Female Medics Patrol with Infantry Units

Specialist Amber Reinhold likes being "one of the guys." Watch a report here.

It isn't easy being the only girl in the infantry platoon, doubly so because she's not really supposed to be there. But medics are in high demand, so when an infantry platoon needed help, Amber volunteered.

She's one of a growing number of female medics who are being attached to Infantry units in spite of the fact that it's still technically against army regulations for women to serve in infantry units. But in a war where the front lines are everywhere, females have seen their fair share of combat, and have been decorated for valor under fire.

I'll admit, I'm not real excited to see women in front-line units. Call me old fashioned, but I have to concede that the women I've met have been extremely capable, professional and - most surprisingly for me - have fit in very well with their male counterparts. I always believed that having women there would be a distraction, but today's military is far more professional than that.

My only concern now is casualty evacuation - if I got shot on the battlefield, I don't know if a female medic would have the strength to pick me up and carry me to the medevac. So far in real life, however, that issue hasn't stopped many female medics from volunteering for Combat service, and from serving admirably. So I've got to give credit where it's due - hat's off to these brave women warriors.

Chuck Holton
www.livefire.us