thedrifter
02-11-05, 05:57 AM
02-10-2005
Common Sense and Mud Wrestling
By William F. Sauerwein
The media hype concerning the “Mud Wrestling Scandal” in Iraq borders on the absurd.
As reported earlier this week, the incident occurred last Oct. 30 in the 160th Military Police (MP) Battalion, an Army Reserve unit assigned to guard detainees at Camp Bucca, Iraq. The unit was celebrating the end of its tour of duty. No detainees were in the vicinity, and the party was in an isolated location. Unit spokesman Lt. Col. Barry Johnson stated, “Some individuals in their exuberance decided to put together a mud-wrestling thing.”
Photographs from this party showed several female soldiers wrestling in their bras and panties. One of these soldiers, responding to the male crowd, then exposed her chest, all captured on camera. She and a second soldier received Article 15 non-judicial punishment for conduct unbecoming a soldier, demoted one pay grade and returned to duty.
I do not know if anyone up the chain of command received any kind of punishment, but it is merited. With all the emphasis on military “sex scandals” over the years, this event should not have happened. Leaders are paid to exercise judgment, and poor judgment jeopardizes the mission and the soldiers’ lives.
Honestly, without the sexual implications and supposed “degradation of women” this incident would not merit any attention. Change this to unit-level boxing between male contestants in gym shorts and you have no scandal. Boxing competitions occur on almost all military installations, with the only coverage in the sports pages.
Since the majority of our soldiers are young, we must understand that sex is important in their lives. When armies were exclusively male, these needs were satisfied by caravans of “camp followers.” During the 19th century Indian Campaigns, each company-size unit was authorized two “laundresses.” One unidentified commander sarcastically remarked that the Army retained this service because of “other needs.”
The increasing integration of women into the armed forces brought a new set of readiness problems such as sexual harassment, fraternization, rape, pregnancies and prostitution. The common stereotype has been male supervisors using their power for intimidating female subordinates. Covered up, though equally practiced, were female subordinates using their “sexual charms” for favors from their superiors.
Co-worker dating, a problem for civilian employers, presents massive discipline and readiness challenges in the military. DefenseWatch has previously highlighted the readiness problems caused through the non-deployable status of pregnant female troops, including the number who become pregnant during deployment and must be returned to their home station.
The sexual mores today are by-products of the “sexual revolution” popularized during the 1960s. We became far more inventive regarding sex and sexual-related activities, including mud wrestling. Playboy magazine pioneered the massive number of magazines today which go far beyond showing women’s breasts. Mini-skirted go-go dancers evolved into topless dancers, and now “triple X” shows seemingly have no limits.
Our soldiers have all grown up with these images, and children everywhere are exposed to sexual images at increasingly younger ages. Many schools pass out condoms and birth control pills on the rationale, “They are going to have sex anyway.” Some schools provide abortion services to students, often without the parents knowing it. Growing up in this atmosphere, do we actually expect them to suddenly change merely by enlisting in the military?
While researching this article, when I typed the key phrase “mud wrestling” on my internet search engine, I received the message, “1 of 268,000 results.” That demonstrated the popularity of mud wrestling. Most of these events feature scantily-clad women performing in front of a mostly male audience. During college spring breaks, MTV features co-eds mud wrestling, and more risqué activities for the enjoyment of their male counterparts. Many young co-eds at the local university where I live earn money as “dancers” in various area clubs in addition to “recruiting posters” on several bulletin boards from a nearby Hooter’s restaurant.
The challenge faced by the U.S. military is that it cannot model military conduct after that demonstrated by college students. Our troops are engaged in fighting our nation’s wars, making good order and discipline imperative. Not only is our national security at stake, but the lives of our soldiers as well. That is the reason that standards of conduct for military personnel, especially senior-subordinate relationships, have to be much stricter.
However, our soldiers do not engage in continuous combat operations, and need regular rest and relaxation (R & R) activities. During my experience with all-male infantry units in remote locations, we engaged in sports, including boxing. Rear areas, normally with higher concentrations of troops, enjoyed the occasional USO shows.
