemilitary&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://nation.time.com/2013/01/25/lifting-the-ban-now-what/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Military Women</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://nation.time.com/category/military-women/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timemilitary.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/iskra.jpeg?w=240</featured_image>
		<media:thumbnail url="http://timemilitary.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/iskra.jpeg?w=240" />
		<media:content url="http://timemilitary.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/iskra.jpeg?w=240" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">Iskra</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/92ec5ffe9857a3cdd53f5e0ab4f2d3ee?s=96&#38;d=http%3A%2F%2Fs0.wp.com%2Fi%2Fmu.gif&#38;r=G" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">drdmi</media:title>
		</media:content>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>C’mon Ladies! Let&#8217;s Get With the Program!</title>
		<link>http://nation.time.com/2012/12/21/cmon-ladies-lets-get-with-the-program/</link>
		<comments>http://nation.time.com/2012/12/21/cmon-ladies-lets-get-with-the-program/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 21 Dec 2012 14:15:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Darlene M Iskra</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Battleland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[National]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[infantry training]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lawsuits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[personnel issues]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Women and combat]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://nation.time.com/?p=97252</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I wrote about a lawsuit being filed on behalf of four female military personnel by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Service Women’s Action Network (SWAN) nearly a month ago. I also noted that the Marine Corps has opened infantry training to women officers, and yet few women are volunteering for the training. The excuse is that since this is a pilot program, if they make it through they won’t be attached to an infantry unit, so why bother? I’ll tell you why bother…it’s all about credibility. There was recently an NBCnews.com story about two young Army officers who passed Sapper Leader Training for combat engineers. Both passed the course and earned the coveted title &#8220;SAPPER.&#8221; While it will likely open doors for future promotions and positions of leadership, they have no illusions they&#8217;ll ever see ground combat themselves, but believe they&#8217;re helping pave the way for other female soldiers in the future. &#8220;It sets me apart from my peers,&#8221; [one] said, &#8220;and over time more women will be able to prove themselves.&#8221; [The other] is convinced with proper training and personal commitment, women will inevitably see duty in ground combat. &#8220;Down the road, we&#8217;ll see many more women doing this. We&#8217;re gettin&#8217; there.&#8221; Well, let’s get to it. If, on the one hand, a few women are suing the Department of Defense for the right to enter ground-combat units, then on the other there should be women willing to step up to the plate and volunteer for the training being offered. Be part of the solution! Many military women advocates, both who have been in the military like me, and those who have not, are arguing for a gender-neutral assignment policy. We are saying that the assignments should be based on qualifications, not gender; that those who can qualify for the job should be able to be assigned to the job. But if there are no volunteers, what is the point? We know that not all women will qualify to be in the infantry. The requirements are tough.<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=nation.time.com&#038;blog=20157722&#038;post=97252&#038;subd=timemilitary&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://nation.time.com/2012/12/21/cmon-ladies-lets-get-with-the-program/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Military Women</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://nation.time.com/category/military-women/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timemilitary.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/5973154854_235660da7c_o1.jpeg?w=240</featured_image>
		<media:thumbnail url="http://timemilitary.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/5973154854_235660da7c_o1.jpeg?w=240" />
		<media:content url="http://timemilitary.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/5973154854_235660da7c_o1.jpeg?w=240" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">Female Engagement Team supports 1/5, Afghan soldiers in Sangin</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/92ec5ffe9857a3cdd53f5e0ab4f2d3ee?s=96&#38;d=http%3A%2F%2Fs0.wp.com%2Fi%2Fmu.gif&#38;r=G" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">drdmi</media:title>
		</media:content>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Standing up for Servicewomen</title>
		<link>http://nation.time.com/2012/12/20/standing-up-for-servicewomen/</link>
		<comments>http://nation.time.com/2012/12/20/standing-up-for-servicewomen/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 20 Dec 2012 13:00:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Darlene M Iskra</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Battleland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[National]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[abortion rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[military women]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pregnancy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shaheen Amendment]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://nation.time.com/?p=98319</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Well. It&#8217;s about time: Washington, D.C. – Congressional conferees have approved a repeal of a policy in place since 1981 that denied women in the military coverage for abortion in cases of rape or incest. An effort led by Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) will put Department of Defense rules in line with other federal policies and ensure that women in uniform receive the same reproductive rights as the civilians they protect. Most of you know by now that I am an active advocate for military women. I also believe in and support women’s abortion and reproductive rights. Although I would rather not see women use abortion as a birth control method, I do know that accidents happen and in some cases abortion seems the only option. This is especially true in cases of rape or incest, where the trauma of the event is exacerbated by an unwanted pregnancy. Unlike others who rely on the government for their health care needs, including federal workers, members of Congress, and prison inmates, military women &#8212; including military wives and daughters &#8212; cannot get coverage for abortion in cases of rape or incest. The Sheehan Amendment is trying to bring equality to the health care needs of military women. Pregnancy can be a joyous occasion if it is planned. If it is not, it can appear to be a catastrophe. Additionally, in the past unfair rules applied to pregnant service women. Prior to 1975, military women were forced out of the military if they got pregnant while on active duty, regardless of the circumstances of the pregnancy. And there was little to no option for abortion prior to 1973 with the Supreme Court decision in Roe vs. Wade anywhere in the United States. Since then, the services have come to the conclusion that motherhood and military service are not mutually exclusive, but abortion rights for unwanted pregnancy did not come with that change. The Shaheen Amendment still must make it through the full Senate vote, and then be reconciled with the House version of<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=nation.time.com&#038;blog=20157722&#038;post=98319&#038;subd=timemilitary&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://nation.time.com/2012/12/20/standing-up-for-servicewomen/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Military Women</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://nation.time.com/category/military-women/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timemilitary.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/84493992.jpg?w=240</featured_image>
		<media:thumbnail url="http://timemilitary.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/84493992.jpg?w=240" />
		<media:content url="http://timemilitary.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/84493992.jpg?w=240" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">Pro-Choice America Luncheon To Mark The 36th Anniversary Of Roe V. Wade</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/92ec5ffe9857a3cdd53f5e0ab4f2d3ee?s=96&#38;d=http%3A%2F%2Fs0.wp.com%2Fi%2Fmu.gif&#38;r=G" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">drdmi</media:title>
		</media:content>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Of Shipmates, On and Off the Water, Pens, and Holidays</title>
		<link>http://nation.time.com/2012/12/14/of-shipmates-on-and-off-the-water-pens-and-holidays/</link>
		<comments>http://nation.time.com/2012/12/14/of-shipmates-on-and-off-the-water-pens-and-holidays/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 14 Dec 2012 13:14:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Darlene M Iskra</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Battleland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[National]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://nation.time.com/?p=96264</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I got my Christmas cards out early this year. I had some time after Thanksgiving to write short notes, and I mailed them the end of November. A little early, but I still think it is fun to send and receive, and heaven knows, the post office likes the extra business…Merry Christmas to them! I still have the longer letters to get to; I’ve still got time. But I got a call today from the son of a woman I have been communicating with since I took command of the USS Opportune 22 years ago this month. She passed away about four months ago. I had never met her, but she was a prolific writer and we maintained the snail-mail communication over the years. She was extremely supportive of my Navy career, and even sponsored me for the women’s register at the Women in Military Service for America memorial. I was very saddened to hear that she had died, and it made me start thinking of the cycle of life and maintaining friendships. When I walked aboard the USS Opportune for the first time and took command on December 27, 1990, there was a stack of mail sitting on my desk. All of them were congratulatory cards, mostly for people I had never met, and some from people I hadn’t seen or heard from in years. I decided that however long it took, I would write back to each one and thank them for their good wishes. Two of the strangers became “pen pals.” My first new friend was named Eddie