FTX ( Field Training Exercise)

   This weekend the War Eagle Battalion had its semi-annual Field Training Exercises. This FTX the first platoon (freshmen) focused on armor. We were put into tank, bradley, and hmmvee simulators. The simulators were very real and they gave us a taste of what being on the battle field.
   I was asked numerous times if I was in the nursing program. Obviously, I must assume this was because I am a female. Furthermore, at the end of the day we were informed that females cannot go into armor. That were are still not allowed in this division of the Army. I immediately thought of my paper and how relevant and infuriating my topic for this manifesto is to me.

Conference

Had my mandatory conference yesterday! It went pretty well, if I do say so myself. Mary liked what I was doing my paper on. She told me this funny story about this time she cited G.I Jane for her paper once. I have a few revisions to do, and I will get started on them shortly. I hope everyone else's papers are coming along smoothly as well.

And so begins the editing process

So I was working on my paper today. Trying to edit it to get ready for my conference tomorrow. I was reading over the two peer reviews I got and I was really grateful to have them. I don’t know who yall are, but thank you for all your constructive criticisms. They really came in handy! 

How I got to my new topic

So... I started out with the belief that in the question of nature vs. nurture, nurture always wins. But then i decided that I wasn't passionate enough about that topic. I mean, I thoroughly believe it to be true, and I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for the nurturing of my extended family, but I felt that I needed fiery passion for this manifesto. I decided that I would write about how all jobs in the military should be open to women. I could argue this topic for days, so I thought it would be good to put into a paper. I watched G.I Jane tonight just to get reinspired and in the writing mood.

Female Army Ranger.... Why not?

I am a female Army ROTC cadet. Despite the fact that the Army is male dominant, women are just as capable (on an individual basis) to do what men do. G.I Jane starring Demi Moore is one of my favorite movies, primarily because I see myself in the main character. I’m not saying all females are capable of getting through ranger school, or navy seal school, but some of us can. However, we aren’t even given the opportunity to go through any of the male only schools. My score on the PT tests makes me eligible to pass basic training, advanced individual training, Airborne, and receive the APFT badge. Despite all these things I would pass, next to the special forces box on my score sheet is a word that drives me insane- INELIGIBLE. The reason given is “to qualify for a special forces slot you must be a male and score at least a 229 on your APFT based on the 17-21 age group standards and obtain a passing height and weight measurement in your own age category”. The only requirement I don’t meet is the twelfth word- male.

            When we take the PT test I get discredited, even though I make a near perfect score (296/300) I’m a “female”. This is mainly due to the fact that there is a female standard and a male standard. I firmly believe that we should get rid of the two standard and adhere to just the male standard. If women want to be seen as equals to men, then we have to prove that we are capable of the same things they are. Maybe not as many females would be able to join the Army, but then we wouldn’t be looked down upon as much. I know that there will always be discrepancies. But excuses like “women aren’t fit to go into combat” or “the American culture doesn’t think women should be on the front lines” or “it’s harder to lose a sister/mother/daughter than it is to lose a brother/father/son” or “a male would be more likely to risk his life to save a female’s” or “a male is more likely to save a female’s life than another male’s” are not acceptable answers to me to keep us off the front lines. The only truly acceptable excuse is “a female prisoner of war is more likely to get tortured in ways that a male would not”. But even then, she knows the risks of her job (if it was open to her) when she signs up.

            I’m not saying that being a ranger is for all females. All I’m saying is that I want the option to go to ranger school if I so chose to. I hate being ineligible for something that I cannot control. I can control my run time, the amount of push ups I can execute, and the amount of sit ups I can execute. What I cannot control is my gender. So, raise the bar for females and then allow us into ranger school. That’s all I ask for, that’s all I yearn for- a chance.

Hey, my name is Mya Nguyen. Technically it's Huong My Thi Nguyen, but I started going by Mya in High school. I am from Jacksonville, Fl. I would like to say that I was born and raised there, but I was actually born on a plane. A lot of people don't believe me when I say that, but it's the truth. My mom and father were on a plane to America and I was born on the way. We had to make a pit stop in the Philippines because they couldn't continue on the plane with a newborn baby. Anyways... I attend Auburn University and am majoring in Psychology with a focus in Pre-law. I am also in Army ROTC and masochistically love it. My favorite movies are all the Harry Potter movies, Fightclub, Boondock Saints, and Lion King. I know, all those movies are very very different. My favorite tv shows are The big bang theory, House, and Doctor Who. That’s me in a nut shell!