European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 6, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Women in command  United press International frustrated because a woman could nol get Good Job in 1960. Evelyn Foote pined the army whore she was paid the same wage As a Manana did t have to Type that same year. Gail reals was to fishing up a stint m France lot the Marine corps where her first assignment was As a stenographer the United slates then was on the Brink of unprecedented social change the women s movement was emerging As a powerful Force and Foote and reals were on the culling Edge. They also had the Talent Confidence and strength to Rise to the top nearly three decades later they Are the Only women commanding us military bases today in their respective branches of the armed forces. As brigadier generals running military installations just 20 Miles apart in Northern Virginia. Foote and reals have turned to each other Tor support and Friendship. Only they can understand the unique demands placed on them As military leaders who happen to be women. In recent interviews both women recalled their Rise to the top and the obstacles they encountered and shared their thoughts on the role of women in the military both Are Strong willed no nonsense commanders who have keen philosophic differences but defend a woman s place in the military and Hope women and men learn from their example. I would like to think that someday we will no longer proscribe limits on what a person can or cannot do because of gender said Foote who has been commander at fort Belvoir since october and recently announced she Iii Retif this month. You let them tear you Down or you develop a  said reals. 53. Who accepted command at the marines Quantico base when it was restructured in july 1988 if you have decided to stay in an organization that is male dominated you could think you re discriminated against All the Lime. Lots of people thought there were things we could not  Foole 59. A native of Durham. N c., is the More feminist of the two. She left the Fri to join the army because women in those Days could nol become agents. I wanted to do something challenging and the first thing people wanted to know was can you Type she said i got a decent appointment. At the same wage a Man would gel. That did it. And wac officers did not Type. Said that s  although the country was on the Brink of the women s movement there were still limitations on a woman in uniform. Foote could Only Rise in the women s command. Marine corp Vou let them tear you Down or you develop a  Brig. Gen. Oatt reals eventually she went to Vietnam serving As a Public affairs officer where she encountered her first real taste of discrimination when a Deputy Public affairs officer refused to accept a commander s recommendation that she succeed him As Deputy. Two crusty officers threatened to go awol Over the suggested promotion she said. The Deputy was a traditionalist who would t promote me. I was disappointed.". Back in the United states Foote continued her climb up the ladder and soon it was the mid-1970s and women could now command men. She broke her first Barrier As commander of a military police group in West Germany becoming Only the second woman Ever to command an army base. As Foote s career progressed reals was following a parallel path in the marines. Reals who grew up in Syracuse n. Y., had enlisted in 1954 and began her officer s ascent in 1961 although she never intended to Blaze  i wanted to leave Home to do something different she said. Lieutenant colonel was the highest rank 1 could  were limits by Law and they were very stringent. You could t dream of being a  she said she was not frustrated by those limits but eventually tired of being told what she could not do without being allowed to by when i became a colonel i shot my Mouth off and said let us find out what we can do before setting artificial barriers on what we can t do let us try said reals who was the first woman to command a Marine base. Neither woman win make excuses for the attitudes expressed by men. I know a Tot of men who Don t want women around said reals noting there Are fewer women in the marines than in any other Branch of the military. They Don t treat you bad but Don t feel like you should be  As base commander. Reals is an administrator. She is not directly involved in mapping out strategies Tor fighting that s the Job of the commander of the Marine corps combat development come her Superior. The position is open to women but reals said she does not want it for the reason that generates the most debate about a woman s role in the military because women cannot be assigned to the front lines she teels she lacks the background and experience. The Issue of women in the trenches is where the generals part company. Foole believes that women should participate in All aspects of military life but reals grapples with her sense that there Are some things women should not do. I wish before i die i could come to grips with the Issue of women in combat reals said. It May be a cop out but i Don t think it s the Best utilization. I Don t think most women Are physically capable. I m not sure i want to make them imitation  but for Foote anything less than total Equality Means women will never be fully successful in the military. We have women in Field artillery and air defense aviation but we do not have full participation she said. Because of that it s very difficult for women in those areas to have full Success. Women and Man who Wear the uniform of any of the services should be prepared and trained to use weapon systems in the defense of their unit. If there is another War i have no doubt any men and women serving in Europe would be in the combat area. What s the difference Between offence and defense Foote said. We accept the fad that if we become soldiers who happen to be women we re under the same unrestrained charter to do what we have to to regain  in their Long careers both women have witnessed extraordinary changes in How married women and families fit into military life. Neither is married primarily because each was committed to her career and in the Early years marriage and the military did not mix Well. Pregnant women also were automatically discharged from the armed services when reals and Foote were in their child bearing years although that no longer is True. Charges of feminization by William j. Bartman Washington Bureau Brian Mitchell is a Young Well groomed courteous former army officer a family Man with two Small children. But this All americans suddenly the target of the Wrath an disdain of perhaps millions of american women to say nothing of their male sympathizers. And he does t seem to mind it the Wrath the anger. In fact. Mitchell seems to enjoy the controversy that has greeted the publication of his Book weak link. The feminization of the american military. They resort to the name calling. That s the very thing the feminist movement has really gotten its Progress through in this country Mitchell says. Accusations derived from  asked if his Call for an end to women in the military can be translated into a personal disapproval of females in other Power positions from Bank managers to corporate leaders. Mitchell says with an easy smile women in the military Are the Issue. I Don t hate women. I Don t think they re somehow inferior to men that men Are somehow closer to  what Mitchell does think and states Over and Over again in person and throughout his Book is that having women in the military is an inefficiency that will Cost America lives in  by spending Money on women in the military you therefore Don t have enough Money to spend on repair parts and  White Mitchell says name calling does t bother him when they have to resort to the and Homine you know you re ahead of them he admits to having been rather offended when they started saying it s  this is not based on my personal experiences. It s based on the services  and the critics he claims have not even answered my  Mitchell who is a reporter for the weekly newspaper Navy times published in Springfield. Va., insists his detractors can t rebut that More military women than men Are single parents or that women require greater medical attention. While he admits that studies have shown women miss less duty time due to discipline problems he says discipline problems Are lessening and that should give men the advantage in terms of lost time. You can be thrown out of the service for being a discipline problem. You can t be for getting pregnant Mitchell readily concedes that women have been found to outperform men a certain skill areas. There Are studies that show they ars better at sitting in front of radar screens for example. But there s no valid estimation of How substantial that superiority is. In Many technical skills if they Are Likely to perform better it s not Likely that much better than men. And again he repeats the woman who can sit in front of that radar screen can still get  what that Means he says is the most important Page 14 the stars and stripes wednesday