[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 13 (Wednesday, February 5, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H290]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND THE ARMY
(Ms. NORTON asked and was given permission to address the House for 1
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, after the Aberdeen revelations concerning
sexual harassment, the Army brass came to the Women's Caucus and
unequivocally pledged that they would never go back to discriminatory
training of men and women. Yesterday, however, in the other body, the
Army Chief of Staff, Dennis Reimer, suggested that they might be open
to a reexamination of sex-integrated training.
Following recent revelations, one can understand their frustration,
but, Mr. Speaker, it is totally unacceptable to move back to the dark
ages when there were two armies, one for men and one for women. The
Army itself has field tested single-sex training and found that it
improves the performance and morale of women with no negative effect on
unit cohesion.
Look, if I get mugged outside of the Capitol, do not tell me not to
walk down that street anymore. Make it safe. To the Army brass I say:
Don't throw in the towel. Above all, don't throw the towel at women.
They can die together, they can train together.
____________________