Dykes. Eddie had been a sailor for four years during World War II, and even though he was discharged like most everybody else in 1945-46, those were the four most important years of his life. His letters consisted of stories about his time at sea, his stint as an underwater demolition technician, and how much he missed it. Before the war he had been a semi-pro baseball player, and afterwards he worked in construction. Eddie lived very close to where<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=nation.time.com&#038;blog=20157722&#038;post=96264&#038;subd=timemilitary&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://nation.time.com/2012/12/14/of-shipmates-on-and-off-the-water-pens-and-holidays/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Military Benefits</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://nation.time.com/category/military-benefits/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timemilitary.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/111224-n-ed900-269.jpeg?w=240</featured_image>
		<media:thumbnail url="http://timemilitary.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/111224-n-ed900-269.jpeg?w=240" />
		<media:content url="http://timemilitary.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/111224-n-ed900-269.jpeg?w=240" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">USS PINCKNEY (DDG 91) 2011 DEPLOYMENT</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/92ec5ffe9857a3cdd53f5e0ab4f2d3ee?s=96&#38;d=http%3A%2F%2Fs0.wp.com%2Fi%2Fmu.gif&#38;r=G" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">drdmi</media:title>
		</media:content>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Getting It Wrong at 7th Fleet</title>
		<link>http://nation.time.com/2012/12/07/getting-it-wrong-at-7th-fleet/</link>
		<comments>http://nation.time.com/2012/12/07/getting-it-wrong-at-7th-fleet/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 07 Dec 2012 12:55:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Darlene M Iskra</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Battleland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[National]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[7th Fleet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Liberty restrictions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[navy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Personnel]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://nation.time.com/?p=96687</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[What is happening in the 7th Fleet, homeported in Japan, but which includes the entirety of the Pacific Ocean and the Far East &#8212; including naval personnel stationed in Guam, Singapore and South Korea &#8212; is just one of those bone-headed moves that will cause more problems than it is trying to solve in the long run. Everyone knows that the military is a hierarchical organization and that rank has its privileges. However, with those privileges comes responsibility. Senior leadership in the military has a moral and ethical responsibility to do the right thing from supporting the President and his policies to taking care of the troops. Covering one’s behind may be one of the privileges, but certainly does not make for good leadership or a good leader. The 7th Fleet commander, Vice Admiral Scott Swift, has recently ordered a strict new liberty policy. All sailors and officers can no longer drink between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. (even in one’s own quarters) and must be back on the base or in their own housing by 11 p.m. The tighter rules remain in place following a Dec. 1 &#8220;behavioral leadership summit&#8221; on the events that led to their imposition. This draconian policy, which affects all of 7th Fleet, including liberty ports in places like Thailand, Hong Kong, and Australia, was instituted after a half dozen liberty incidents and the rape of an Okinawan woman by two sailors in October. While the Japanese are growing less tolerant of American shenanigans on its soil, and rightfully so, punishing all of 7th fleet, which consists of thousands of sailors and Marines, for the actions of a few is going overboard (pardon the pun). It is intrusive leadership at its most extreme. This is not a &#8220;preventive&#8221; order, it is a political decision to placate the Japanese and make it appear that the Admiral is in control. But, in essence, he has lost faith with the troops because he is not taking care of them. He is using them. When one joins the military, there<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=nation.time.com&#038;blog=20157722&#038;post=96687&#038;subd=timemilitary&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://nation.time.com/2012/12/07/getting-it-wrong-at-7th-fleet/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Navy</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://nation.time.com/category/navy-2/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timemilitary.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/summit-pic.jpeg?w=240</featured_image>
		<media:thumbnail url="http://timemilitary.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/summit-pic.jpeg?w=240" />
		<media:content url="http://timemilitary.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/summit-pic.jpeg?w=240" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">summit pic</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/92ec5ffe9857a3cdd53f5e0ab4f2d3ee?s=96&#38;d=http%3A%2F%2Fs0.wp.com%2Fi%2Fmu.gif&#38;r=G" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">drdmi</media:title>
		</media:content>
	</item>
	</channel>
</rss>