Drone Attacks

Everyone who went to Pius with me knows that I am a military guy and that I am especially fascinated with the Air Force.  During the wars in the Middle East, there have been many drone strikes lead by the C.I.A. and the J.S.O.C. that have been very successful in eliminating their targets. On the other hand, some of the strikes have also killed some citizens that have nothing to do with the intended targets. Many people want this covert drone war to end because of the side casualties of citizens who do not participate in terrorist activity. I however disagree. I know that it is bad that there are more casualties that result than are intended, but if the heads and leaders of terror groups are taken care of, the ends can justify the means. I know that can sound harsh to some people, but war and battle have very ugly sides sometimes.  In Yemen, Pakistan, and Somalia there have been over 400 strikes and over 3,000 successful targets eliminated.  Before you criticize drones, first look at the alternatives; leave terrorists alone, call in troops for a quick hit that can result in high casualties, or use other conventional airstrikes that tend to be less accurate and result in more unintended casualties. Drones strikes have been and are critical to the military taking out targets. While some people want drones banned, I still want them in use because of their successful history.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2013/02/07/drone-strikes-cia-naureen-shah/1900363/

Women in the Military

The Revolutionary War. The War of 1812. The Mexican War. The Civil War. The Spanish-American War. World War One. World War Two. The Korean War. The Vietnam War. What do all these American wars have in common? They were all fought by men and mostly won by men. Not until 1990 during the Persian Gulf War did women actually serve in the war. They also have served in the War in Afghanistan in 2001 and in the Iraq War in 2003. However, when women served in these wars, they were limited to certain positions in the service. They are limited to certain positions because of questions regarding the physical strength of the woman body. But last month, the Pentagon lifted the ground combat exclusion and allowed women to enter all fields. Although the exclusion has been lifted, the requirements have not changed. For example, you must be able to carry your backpack around with you easily and scale walls (keep in mind that it weighs well over 100 pounds). The military is allowing women to join more fields but they are taking it slow and being responsible by making sure that women can handle the wheel. They plan to fully integrate women in 2016.

I totally agree that women should be in ground infantry, just as long as they are strong enough for the job, like picking up and loading 40-pound tank shells. I am not being sexist by saying men are stronger than women, I am being scientific by looking at it from a “sciency”  point of view. Men naturally have more mass than women do which means we can physically exert more force onto an object, thus making us stronger. But if women prove they can handle everything that men can handle in ground combat, then by all means, let them enter all sects of the military.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/02/02/marines-army-standards-women-combat/1884141/