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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 18, 2017)
Wednesday, October 18, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Continued from page 11 earns the respect of those salty Marines, about half of whom will be combat veter- ans, standing in formation to greet her. I hope she can look her platoon in the eyes and earn their respect because of who she is, not what she is. That won’t be easy — it isn’t for men either, and it shouldn’t be. It isn’t her pla- toon sergeant’s job to make her job more comfortable because she is a woman — and that’s the deeper fear that so many of my fellow infan- try veterans are mulling. Not that females are incapable of leading infantry Marines, but that females will instantly be treated as something other than equals because of their gender. They fear that standards they have long been held to will crater and the Corps will get weaker instead of stronger. And if it turns out any other way than completely equal, she will not succeed because she will not have earned the respect of her Marines. If it turns out she doesn’t belong, I hope they get rid of her as fast as they took her in. The young Marines who will deploy into combat under her command deserve that kind of honesty, because the Marine Corps is not some candyland where they pass out lollipops to non-hackers, revel in excuses for failure, or have an “empathy tent” where softer souls and weak bodies can go play with crayons. The Corps exists solely — and trains every day of the week — to “locate, close with, and destroy the enemy, and to repel the enemy assault by fire and close combat.” That’s it, and that’s all. For this veteran-turned- observer, the only important part of the equation, at the end of the day, is whether or not this officer — any offi- cer — is a good leader of her Marines. That means she leads by example, never asks others to do something she isn’t willing to do herself, doesn’t break in the field when people are counting on her, is fair and just with her discipline, and succeeds as a force multiplier when rounds are coming down range. If she can do all of that — and there is no reason to believe she can’t — then she will earn the respect of the very hard and inflexible world of combat infantrymen she is now stepping into. We should all want that. I can admit my own skep- ticism. I’ve labored over it for a long time. Call it sex- ism, some kind of lingering chauvinism, whatever the PC flavor of the day might be. I don’t care what you call it, because I am being honest, based on my own formative experiences, and honesty makes a far more interesting conversation. And I have a stake in all of this. My own daughter will become a Marine Corps officer in the near future, and the only thing that I would ever ask for her is that she be granted the opportunity to prove herself at the high- est level, to demonstrate her intellect, her iron commit- ment, and her physical capa- bilities in a level arena — not one designed to see her succeed. Given that opportunity, I know she will succeed, and hope she learns to lead with judgment, justice, integrity, and honor in the decidedly inelastic world of the Corps, where many hard and accom- plished males have failed. I hope for that because, in the final analysis, that’s precisely the kind of coun- try my Marine Corps has been fighting from the Barbary Coast, to Belleau Wood, to Guadalcanal and Fallujah to build, honor, and to protect for future generations. HOWELLS REALTY GROUP Phil Arends 541-420-9997 phil@blackbutte.com PEAK PROPERTIES PARTNERSHIP Dick Howells 541-408-6818 Black Butte Ranch, Sisters Area, rahowells@blackbutte.com and Central Oregon Let our 40+ years of combined experience work for you. Whether you are buying or selling, call us for a no-obligation consultation. www.realestateinsisters.com | 220 S. Ash St., Sisters Superior Escrow Execution Ultimate Service ECO BIKING: Program will be available next summer Continued from page 25 child and parent, Walden will be ready for you to join her next summer. And in between visiting golden eagle nesting territories both my wife, Sue, and I will be with some of the eco bikers to share what we know about the world of nature and how it all fits into all our lives. to recycle, and how they can take part in projects together and enjoy fun summer out- doors. For more information call Walden at 541- 719-8021, or go to her website next summer early and get in on the tours her bikers will be taking: www. bbekids.org. As of now, the first kid’s Eco Bike tour for 2018 will be on Wednesday, June 20, meeting 9 a.m. at Black Butte School. Better get it on your calendar PHOTO BY JIM ANDERSON before the tour is Eco bikers Rope Chew (L) and Athen Garrett filled. If this sounds wondering why crawdads were abundant in early good to both summer, but gone in late summer. The Peaks at Pine Meadow Village Four units under construction. 1,200-1,400+ sq. ft., single-car garage, energy effi cient with a modern edge. $369,000-$379,000. Graphic courtesy: www.pateydesigns.com GRUNT: Daughter to become Marine Corps officer 29 Exclusively offered by… Sisters HomeLand Realty Ali Mayea & Jill A Jarkesy 541-588-6007 | 401 E. Main Ave. alimayea@bendcable.com Buying or Selling in Sisters? Call and schedule a home valuation TODAY! Ross Kennedy, Principal Broker Ro Luxury Home Specialist Call 54 541-408-1343 • myrksolutions.com 541-549-5555 Sisters 541-595-3838 The Ranch Stop by and visit with Tiana Van Landuyt & Shelley Marsh. 220 S. Pine St., Ste. 102 | 541-548-9180 Open House Saturday, October 21 — Noon to 4 p.m. — 69336 Hackamore, Sisters — Immaculate, 3-bedroom, 2-bath, 1,700 sq. ft ., log cabin border- ing USFS land, 2-car detached garage, close to swimming pool, tennis court, bike trails and endless recreation opportuni- ties. Enjoy the hot tub and a log gazebo outdoor dining area. A true must-see. Asking $469,000. Of Central Oregon 505 Franklin Ave., Bend Oregon 97701 Tommy Bunch, Broker | 503-819-6675 TCBunch@icloud.com
