Monday, March 28, 2011

Lance Corporal Kylie Watson



Lance Corporal is a British medic who was awarded the Military Cross for bravery:
Lance Corporal Kylie Watson, 23, tried to resuscitate one casualty as bullets smashed into the dust around her in a totally exposed position for 20 minutes.

She was also forced to use her SA80A2 rifle in anger firing 15 rounds to help defend her patrol during an ambush.

The LCpl also ran 100 metres under fire to save the life of another ANA soldier who had been shot through the pelvis.

His Afghan comrades were unhappy about a woman treating the wounded man and tried to stop her.

The Lance Corporal from Ballymena, who stands 5'1" tall, said: "I told them straight (through an interpreter), 'If I don't treat him, he dies. There is no argument, he is getting treated.
I came across this story while looking for something else. Bravery is one of those characteristics which some view as male rather than as human. That makes published examples of female bravery important. That this example is in a traditionally male field doesn't hurt.

News of these kinds of awards are like honey for the woman-hating bears, though. The comments to the story (by last night) did include a few by one person who felt that men do what Lance Corporal Watson did quite routinely and don't get awards for it, that women have wrecked the British military and so on. But only one. Which was nice.