After Michelle Witmer was killed in combat in Iraq, on April 9, 2004, her sisters of whom were also in the military wondered if they should return back to Iraq, after a time of leave. They decided to not go back. Her sisters, Charity and Rachel, remember the closeness that they developed with their unit and felt that they could not let them down. They felt a sense of camaraderie; however, they felt that they would not have been able to hold it together for their unit and felt they may have a meltdown. The two sisters expressed how important family was and that they would be better off staying home as they were grieving for their beloved sister. They remember their sister as making a difference in people's lives ("She had," 2004).

References

(2003). When mamma wears combat boots. Retrieved June 17, 2005,
from Forum on Women in the Military Website:

http://www.visionforumministries.org/sections/hotcon/ht/womeninmilitary/mama wears_combat_boots.asp

Donnelly, E. (2005) Army plays games with women-in-combat rule. Human Events, 61

(12). Retrieved June 14, 2005, from Academic Search Premier database.

Owens, M.T. (2005). GI Jane, again. National Review, 57 (10), 22-24.

Scully, M. (2005). Hunter retreats on proposal to limit women in combat. Congress Daily, 4, 2. Retrieved June 15, 2005, from Academic Search Premier database.

'She had a job to do' (2004). Newsweek, 143 (19), 8.