Whats happening at Bagram

I suggest you read the article linked to this post first, but the low down is basically that the US military has a rule banning non married personnel of the opposite sex in the same room when not on official business. But there seems to be a serious case of hypocrisy, at least at Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan. Condoms are available for sale at the base store and are apparently given out for free at the local "massage" parlor. Consequently nearly seventy pregnancies were reported at the base this year alone.

This brings up some very important issues about the readiness and focus of our soldiers who are put into combat positions. How reasonable is it to put a bunch of twenty somethings in a dangerous and relatively isolated environment and not expect any of them to be getting laid? It seems ridiculous to expect otherwise. And what type of effect does this have, not on unit morale, but on the readiness of soldiers to fight? And what of the relationships that develop. What type of effect does that have on the decision's a soldier is forced to make when it isn't just his comrades at stake, but his or her lover?

It's a tough situation and, not having served in the military, I won't presume to give a definitive answer. I do know however, that as a man, it is just a different scenario when men's lives are at stake vs. when a woman is put in the same situation. Add to that the effect of sexual relations and it just seems to put an undue burden on our warriors, men and women.

It seems that the only option, although not without its own drawbacks, would be to simply ban the deployment of women to combat zones. I don't mean actual fire fights, which I believe they are already banned from, but any area in which men that will be in combat will be stationed. Rammstein base in Germany would be fine for women, but Iraq and Afghanistan would be a no go. This will undoubtedly create a logistical problem, in the form of diverting men to replace the women that would be removed, but in the long run, it seems like the best option. Perhaps some of my military readers, if I even have any, would provide some input.