To the Editor:

This is in response to the (column) printed Oct. 20, Kevin S. Kirby.

In his article, Mr. Kirby makes the false statement by saying “the whole case (Captain Greene’s sexual harassment case) points to a serious problem within not just the Navy, but the entire military. Women are frequently not seen as comrades by their male counterparts…” I would like to know upon what is this statement based? I have been in the military for the past four years and I, along with my counterparts in the service, treat women with respect and dignity.

To say that women are frequently seen as inferior is a gross misstatement of the facts. The fact of the matter is, a vast majority of the people who I have spoken with have no problems with women playing the same role as men in the armed services. I, like Mr. Kirby, have encountered many women who could do more push-ups than me, who could run me into the ground, and who possessed those qualities of character and leadership essential to lead people in today’s military. These women should and do play a vital role in today’s military and have earned my utmost respect.

But the problem within the military, much like society, is I have also encountered women who do not meet the physical requirements and are just not capable of leading soldiers. And the military, although it claims to be a meritocracy, sometimes does promote underqualified women to positions of leadership over more qualified men. And this sometimes leads to feelings of animosity and hurts morale. But please do not say members of the military frequently do not look upon women as our comrades. This is simply not true.

Furthermore, Mr. Kirby seems to have found Captain Greene guilty prematurely. I do believe Captain Greene was acquitted due to lack of evidence. However, I guess the press seems to have decided to go against the Constitution and find someone guilty without a trial. Thank you for your time.

Jeff McGuirk, Lt. USAF

Graduate Student

Electrical Engineering