During World War II, Bob Hope began his epic Christmas USO tours for the troops serving overseas. Beautiful women were a big part of these shows, enthusiastically welcomed by the male audiences. Hope remarked during one of these shows regarding one of these women, “I just wanted you to know what you’re fighting for.” Of course all of the women in Hope’s shows were civilians, which I believe is the big distinction.
Another reason why the “mud wrestling” incident in Iraq commandeered such widespread coverage stems from the news media’s own double standard. Sexual scandals occur outside the military, yet the media does not give them the same emphasis. I remember the scandals at various military installations during the 1990s and the subsequent massive investigations. First was the 1991 “Tailhook Scandal” involving naval aviators at their annual convention in Las Vegas. Aberdeen Proving Ground became known as an Army sexual playground, and news coverage portrayed all male leaders as predators.
But when sex scandals involve civilians, the standards change, and people are judged as individuals. For example, we have many recent scandals involving teachers and their students. Best known is the case of Mary K. Letourneau, who had sex with her then-12 year old student. Currently in the news is Debra Lafave accused of a sexual relationship with her 14-year-old student in Tampa, Fla.
Unfortunately, I found that these are not isolated incidents, which should disturb the general public. A New Hampshire teacher was charged with sexual assault on a 17-year-old girl, not his first similar offense. Another teacher in neighboring Massachusetts was charged with “luring” young students for sexual purposes.
Two other teachers “moonlighted” as prostitutes and were caught in a “sting” by undercover policemen. On Aug. 19, 2003 the KRON-4 website revealed that in Oakland, Calif., police arrested a Berkeley teacher who stated that she only “hooked” during the summer to supplement her income. Another teacher in Kentucky, married with young children, advertised her “services” on the Internet.
No one blamed the U.S. Secretary of Education for these scandals, or even the individual school principals. Teachers, as a profession, were not vilified by these incidents, or required to endure “sensitivity training.” The media and the general public must give the same consideration to military personnel as well. At least all the members of the “mud wrestling” incident in Iraq were adults.
Furthermore, these soldiers were in a combat zone, and faced threats greater than exposing their breasts. Living under such conditions often accentuates reckless behavior when taken from that danger and given R&R. Anyone who has been in similar circumstances understands the feeling of euphoria at just surviving.
I do not excuse their behavior; something failed in the chain of command, and must be fixed. However, I do not feel that this “scandal” merits the resulting media coverage. Given the constant bombardment of sexual suggestions throughout our society, mud wrestling seems relatively insignificant.
Whether we like it or not, mud wrestling represented a piece of “home” for these younger soldiers. Otherwise, the women would not have participated in the event, or exposed their breasts. However, we do not want female soldiers providing these “suggestive services” for the members of their units.
If soldiers feel the need for such entertainment, do we hire civilians, or deny it as inappropriate? If approved, will our overly “politically correct” atmosphere allow the hiring of civilians? Then we have the problem of “Muslim sensibilities,” which cannot be taken lightly.
I remember during the ‘70’s that the Army club system hired civilian go-go dancers. In 1982, I first saw mud wrestling at the post NCO Club, again involving civilian women. So a record exists of providing such entertainment on military installations.
With all of the mud wrestling sites on the internet, the military could certainly outsource for this service. One of the most popular forms of entertainment is Vince McMahon’s World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (WWE). This entertainment features scantily-clad female wrestlers in such things as “bra and panty” matches.
This past Christmas the WWE visited our troops in the combat zones, I watched this program on television. When the scantily-clad WWE divas appeared, they received the same enthusiasm as they do in stateside auditoriums. Since no riots occurred in the “Arab Street,” it must have passed the “Muslim sensibilities” test.
All of the wrestlers expressed their heart-felt gratitude to the troops, many with tears in their eyes. I am sure, if approached, McMahon could put something together on a regular basis.
So instead of the news media continuing to over-hype the problem, I suggest our military leadership develop a common-sense program setting strict guidelines maintaining appropriate standards of conduct for civilian employees – even mud wrestlers. And let the soldiers remain in the audience.
William F. Sauerwein is a Contributing Editor of DefenseWatch. He can be reached at mono@gtec.com. Please send Feedback responses to dwfeedback@yahoo.com.
