|
More Women in Combat
Selected cuts from an article I just found and bloggedWhen quick action is required in an emergency situation, a soldier often doesnât have time to think. The soldierâs training and instincts take over. Pfc. Jessica Lynn Nicholson, 21, a 1st Armored Division soldier with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 40th Engineer Battalion, 2nd Brigade, Division Engineers, found out how true that adage is recently when she was working at a security checkpoint in Baghdad. The reason she, a tracked-vehicle mechanic, was assigned to the checkpoint was to search women. âBut, that day (about 9 a.m. on June 7) there were a lot of people gathering at this checkpoint and it was very busy. So, I was asked to search some men, too,â said Nicholson. During the second search, the soldier spotted a grenade hidden behind the visor on the driverâs side. The soldier shouted, âGrenade!â âI immediately got man down on the ground, face down, and I remember pressing his face into a sandbag,â Nicholson said. She continued to hold him down until other soldiers came over and zip-cuffed the man. Asked if she had grown up as a tomboy, Nicholson said, âNo, I was even a cheerleader for a little while. I guess I kind of grew up out in the middle of nowhere,â she said, âand I just always had to do whatever needed to be done.â She grew up in Silverton, Idaho, and, when she was 15, her family moved to Winnemucca, Nev. She said she has also boxed with some of the men in her company. Asked if she wore boxing gloves, she replied, âOh yes, of course, we had boxing gloves. I wouldnât want to hurt them.â Nicholsonâs weapon is an M-249 SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon), which she carries with her everywhere she goes. She has nicknamed her SAW, âCamille.â âItâs my baby,â she said. Posted by: Chuck Simmins 2004-01-06 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=23895 |