Women Overseas

[Kit1983]

I'm currently working an overseas contract with Raytheon as Firefigher II/ARFF/EMT-I and looking at where to go next... I'm very interested in what's left of Iraq or Afghanistan, and maybe Kwaj (KBR, WSI, Chugach, etc) .

Does anyone know if being a women is a disadvantage/advantage when applying to these places?

[firezapper]

Personally I think it's like anywhere else in the fire service. Some guys are going to be against women no matter what. Some guys have no problem with it as long as a woman can pull her weight (although unfortunately in some cases you have to prove yourself before being accepted, unlike men, who are given the benefit of the doubt until they prove they CAN'T).

I think the big difference here is that the locations you can be stationed will be limited because not all sites are equipped for separate living/bathroom.

Of course, over here there'll be even more of the childish who-is-she-sleeping-with bullsh*t just because there are fewer women for slobs to hit on, and when they get turned down it must be that the woman is a slut and getting it from EVERYONE. It's crap, but that's how it is.

[Kit1983]

Thanks firezapper!

I don't really mind having to prove myself but it's nice to hear that people understand that guilty-til-proven-innocent thing.

I'm working McMurdo station Antarctica now and even here we all end up sleeping in a coed bunkroom on duty. Fortunately it's a good crew and no one really cares who is seeing who's boxers in the morning.