One of the Army's 1st female combat engineer recruits is a deserter

[Anti Federalist]

One of the Army's 1st female combat engineer recruits is a deserter

http://www.armytimes.com/story/milit...rter/79817026/

One of the first women to sign up to become an Army combat engineer is now considered a deserter after being AWOL for 30 days.

Pvt. Erika Lopez was supposed to report to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, on Jan. 4 after convalescent leave. She was considered absent without leave on Jan. 5 when she didn't show. Lopez was dropped from the rolls Thursday, which means she's considered a deserter, said Tiffany Wood, a spokeswoman for Fort Leonard Wood.

“After 30 days in AWOL status, a soldier is considered a deserter, and a federal warrant is issued for his or her arrest,” Wood said.

Lopez arrived at Fort Leonard Wood Sept. 22, Wood said. She started training on Oct. 5 and was on week 11 of training when she was sent home on convalescent leave.

Engineer soldiers conduct one station unit training at Fort Leonard Wood, which includes the 10-week basic training followed by advanced individual training. In all, the training is almost 15 weeks long. There are 92 women currently in 12B OSUT, Wood said.

Army officials confirmed that Lopez was the first woman from Tennessee to enlist to be a combat engineer, enlisting on June 26.

[Weston White]

...And now: http://www.armytimes.com/story/milit...self/79889926/

And what is this leave during SF training? It used to be if you were injured you were out and had to reapply at a later date, there were no timeouts. They began making standard recruit training soft in the 1990' and now that softness is creeping into the special-forces. Pretty soon they are going to be deploying troops with fresh a mani/pedi and pair if six-inch open toed heels.

[GunnyFreedom]

...And now: http://www.armytimes.com/story/milit...self/79889926/

And what is this leave during SF training? It used to be if you were injured you were out and had to reapply at a later date, there were no timeouts. They began making standard recruit training soft in the 1990' and now that softness is creeping into the special-forces. Pretty soon they are going to be deploying troops with fresh a mani/pedi and pair if six-inch open toed heels.

Since when is a goram combat engineer supposed to be 'special forces?'

[Weston White]

Since when is a goram combat engineer supposed to be 'special forces?'

Isn't it, for then if not, why the big deal about her being the first to enroll? Women have been enrolling in the military for over a decade (and participating in combat roles since shortly after 9/11).

ETA:

Okay, it appears that it falls somewhere between being a regular soldier and being part of special forces (i.e., a combat engineer is a 'sapper'):

Along with the Sapper Tab, the Special Forces Tab, the Ranger Tab, and the President's Hundred Tab identify soldiers who have passed a demanding course of military instruction and demonstrated their competence in particular specialities and skills.

More on sappers: http://www.army.mil/article/125876/S...e_front_lines/

[GunnyFreedom]

Isn't it, for then if not, why the big deal about her being the first to enroll? Women have been enrolling in the military for over a decade (and participating in combat roles since shortly after 9/11).

No, it's not. Not by a long way. It is considered a 'front line' combat billet, however, thus the recently lifted restriction on women. Infantry, artillery, tanks, engineers. All direct combat roles were formerly prohibited to women, that prohibition has now been lifted. Engineers are no closer to SOCOM than basic infantry, it's just a different....and frankly much easier....combat MOS.

[presence]

A combat engineer is more or less a carpenter/plumber/electrician who performs under fire and is also an offensive and defensive IED tech. My grandfather was a combat engineer in WWII.

[luctor-et-emergo]

A combat engineer is more or less a carpenter/plumber/electrician who performs under fire and is also an offensive and defensive IED tech. My grandfather was a combat engineer in WWII.

My grandfather was a carpenter and had studied architecture so he naturally became an engineer when he was drafted.

[Pericles]

Its the Rainbow Army (TM)

[GunnyFreedom]

ETA:

Okay, it appears that it falls somewhere between being a regular soldier and being part of special forces (i.e., a combat engineer is a 'sapper'):

More on sappers: http://www.army.mil/article/125876/S...e_front_lines/

Wrong again. It's possible for a Combat Engineer to be a sapper, but most combat engineers are NOT. Most combat engineers are carpenters, plumbers, bulldozers, backhoers, concrete layers, bridge deployers, runway layers etc and so on. Maybe 1-2% of combat engineers become 'sappers.'

[Weston White]

Wrong again. It's possible for a Combat Engineer to be a sapper, but most combat engineers are NOT. Most combat engineers are carpenters, plumbers, bulldozers, backhoers, concrete layers, bridge deployers, runway layers etc and so on. Maybe 1-2% of combat engineers become 'sappers.'

Yuppers, I made the presumption that this was a big deal because she was/is enrolled in the Sapper program (as the article is not really clear on this point--just that she has been there since September, which seems like a long period of time), which operates at Fort Leonard Wood, MO (but so does Army Boot Camp), otherwise, there simply is no big deal, just a female in the Army that went AWOL. a BIG who cares. Which to the point, the Sapper program (SLC authorized in 2004) is considered one of the most demanding programs to complete, even above most SF programs. In any case, all combat engineers are sappers, although only those passing the SLC may don the Sapper tab.

[GunnyFreedom]

Yuppers, I made the presumption that this was a big deal because she was/is enrolled in the Sapper program (as the article is not really clear on this point--just that she has been there since September, which seems like a long period of time), which operates at Fort Leonard Wood, MO (but so does Army Boot Camp), otherwise, there simply is no big deal, just a female in the Army that went AWOL. a BIG who cares. Which to the point, the Sapper program (SLC authorized in 2004) is considered one of the most demanding programs to complete, even above most SF programs. In any case, all combat engineers are sappers, although only those passing the SLC may don the Sapper tab.

I have no doubt that all the engineers call themselves 'sappers,' but I don't rightly GAF. If they aren't strapping 50lb of explosives into their bodies and low-crawling behind enemy lines to sneak in and blow up occupied enemy encampments then they aren't really sappers. I am sure that some dingbat digging latrines loves to call himself a sapper, and from what I understand in the last 15 years or so the Army has indeed started calling all engineers 'sappers,' but that just lowers my opinion of the Army even further than it already was. A sapper is an actual thing. If the Army wants to call a freaking $#@!hole digger a 'sapper,' then that just reinforces this: