[Opinion] Female Top Guns

G.I. Jane is a Hollywood movie about a female officer who joins the marine camp and is reborn as a marine. Demi Moor played the role of the officer struggling through the harsh training at the marine camp. The lieutenant from the Navy Intelligence Office went through the physically challenging program that even 60% of most male applicants gave up during the course. In the end, she equaled and even outdid her male colleagues in alertness and fitness. Yet, her wish to join the Gulf war was rejected.

▷We now have five female pilots – three for fighter jets and two for freighters. I am not talking about a movie, and it’s happening in real. They successfully went through challenging training courses along with male candidates. Their families and friends encouraged them to go on talking about the move “G.I. Jane.” There were 12 all told in the beginning. As candidates went from the basic through intermediate and advanced courses, however, many dropped out. To become a pilot, one must be strong not only physically but also mentally. It takes one year and nine months for a candidate to become a pilot. And the costs run up to 1.1 billion a person.

▷According to the Air Force, women tend to lag behind men in terms of ability to recognize space and adapt to new environment at first. As time goes by, however, they close the gap with male colleagues. They are more sensitive and concentrating than men, which serves as a competitive advantage often times. One of the female pilots said that she was deeply moved by the scene down under - blue waters, tiny vessels and white clouds, which reminded me of what French writer and pilot Saint Exupery once said about flight, “The earth tell us much more about things than books do.”

▷We used to relate the image of female soldiers with those in white gown in field hospitals or in orderly uniform in back offices. But now things have changed. We have female officers who graduated from military schools and platoon commanders on the forefront. Added to the list are fighter and freighter pilots. Such a chauvinistic remark as “women are only women.” is the thing of the past. The women fighter pilots will sharpen their combat skills flying F5s before dispatched to squadrons where they will defend the nation’s sky. Depending on their performances for the next 2 years, they will be allowed to take F16. Now they are all set to train themselves harder for the day they will become a top gun. Indeed, dreams come true.

Song Young-eon, Editorial Writer