Women Soldiers

Courtesy Photo | Spc. Doris Campos, a native of Cuero Texas, prepares for weapons qualification at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. She currently serves as an MRAP driver for Delta Company, 949th Brigade Support Battalion, 553rd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 10th Sustainment Brigade in support of Multi-National Division - Baghdad.  

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

05.28.2009

Courtesy Story

10th Mountain Division Sustainment Brigade Public Affairs Office

CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq — When the 56th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Texas Army National Guard deployed last summer in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, hundreds of Soldiers were activated to fight the war on terrorism, and women were not overlooked.

The women who serve with the 56th IBCT have been classified as non-combat arms; however, many of the female Soldiers currently serving have found themselves in situations very similar to that of combat arms Soldiers. The women called up for duty these days serve in positions such as drivers, gunners, and medics, all of whom can be directly engaged by the enemy.

Almost daily, Spc. Doris Campos, a native of Cuero, Texas and the mother of two and grandmother of two, assumes her role behind the wheel of a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle, navigating the streets of Baghdad and placing herself on the forefront of the battle. By going outside the wire, Campos takes the risk of engaging in life-threatening situations. This is Campos' fourth deployment. During her first three, she served in her primary Military Occupational Specialty as an Automated Supply Specialist. When she heard that Delta Company, 949th Brigade Support Battalion, was going to be tasked with convoy security, she not only volunteered to be deployed, but also requested to serve in a line company where she would be in closer contact with the enemy.

When asked about her experience on this deployment, Campos stated, "It's been a great experience--there's nothing any woman can't do here. The gender lines are fading. A Soldier is a Soldier and when called upon to perform a duty they must perform."

Another Delta Company Soldier, Spc. Rhonda Friedrichsen, a native of San Antonio, and mother of a teenage daughter, is a Medical Equipment Repairer who also serves as a driver for the lead gun truck in her convoy. She stated that the hardest part of deploying to Iraq was the train-up.

"I wasn't used to having to wear the body armor and the Kevlar helmet for such long periods of time. Also, I had to work harder at getting the men to respect me, both as a woman and as a Soldier who is typically labeled non-combat arms," she said. "But they saw how hard I worked and how seriously I took my job. I mean, as the lead gun truck driver, if I make a wrong turn or roll on to a black route unknowingly, I not only endanger my life but the lives of my crew and the entire convoy."

While these women may not be categorized as combat arms, their responsibilities are sometimes the same. When the call came for them to leave their husbands and children for their year-long tour in Iraq, they carried out their duties with little hesitation.

• Date Taken: 05.28.2009
• Date Posted: 05.28.2009 08:19
• Story ID: 34210
• Location: BAGHDAD, IQ