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Show May 2.2003 - The Hurcka Reporter - Page Thu c and Keith L. Hanks, live in Her lather, Springville. Robert Bird, lives in Salem. Staff writer Sharyn Ob-scontributed to this report. Michael Coronado and David Bauman are on assignment with the Marine Corps 7th Engineer Support Battalion based at Camp Pendleton and Twentynine Palms. They are in Iraq. Utah woman leads Marines by Michael Coronado The Press-Enterpri- se CAMP VIPER, Central Iraq-Ma- rine Capt. Susan Bird is trained to knock down walls or anything else that gets in her way. She is also toppling the stereotype of women in the military. Her company of combat engineers was the first to push through the northern Kuwaiti border into Iraq, paving the way for ground troops to march toward Baghdad. Bird, according to her commanders, has the distinction of being the first woman in modern military history to reach the front lines of a battlefield. The Utah native says its what she does as a Marine captain and wont speculate on the significance it holds for women in the armed forces. "I really dont know," the Marine veteran eight-yesaid. "It doesnt make a difference to me. I try to be a role model." Since Desert Storm, U.S. women have played an increasing role in the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines. They fly combat missions, lead troops, drive supply trucks and work as mechanics. s, they They carry at and shot they fire get ar M-16- Factory Authorized Dealer & Service Center Lawn Mower and Chainsaw Repair and Sharpening, Small Engine Machines, etc. Carpenter Seed Company 1030 So. Provo 373-374- State 0 back. The Pentagon recently confirmed the first death of an American woman int he war-P- fc. Lori Ann Piestewa, 23, of Tuba City, AZ, a single mother of two preschoolers. and Piestcwas body, those of eight other American soldiers caught in the same ambush, were found during the rescue of American POW Jessica Lynch. As Lynchs case showed, women also share the risk of being captured, especially since the definition of the front lines is blurred by suicide attacks and guerrilla warfare. That danger played out when Lynch was captured along with 12 other members of her supply unit. commandos American snatched her from her Iraqi captors in a daring nighttime raid in An Nasiriyah, Iraq, on Tuesday, more than a week after her 307th Ordnance Maintenance Company vehicle made a wrong turn into an ambush. She is recovering from surgery. Women make up about 13 percent of the U.S. armed forces- -a proportion thats nearly doubled since 1980 and is up by a third since the last Gulf War. More than 90 percent of service positions are open to women. Census records indicate there are nearly 1,380 active-dut- y military women in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. About 17,340 female veterans lived in the two counties in 2000, up 14 percent from 1990, according to census estimates. Women comprise more than six percent of local veterans and nearly nine percent of local active-dut- y military. Congress liftpd the ban on women serving on combat ships after the first Gulf War and the Pentagon did away with its "risk rule," which outlined where women could and couldnt serve, based on the likelihood of enemy contact. "A woman looking at the Marine Corps can say, There is a place for me," said Lt. Alex Peaks, a Camp Pendleton Marine and platoon commander with the 7th Engineer Support Battalion. "The history of the mili- has always been that did not serve," Peaks said. "Incrementally, theyve been working closer to the front lines.' Bird, 32, knows just how close those lines are getting. Just days ago. Birds convoy, traveling toward an airfield in northeastern Iraq, fire and took small-arm- s d assaults from grenades. Her Marines fired back with a flurry of M-1- 6 rounds and .30 caliber machine guns. The convoy made it through without injuries or damage to their vehicles, Peaks said. Lt. Jennifer Hackwith, would like to thank everyone for the nice cards, flowers, and all your good wishes during my recent illness. truck-mount- en step-fathe- Birds Diabetic Supplies at low or no cost lo you delivered direct to your home. Medicare and Major Medical Provider ed second-in-comman- d, said women didnt play a role in the engineers until 1996, when it was decided that females could join the support companies that provide supplies and equipment to division forces. Hackwith, 26, has been in the Marines about four years. She is from Illinois. Bird and Hackwith lead "Hellbent Charlie Company," which is part of the 7 th Engineer Support Battalion. The unit is made up of about 170 combat engineers who rebuild construct roads, and bridges repair damaged air fields. It its broken, they fix it. The women commanders eat Meals Ready to Eat with their male counterparts and use the same outdoor toilets. They bark expletives like most other Marines and go weeks without showers. Some of the women drive five-to- n trucks. Other man machine guns the mounted on turrets . that protect the convoys. So fighting is just part of the job, Hackwith said. The male Marines say they dont see a woman, they see a leader who either knows his or her sniff or Better health, save money with American Diabetes Services Call Now: www.amcrkandiabetes.com Lets Were over stocked on 6x6, 6x8 house log seconds! Great for sheds, cabins, etc. Bi t Call today & Make a well play doesnt. "As long as I feel that she knows what she is doing. I'll follow them," said Cpl. Nick a Vaughan, 23-year-- nt operator stationed at Camp Pendleton, "You need trust." And the women say they like it just fine if theyre asked to pick up an 6 and fight tor their country. "Its cool to be here," Hackwith said. 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