Entitlement

When I was in the military (USAF) a long time ago, there was no question that women could do many jobs in that service. The most capable squadron commander I saw was a woman. Same with the Det (detachment). No different than Captain Janeway in leadership capability.

But let us look at organisations today in the military that are no longer fat on manning. Every billet counts.

With that, a woman can go into a unit for the sole purpose of building a family. For example, maternity leave in the Navy is now 18 weeks. The justification is to 'retain talented women'.

Sorry. No 'talent' is worth that.

Take a look at a unit that deploys as a function.

1. Deployment time comes up on the schedule: get pregnant to get on the non-deployable waiver. Light duties assumed.
2. Unit deploys for 6 months. Pregnant person has 3 months to go.
3. Baby day. Then, 4.5 months of maternity leave.
4. Rinse and repeat for the next deployment tasking.
5. Get promoted above peers that have deployed.
6. Loss of days from leave not counted.

As Doctrine Man would say (sorry to drag him into this). "Don't come to me with a problem without proposing a solution."

1. Don't put women in units that deploy.
2. Women: the military doesn't exist so you can build a family.
3. Disband DACOWITS.

All this will spin even more out of control as the social paradigms (as defined by the government) on the definition of man and woman and relationship/marriage change. I'm not complaining about the social paradigms. That isn't for me to judge. However, the military does not exist as a place to get paid and raise a family as the number one reason for joining up.

Might as well have a maternity ward on the recruiting posters.

New joint organisation: United States Military Benefits Command. Probably a 3-star and staff to run it.

To be fair, this is only one of many things that make the U.S. military too expensive to run and less and less combat capable.

As each and every year goes on.


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