Opinions

Extraordinary Women
 March is Women's History Month, a month to celebrate the 'sheroes' in our lives.  It was also in March 7 years ago that U.S.

troops were first sent to Iraq.   Thanks to military rules being extended to include females, women are now a vital part of combat,

risking their lives along with men, and taking on leadership positions.
 Today, female soldiers are being deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.  They hold a variety of ranks from Private First Class to

admirals and generals. Their stories are remarkable'wives, mothers, some second generation military women.  Their reasons for enlisting

are many'to travel, keep their country safe, or learn new job skills.  Military women want equality and recognition, and even though not

all women will choose to join a ground combat unit, they want the choice to be theirs, not the government's.
 Being a female soldier takes a special kind of spirit.  Not every man is brave enough to face the challenges of military life. 

Yet, there are some women who would have life no other way, like local sheroe, Private First Class Edilma Martinez-Chavez. 
      Originally from Guatamala, but raised in Inglewood, Martinez-Chavez recently became a naturalized citizen while serving in Iraq. 

She was one of several soldiers participating in a naturalization ceremony at Victory Base Complex in Iraq.
      Those of us who were U.S.-born tend to take our citizenship for granted, but people like Martinez-Chavez had to wait years for the

privilege.  In a video sent by a military reporter, the young soldier said she came to the U.S. at the age of 3 and enlisted in the

military at age 19.  The process of becoming a citizen took 2 years.
 'My family came with hopes of me being a citizen and doing something great for my country,' she said.  'Becoming a citizen means a

lot to me.  Now at age 22, I'll be able to vote.'  She said once she got word that her application for citizenship was accepted, the rest

was easy.  She only had to wait 2 months to make it official.  She encourages more immigrants to follow her example. 
      Another bright military star is Capt. Vernice Armour, the first black female combat pilot in U.S. military history.  A super

achiever, Armour was deployed to the Persian Gulf as part of Iraqi Freedom, and flew the famed Super Cobra attack helicopter.  Not bad for

a Tennessee girl in combat for the first time. 
      Despite her distinct history, Armour said being a black female plot was 'not any different than that of other women.  The only

difference was that being a black female just wasn't seen.'  Naturally, she doesn't want to be the last one of her kind.  She counts Mae

C. Jemison (first black female astronaut) among her inspirations and wants to be an example for young women looking to fight in the

military.
      Because of their relatively short history in the military, women tend to be overlooked, but that will change in time.  Like other

fields, women prove time and time again that they can hang with the guys.  Martinez-Chavez and Armour are two examples of tenacious women

who can excel in whatever they put their minds to.  When you support the troops, remember the women who are fighting just as hard as our

men.