European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 13, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday december 13, 1992 the stars and stripes a Page 11women s combat role faces review highlights from the report by the presidential commission on the assignment of women in the armed forces main nonbinding recommendations from the full commission include i there Are circumstances where women should serve in combat including on combat ships other than submarines and Landing ships. Women should not serve on aircraft combat missions with combat troops on the ground or with special operations units. Mirvary assignments open to both men and women should be made on the basis of Quot Best qualified Quot regardless of gender in a 36-Page Quot alternate View Quot five conservative panellists urged that the government a use no gender related goals or quotas in recruiting assignments or officer training. A use no gender based standards in testing officer candidates if the results affect class standing. A discharge single parents and one member of a dual military couple with children. A assign women to combat Only if National survival is threatened and there is no alternative. Do not assign women to combat ships because their availability rate for deployment is lower they May become pregnant the effect on unit cohesion is suspect they have less physical strength they might be captured and it May open Legal avenues to the drafting of women. Quot commissioners statements Quot panel s report offers mishmash of arguments by Ray Rowden Washington Bureau Washington a arguments not answers highlighted the report of the presidential commission on the assignment of women in the armed forces sent to president Bush on nov. 15 and released in late november. Polarization of the 15-Membcr panel resulted in eight months of heated debates walkouts and a report that devotes twice As much space to dissenting views As it does to the full panels position on the 17 critical issues the commission addressed. Bush is required by Law to Forward the report to Congress with his comments by tuesday. Any action on the report is expected to be left to the incoming administration of president elect Clinton. The commission grew out of the persian Gulf War where More than 35,000 women served making up about 6 percent of the . Military Force. Although by Pentagon definitions women were not in combat there 13 military women were killed and two were captured by opposing iraqi forces. Faced with this Paradox and heightened voter interest Congress repealed Laws that had banned women from flying combat missions and established the commission in the 1992 defense authorization act. The report is divided into three sections an opening presentation of nonbinding recommendations from the full commission a 36-Page a alternate View by five panel members opposed to expanded combat roles for women and a 42-Page dissenters free for All in which any commission member or group of members could take Issue with any part of the report. Although the second Section of the report under a separate cover letter signed by Only five of the commissioners carries the title a alternate View a each of the 36 pages in the Section bears the heading a the Case against women in  led by Kate Walsh of Beirne of the heritage foundation the five who signed this Section walked out of a voting session of the commission for half a Day until they were allowed to present a minority opinion on an equal footing with the majority. The five a of Beirne Samuel g. Cocker Ham Elaine Donnelly Sarah f. White and Ronald d. Ray a argued forcefully against expanded combat roles for women. The conservative caucus noted that while Derheim to in this 42-Page report varied views included an opinion from six of seven commissioners who supported expanded combat roles for women Quot All servicewomen Are at risk they accept that risk and they do not want to be protected from positions of risk nor held Back from positions of responsibility due to the misdirected concerns of senior military leaders and decision  women made up 11.2 percent of the Navy they represented 34.7 percent of the services single parents. This Factor contributed to the finding that during the Gulf War 5.6 percent of women sailors were unavailable for assignment in the combat theater compared with 1.5 percent of Navy men. The five also added vigorous support to Many areas where they agreed with the majority of commission members. They cited testimony that american society is not willing to accept women in combat roles and findings that women cannot carry As much As far and As fast As men because women have less aerobic capacity. The five panellists highlighted research that indicated the upper 5 percent of women officer cadets reached the physical ability level of the Middle scoring men. The same research indicated the average 20 to 30-Ycar-old woman has the same aerobic capacity As a 50-year-old Man. The minority commissioners predicted that introducing women into combat units would damage unit cohesion a a in the Likely situation that women were unable to carry their full Load a and a when Normal and widely accepted standards of personal modesty must routinely be sacrificed to Mil itary  on the Issue of women in combat aircraft the five panellists reviewed testimony from combat aviators that indicated women were not tested in combat hence not trusted by male aviators and that men were uncomfortable with the idea