First things first, a hat-tip to Alternate Brain for posting this information!  It is only right that I post about this, after posting about women who fought to give women the right to vote.  These women are fighting even more literally—illegally by military rules, to save their comrades, their military missions, and their own lives. Please follow the link, read about these women and the vital tasks they perform, before the military sweeps them back under a rung and punishes them for letting the cat out of the bag about why women NEED combat training because ONLY they can do certain jobs.

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LIONESS profiles five women who saw action in Iraq’s Sunni Triangle during 2003 and 2004. As members of the U.S. Army’s 1st Engineer Battalion, Shannon Morgan, Rebecca Nava, Kate Pendry Guttormsen, Anastasia Breslow and Ranie Ruthig were sent to Iraq to provide supplies and logistical support to their male colleagues. Not trained for combat duty, the women unexpectedly became involved with fighting in the streets of Ramadi.

Told through interviews, journal excerpts and archival footage, LIONESS offers a portrait of five soldiers who are also wives, mothers and daughters, and who have long coped with the demands of military life, especially the sacrifices involved in leaving behind spouses and young children. These combat-tested women exemplify what it means to be a good soldier, and illustrate the complicated role that women play in direct war combat. Reflecting on their recent deployment, the Lionesses display strength and candor, bridging the gap between the perception and the reality of the essential role women are playing in Iraq.+++

http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/lioness/film.html

And:

http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/lioness/teamlioness.html

Athena guard and bless them with her wisdom and strength!