ChatterBank1 min ago
Female front line troops
28 Answers
In this day of equalities, how is it that the female of the species is not called upon to fight along side the male of the species, are the lives of males of less value?
We see female fire-fighters, female police officers, and women are now allowed aboard warships.
In the constant quest for equality we see Girls allowed into the Boy Scouts, Female Boxers etc, etc.
Yet when it comes to front line troops, there is a stunning silence from the feminist lobby.
We see female fire-fighters, female police officers, and women are now allowed aboard warships.
In the constant quest for equality we see Girls allowed into the Boy Scouts, Female Boxers etc, etc.
Yet when it comes to front line troops, there is a stunning silence from the feminist lobby.
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paraffin
What army were you serving with?, I served in the 60s and 70s, and in NI, female Redcaps routinely carried pistols, also, in other theartres, while not 'frontline', I knew female soldiers that carried Sten as part of their duties.
In my day, it was the Belgium FM, and Bren, much too heavy for your average female.
I just don't think the 'fighting frontline' is the place for women, for the reasons i've already stated.
What army were you serving with?, I served in the 60s and 70s, and in NI, female Redcaps routinely carried pistols, also, in other theartres, while not 'frontline', I knew female soldiers that carried Sten as part of their duties.
In my day, it was the Belgium FM, and Bren, much too heavy for your average female.
I just don't think the 'fighting frontline' is the place for women, for the reasons i've already stated.
Lonnie:
British Army '68-'83. My missus also served with WRAC and, unlike the blokes, never had any weapon training. Nor did any of the other females. You're referring to NI, when the female Military Police never patrolled without male counterparts.
7.62mm rifles or 9mm pistols / machine guns were our personal weapons. We also had GPMG and hand grenade training as well.
We had to "re-classify" with our personal weapons every year, and also had NBC training which the women in those days didn't.
British Army '68-'83. My missus also served with WRAC and, unlike the blokes, never had any weapon training. Nor did any of the other females. You're referring to NI, when the female Military Police never patrolled without male counterparts.
7.62mm rifles or 9mm pistols / machine guns were our personal weapons. We also had GPMG and hand grenade training as well.
We had to "re-classify" with our personal weapons every year, and also had NBC training which the women in those days didn't.
jackthehat - I bow to Lonnie's greater knowledge of the subject.
I am not an unreasonable person or a feminist, but I feel that women are every bit as capable to serve their country. Perhaps in women only groups - I can see the sense in that.
There will be no easy answer to this question. Much has happened in the cause of equality since I was young. Joining the military is something that most young women consider when looking for a career even now.
I remember being told, when leaving school, that women could not be pilots because they have periods! I haven't heard that argument for some time.
Regardless of gender any loss of life is hard on the family of the serviceperson involved.
Maybe we should just ban war.
I am not an unreasonable person or a feminist, but I feel that women are every bit as capable to serve their country. Perhaps in women only groups - I can see the sense in that.
There will be no easy answer to this question. Much has happened in the cause of equality since I was young. Joining the military is something that most young women consider when looking for a career even now.
I remember being told, when leaving school, that women could not be pilots because they have periods! I haven't heard that argument for some time.
Regardless of gender any loss of life is hard on the family of the serviceperson involved.
Maybe we should just ban war.
I read AOG OP as being critical of the feminist lobby, effectively accusing them of hypocrisy over their alleged silence on having women as frontline combat troops, and on that specific premise i would disagree.
It is my understanding that the lack of female combat troops haslittle to do with an alleged silence from the feminist lobby, but more down to a combination of factors: historical, pragmatic and some possibly chauvenistic.
Most people would accept, I think, that the general physical differences between males and females would likely make women less effective on the frontline.Some women might qualify physically, but they would be the minority.
Pregnancy would obviously be a practical barrier.
The more chauvenistic factors would be the assumption that women are less ruthless than men when it comes to killing. I myself would like to think this is the case, but I dont know if there has been much evidence based study on the subject. And the thought of what might happen to captured female troops.
There are female fighter pilots in the US. So the american military will accept that a woman can be just as effective at killing as a male at least where being a pilot is concerned, that a woman could be just effective as a man at killing, Indeed it is thought that in general women tolerate GForce much better than males, and in this case the physical differences actually favour females.
It is my understanding that the lack of female combat troops haslittle to do with an alleged silence from the feminist lobby, but more down to a combination of factors: historical, pragmatic and some possibly chauvenistic.
Most people would accept, I think, that the general physical differences between males and females would likely make women less effective on the frontline.Some women might qualify physically, but they would be the minority.
Pregnancy would obviously be a practical barrier.
The more chauvenistic factors would be the assumption that women are less ruthless than men when it comes to killing. I myself would like to think this is the case, but I dont know if there has been much evidence based study on the subject. And the thought of what might happen to captured female troops.
There are female fighter pilots in the US. So the american military will accept that a woman can be just as effective at killing as a male at least where being a pilot is concerned, that a woman could be just effective as a man at killing, Indeed it is thought that in general women tolerate GForce much better than males, and in this case the physical differences actually favour females.
Are there not female fighter pilots in the UK? I know that we can fly helicopters in the UK
As I female I want totally equality of the sexes in the military.
As a reasonable person I realise this is not going to happen in the near future - if ever.
I think that women are becoming more assertive to the point of aggression and are dirty fighters - but we are not strong and we tend to be smaller.
Are women yet allowed in the SAS?
As I female I want totally equality of the sexes in the military.
As a reasonable person I realise this is not going to happen in the near future - if ever.
I think that women are becoming more assertive to the point of aggression and are dirty fighters - but we are not strong and we tend to be smaller.
Are women yet allowed in the SAS?
Whenever I think of women in uniform my thoughts go back to that US servicewoman who took part in torture at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison as this picture shows. I think she was booted out of the Army after facing a court martial.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Ghraib_tortur e_and_prisoner_abuse
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Ghraib_tortur e_and_prisoner_abuse
