Female Navy Commander Leaves Ship Over Alleged Affair

[ChillDoubt]

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-28500346

I know we had a discussion some weeks back after the MOD announced a review over using females in a combat role.
This story if proven is precisely the reason that women cannot and should not serve in front line 'teeth' arms, it is fraught with detrimental implications.

[pixie373]

...or that this woman cannot and should not, anyway.

[wolf63]

I don't see the problem - just castrate all the males.

Do other military forces around our planet have men and women serving together successfully on the front line?

[pixie373]

Maybe they should tell the men the rules too?

[boxtops]

This is about a woman having an affair with an officer, though, nothing to do with front line combat (IMO). She's broken the code of conduct. Don't tell me you don't think men do this sort of thing too.... or are you saying that there shouldn't be women in the field, as it leads to sexual dalliances?

[factor-fiction]

Did she have an affair with another woman then? Or was there a man involved too?

[ChillDoubt]

Fighting on the front line has been exclusively a male preserve in HM Forces for over 300 years, it's one area where political correctness causes more problems than it solves!

[ChillDoubt]

... or are you saying that there shouldn't be women in the field, as it leads to sexual dalliances?
----------------
No, just teeth arms/the FEBA.(Forward Edge of the Battle Area)

[pixie373]

You are joking?

[venator]

The Royal Navy flourished on " rum, bum and the lash" under the old Queen...

The navy hasn't caught up with the new morality - yet.

It's a personal feeling. not knowing any of the facts, that a woman is as capable of exercising judgement in a stress situation as a man

[Prudie]

When I saw it, as a woman I was just very disappointed. She's done a lot of harm to any argument women had about reaching senior roles in the forces (nothing to do with FLC). I only hope she thought long and hard and that he was worth it.

[jno]

I wonder if the other officer has left too? Or perhaps he's the second-in-command who has now taken over?

[pixie373]

I don't think so, prudie. To say one woman represents 51% of the population makes no sense to me.

[agchristie]

When she took up the post she said she was looking forward to working with a 'professional and focused' team.If she has broken the code of conduct she may well reflect on those words....

[kvalidir]

It's all a bit speculative at the moment to really form an opinion. She might have or might not have, at the moment it's 'alleged' and she's on 'holiday'. She might be being set up by people with an axe to grind or she might be really stupid and unprofessional. I'll be interested to see how this plays out.

[DTCwordfan]

1. She is skipper of her vessel and this could compromise the boat's safety - if true, she hasn't been professional to herself or to her crew.

2. It may not be true - there's to be an enquiry - it could be a crew member or whoever with a grudge who has 'outed' or 'smeared' her. Time will tell.

3. An aside, I was at a wedding recently with a 29 year old captain of the army who has done three tours in Afghanistan. He is dead against women serving with men in the field saying that they bring another dimension of responsibility and issues in the field that he doesn't need......an all female company, why not? And he is not a misogynist, just the practicalities of live action and communal living.

[Gromit]

The RN have not fought frontline since 1982, probably before she was even born. Was it Suez before that?

Stupid sexist arguement.

[Colmc54]

This may well have been a stage-managed stunt by the DOD. Most of us thought that the other party was male but it could possibly have been female (when I say 'it' is because I had to use the word 'party' that's all).

I think this is shameful but inevitable.

Service takes men, women, and homosexuals away from their families and loved ones for long periods of time in the service of our country. These lapses are inevitable and should not be judged too harshly especially when they have been going on from the start of naval history.

But of course the British Navy has more Admirals than ships. It must be incredibly hard for a woman to be a captain of one of them.

[naomi24]

Whatever gender, it’s highly unprofessional for a Commander of a Royal Navy ship to have an affair with another member of the ship's company.

[sp1814]

I can't tell if this is a serious question.

Chilldoubt - are you saying that this one woman's actions should determine the Navy's policy on the treatment and promotion of all women serving on the front line?

Or could it be that women are individuals, who conduct themselves according to their own morals, professionalism and abilities?

[Prudie]

This is nothing about women on the front line, it's about women breaking the ceiling through to senior roles. She was the first woman to have been given command of a RN ship and as such would naturally have been under scrutiny by the stalwarts. As I said earlier, I'm very disappointed that she appears not to have taken that responsibility professionally - do you now think another woman will be given command so easily after this? I don't.