of women being tortured As fellow prisoners of War. # the third Section of the report is titled a a commissioners  these 42 pages provide individual or Small groups of commissioners the Opportunity to argue against the recommendations of the Basic report. And it is Here that proponents of expanded combat roles were Able to state their arguments. Seven of the 15 panel members argued for opening to women combat aviation roles that Are banned by defense department policy instead of Law and for opening service on submarines and amphibious ships to women. Robert t. Herics Mary e. Clarke Thomas v. Draudy Mary m. Finch James r. Hogg Newton n. Minow and Meredith Neizer bolstered their argument in the aviation area with Survey data that indicated 68 percent of military personnel and 78 percent of americans at Large support women in combat aviation roles. A empirical data and the overwhelming majority of testimony presented before the commission support the conclusion that the supposed physical barriers to women a successful performance in combat aviation simply do not exist a they argued. Unit cohesion they said is not a a gender Issue a but a a leadership Issue a citing the experience of noncombat aviation units where a cohesion either remained at the same level As in the All male unit or improved after the entry of  War the seven panellists noted that current restrictions do not prevent women from being captured As evidenced by maj. Rhonda Cornum and spec. Melissa Rathbun scaly during the Gulf War. In fact Cornum who was subjected to a sexual assault while in iraqi hands testified Quot it is an occupational Hazard of going to War and you make that decision whether or not you Are going to take that risk when you join the  the seven commissioners who support expanded combat roles for women said a America As Well As maj. Cornum and spec. Rathbun scaly survived their ordeal with no evidence that their capture was a greater threat to National Security than the capture of the men who were with  of the seven commissioners except Herres also attacked the risk Rule which lists considerations for permitting women to serve in units according to the probability the units will go into combat. Noting the fluid nature of modern combat they cited Gulf War examples of women serving on the front lines and said a a i he risk Rule docs not keep women from being under hostile fire captured or  finally three commissioners a Clarke Finch and Neizer a argued for ground combat roles for women. A one of the arguments used to maintain the combat exclusion policies. Is that if certain positions were to fall under attack All personnel would have to fight As infantry soldiers a they said. A this is already True for both men and women and is not made less True by combat exclusion policies. If anything it creates a false expectancy in women soldiers that As noncombatants they can neglect Basic Soldier  in producing the report the commission took eight months and spent $4 million. On the Issue of women As prisoners of by Chuck Roberts staff writer dexf1eim, Germany a taking out the trash is taking on new meaning in the Derheim military Community. German Law requires that residents of the Mainz Bingen District separate their trash. In the past local residents pitched All their trash into the nearest Container. Soon residents will use about 50 containers marked for material such As paper Glass and Metal. Residents also will be issued yellow bags to dispose of packaging waste such As milk Cartons and food containers. The containers for paper arrived a few weeks ago. The remaining containers Are expected to be in place this month but demand exceeds Supply said de Crane head of the directorate of engineering and housing in bad Kreuz Nach which oversees the Derheim Community. If separated properly Only 2 percent of household trash could wind up in landfills said Deborah Kavanagh environmental education manager for Dex Heimz a Start separating trash for recycling Deh. Germany will use up its Landfill space within two years unless the Public takes Steps toward Recy cling she said. A similar trash separation program to or so. A a began about two years ago in bad Kreuz Nach one of the leading cities in German recycling. Although some americans were slow to catch on the manager of a trash separation Plant there said that americans Are now among the leading compilers Crane said. On the few occasions Kavanagh when bad Kreuz Nach re cycling officials have called to complain about improperly mixed trash some of the noncom pliers were a a volunteered to help separate the biodegradable and non biodegradable trash Crane said. . Military violators can receive a letter of reprimand from their commanders if they violate the Trail separation provisions. Also German contractors can refuse to empty Over filled and improperly filled containers Kavanagh said. A you done to have a Choice because its the Law a Kavanagh said. I he turnover rate among  complicates the Issue of trash separation Crane said sinc it newcomers must be educated about the Law. Recycling awareness programs include town Hal meetings leaflets going door to door in the Housum areas and school programs. Schoolchildren Are especially effective in the Campaign because they Are Quick to Correct their Parent for improper separation Kavanagh said. She said recycling makes sense economically and environmentally and carries an added Benefit. A was trite As it sounds its a Good feeling a Kavanagh said