Ellie
Common Sense and Mud Wrestling
By William F. Sauerwein
The media hype concerning the “Mud Wrestling Scandal” in Iraq borders on the absurd.
As reported earlier this week, the incident occurred last Oct. 30 in the 160th Military Police (MP) Battalion, an Army Reserve unit assigned to guard detainees at Camp Bucca, Iraq. The unit was celebrating the end of its tour of duty. No detainees were in the vicinity, and the party was in an isolated location. Unit spokesman Lt. Col. Barry Johnson stated, “Some individuals in their exuberance decided to put together a mud-wrestling thing.”
Photographs from this party showed several female soldiers wrestling in their bras and panties. One of these soldiers, responding to the male crowd, then exposed her chest, all captured on camera. She and a second soldier received Article 15 non-judicial punishment for conduct unbecoming a soldier, demoted one pay grade and returned to duty.
I do not know if anyone up the chain of command received any kind of punishment, but it is merited. With all the emphasis on military “sex scandals” over the years, this event should not have happened. Leaders are paid to exercise judgment, and poor judgment jeopardizes the mission and the soldiers’ lives.
Honestly, without the sexual implications and supposed “degradation of women” this incident would not merit any attention. Change this to unit-level boxing between male contestants in gym shorts and you have no scandal. Boxing competitions occur on almost all military installations, with the only coverage in the sports pages.
Since the majority of our soldiers are young, we must understand that sex is important in their lives. When armies were exclusively male, these needs were satisfied by caravans of “camp followers.” During the 19th century Indian Campaigns, each company-size unit was authorized two “laundresses.” One unidentified commander sarcastically remarked that the Army retained this service because of “other needs.”
The increasing integration of women into the armed forces brought a new set of readiness problems such as sexual harassment, fraternization, rape, pregnancies and prostitution. The common stereotype has been male supervisors using their power for intimidating female subordinates. Covered up, though equally practiced, were female subordinates using their “sexual charms” for favors from their superiors.
Co-worker dating, a problem for civilian employers, presents massive discipline and readiness challenges in the military. DefenseWatch has previously highlighted the readiness problems caused through the non-deployable status of pregnant female troops, including the number who become pregnant during deployment and must be returned to their home station.
The sexual mores today are by-products of the “sexual revolution” popularized during the 1960s. We became far more inventive regarding sex and sexual-related activities, including mud wrestling. Playboy magazine pioneered the massive number of magazines today which go far beyond showing women’s breasts. Mini-skirted go-go dancers evolved into topless dancers, and now “triple X” shows seemingly have no limits.
Our soldiers have all grown up with these images, and children everywhere are exposed to sexual images at increasingly younger ages. Many schools pass out condoms and birth control pills on the rationale, “They are going to have sex anyway.” Some schools provide abortion services to students, often without the parents knowing it. Growing up in this atmosphere, do we actually expect them to suddenly change merely by enlisting in the military?
While researching this article, when I typed the key phrase “mud wrestling” on my internet search engine, I received the message, “1 of 268,000 results.” That demonstrated the popularity of mud wrestling. Most of these events feature scantily-clad women performing in front of a mostly male audience. During college spring breaks, MTV features co-eds mud wrestling, and more risqué activities for the enjoyment of their male counterparts. Many young co-eds at the local university where I live earn money as “dancers” in various area clubs in addition to “recruiting posters” on several bulletin boards from a nearby Hooter’s restaurant.
The challenge faced by the U.S. military is that it cannot model military conduct after that demonstrated by college students. Our troops are engaged in fighting our nation’s wars, making good order and discipline imperative. Not only is our national security at stake, but the lives of our soldiers as well. That is the reason that standards of conduct for military personnel, especially senior-subordinate relationships, have to be much stricter.
However, our soldiers do not engage in continuous combat operations, and need regular rest and relaxation (R & R) activities. During my experience with all-male infantry units in remote locations, we engaged in sports, including boxing. Rear areas, normally with higher concentrations of troops, enjoyed the occasional USO shows.
