Women in combat roles

[mudskipper]

I'm not so sure about the physically capable part tbh just look at some of the light infantry units carrying 20-30kgs at twice the normal speed, plus other units like the Para's

Anyone who does not meet the physical standard should not be allowed in the job. But some women will meet the requirements.

[BrilloPad]

Is that a good reason to stop one of the genders from participating? If it's really an issue, have single sex groups.

If you go that far you would need a group for lesbians, one for gays. And of course one for transgender.

But since its not an issue in the first place who cares. Can't soldiers behave like grown ups?

[Troll]

Surely the psychological effects on the nation of a woman front line soldier being captured is worse than a man as they will be raped ( I know the RAF pilots shot down in the first Iraq war were nearly raped)

Also if you ever end up with slaughter on the scale of WW1 you need your baby producing units well away from the front line to re-populate the country

[The Spartan]

Is that a good reason to stop one of the genders from participating? If it's really an issue, have single sex groups.

There are single sex platoons but due to numbers it's not always possible to accommodate plus once they go to their unit after training there's nothing to stop fraternising then.

[bobspud]

Is that a good reason to stop one of the genders from participating? If it's really an issue, have single sex groups.

That's a good idea the we could call the girly regiments tea ladies

More seriously you need to think of the darker side of military combat and things like the female journalist that got gang raped in Egypt last year. The army is not in a soft role and sending women into a place where they would be in a perceived greater danger than their male counterparts is neither sensible or ethical.

[Dallas]

That's a good idea the we could call the girly regiments tea ladies

More seriously you need to think of the darker side of military combat and things like the female journalist that got gang raped in Egypt last year. The army is not in a soft role and sending women into a place where they would be in a perceived greater danger than their male counterparts is neither sensible or ethical.

That scene in GI Jane (yes whatever - cr@p film) where towards the end he attempts to rape her

shudder

[The Spartan]

Anyone who does not meet the physical standard should not be allowed in the job. But some women will meet the requirements.

Agreed, the thing that annoys me is that all my mates are up in arms about them cutting 5300 jobs from the forces when the truth of the matter is a lot of them don't meet the required standard, others joined for the wrong reasons and haven't made a career out of it and aren't motivated. Hardly the people you want fighting next to you

[BrilloPad]

Any woman signing up must be aware that if she becomes a POW then she will be tortured. But then its the same for a man.

If a woman is prepared to accept the risks then fine. I just don't think the choice should be forced upon her.

[Mich the Tester]

Can you think of any off hand?

Oh, Kelly Holmes, (army pt instructor), Sally Gunnell, more recently Anna Watkins, Katherine Grainger, plenty of good female athletes with the strength and stamina for front line roles. It's a different discussion to the emotional aspects of mixed groups in combat, where I just don't know enough to make the judgment, but there really are lots of female athletes with the right physical abilities.

[MyUserName]

I think that most people would agree that fewer women than men could make a military physical test.
However, some women would make the standard. So they should be allowed to join.

But joinining in combat units should not be allowed imho. It causes an extra layer of emotional and psycological noise. Even if there were single sex units they would still be perceived differently, I would bet money that female only units would be unlikely to be given the same number of high risk deployments as their male counterparts.

With experience this would change and everyone would be treated equally - but how many people are going to die etc whilst we gain this experience?

Do not get me started on the hassle caused by people in the same unit dating each other, or even worse dating one and dumping then before dating someone else etc. It is just a timebomb waiting to explode.