it should always be a last resort in the policy. >> you're, obviously, well aware of the debate about female combat troops. they're too emotionally fragile, not physically strong enough. did you experience a lot of discrimination from your male counterparts when you were overseas? >> you know, as a second lieutenant, when i was first in iraq, there was a certain amount of rites of passage every marine goes through. i personally wrote this book to show there is a role for women in the military, a positive role, and i felt once i learned to deal with the military culture, people accepted me just like any other marine. >> you wrote a piece for "the washington post" about five myths of women in combat, physical strengths, sexual tension and women can be a distraction on the battlefield. are those myths? >> i believe so. i think if an officer enlisted woman presents themselves in a positive manner, and shows herself first as a military