During World War II, Bob Hope began his epic Christmas USO tours for the troops serving overseas. Beautiful women were a big part of these shows, enthusiastically welcomed by the male audiences. Hope remarked during one of these shows regarding one of these women, “I just wanted you to know what you’re fighting for.” Of course all of the women in Hope’s shows were civilians, which I believe is the big distinction.
Another reason why the “mud wrestling” incident in Iraq commandeered such widespread coverage stems from the news media’s own double standard. Sexual scandals occur outside the military, yet the media does not give them the same emphasis. I remember the scandals at various military installations during the 1990s and the subsequent massive investigations. First was the 1991 “Tailhook Scandal” involving naval aviators at their annual convention in Las Vegas. Aberdeen Proving Ground became known as an Army sexual playground, and news coverage portrayed all male leaders as predators.
But when sex scandals involve civilians, the standards change, and people are judged as individuals. For example, we have many recent scandals involving teachers and their students. Best known is the case of Mary K. Letourneau, who had sex with her then-12 year old student. Currently in the news is Debra Lafave accused of a sexual relationship with her 14-year-old student in Tampa, Fla.
Unfortunately, I found that these are not isolated incidents, which should disturb the general public. A New Hampshire teacher was charged with sexual assault on a 17-year-old girl, not his first similar offense. Another teacher in neighboring Massachusetts was charged with “luring” young students for sexual purposes.
Two other teachers “moonlighted” as prostitutes and were caught in a “sting” by undercover policemen. On Aug. 19, 2003 the KRON-4 website revealed that in Oakland, Calif., police arrested a Berkeley teacher who stated that she only “hooked” during the summer to supplement her income. Another teacher in Kentucky, married with young children, advertised her “services” on the Internet.
No one blamed the U.S. Secretary of Education for these scandals, or even the individual school principals. Teachers, as a profession, were not vilified by these incidents, or required to endure “sensitivity training.” The media and the general public must give the same consideration to military personnel as well. At least all the members of the “mud wrestling” incident in Iraq were adults.
Furthermore, these soldiers were in a combat zone, and faced threats greater than exposing their breasts. Living under such conditions often accentuates reckless behavior when taken from that danger and given R&R. Anyone who has been in similar circumstances understands the feeling of euphoria at just surviving.
I do not excuse their behavior; something failed in the chain of command, and must be fixed. However, I do not feel that this “scandal” merits the resulting media coverage. Given the constant bombardment of sexual suggestions throughout our society, mud wrestling seems relatively insignificant.
Whether we like it or not, mud wrestling represented a piece of “home” for these younger soldiers. Otherwise, the women would not have participated in the event, or exposed their breasts. However, we do not want female soldiers providing these “suggestive services” for the members of their units.
If soldiers feel the need for such entertainment, do we hire civilians, or deny it as inappropriate? If approved, will our overly “politically correct” atmosphere allow the hiring of civilians? Then we have the problem of “Muslim sensibilities,” which cannot be taken lightly.
I remember during the ‘70’s that the Army club system hired civilian go-go dancers. In 1982, I first saw mud wrestling at the post NCO Club, again involving civilian women. So a record exists of providing such entertainment on military installations.
With all of the mud wrestling sites on the internet, the military could certainly outsource for this service. One of the most popular forms of entertainment is Vince McMahon’s World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (WWE). This entertainment features scantily-clad female wrestlers in such things as “bra and panty” matches.
This past Christmas the WWE visited our troops in the combat zones, I watched this program on television. When the scantily-clad WWE divas appeared, they received the same enthusiasm as they do in stateside auditoriums. Since no riots occurred in the “Arab Street,” it must have passed the “Muslim sensibilities” test.
All of the wrestlers expressed their heart-felt gratitude to the troops, many with tears in their eyes. I am sure, if approached, McMahon could put something together on a regular basis.
So instead of the news media continuing to over-hype the problem, I suggest our military leadership develop a common-sense program setting strict guidelines maintaining appropriate standards of conduct for civilian employees – even mud wrestlers. And let the soldiers remain in the audience.
William F. Sauerwein is a Contributing Editor of DefenseWatch. He can be reached at mono@gtec.com. Please send Feedback responses to dwfeedback@yahoo.com.
Ellie