Women to serve in close combat roles in the British military

[Looper]

A ban on women serving in close combat roles in the British military has been lifted by Prime Minister David Cameron.



Women were previously able to serve on the front line, but not where the primary aim was to "close with and kill the enemy" - ruling them out of serving in the infantry or armoured corps.

The PM confirmed the move at a Nato summit in Warsaw, Poland on Friday.
It follows a government review which recommended the ban should be lifted.
In lifting the ban Mr Cameron has accepted a recommendation from the head of the Army, General Sir Nick Carter.

'World class'

Mr Cameron said: "I agree with his advice and have accepted his recommendation. I have asked that this is implemented as soon as possible.
"It is vital that our armed forces are world-class and reflect the society we live in. Lifting this ban is a major step. It will ensure the armed forces can make the most of all their talent and increase opportunities for women to serve in the full range of roles."

The opening of roles for women in close combat are expected to be phased, initially with positions in cavalry and armoured units and then to the infantry.
Concern over the issue had centred on whether women had the physical capability to withstand the demands on their body that some of the roles will require.

One of the easier tests for the infantry, for example, involves recruits completing an eight-mile march in under two hours while carrying a backpack weighing 55lbs (25kg).

Analysis

By BBC defence correspondent Jonathan Beale

Women have already been serving on the front line in support roles such as medics and bomb disposal experts - most recently in Afghanistan.
But until now they've been banned from close combat roles - such as infantry units.

The British Army's already concluded that women will not have an adverse effect on a units cohesion or ability to fight - one of the old arguments to retain the ban.

So the review focused on the physical requirements - put simply whether a woman's body can withstand the demands of carrying large loads on long marches.

Even the Army's own research shows that less than 5% of the 7,000 women serving in British Army would pass the current tests to join the infantry.
The expectation is that the numbers of women applying will be relatively small. But the decision to lift the ban puts the UK in line with many of its allies, including the US.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has previously said he hoped to "open up combat roles to women" in 2016, saying roles "should be determined by ability and not gender".

Mr Fallon ordered an 18-month review of training procedures and the physical demands of fighting to ensure the change can be made without damaging female soldiers' health.

Speaking in December last year, Mr Cameron said: "The Defence Secretary [Michael Fallon] and I are united in wanting to see all roles in our armed forces opened up to women in 2016.

"We've already lifted a number of barriers in our armed forces with the introduction of female submariners and women reaching the highest ranks in all services. We should finish the job next year and open up ground combat roles to women."

'Paid for in blood'

Ministers first signalled an intention to allow women into such roles in 2014 when a government-commissioned report on the ban called for more research to assess the physical demands involved.

And in December last year the US announced that all combat roles in its military would be opened to women.

But proposals to open up roles to women has attracted criticism in the past.
In April former Army chief Colonel Richard Kemp said introducing women into such roles would be a "foolish move" that would be "paid for in blood".
Writing in the Telegraph, Col Kemp, who led the British forces in Afghanistan in 2003, argued: "This foolish move will reduce the capability of the infantry, undermine our national defences and put lives in danger."

He claimed only "a very small number" of women wanted to join the infantry, and that only "a fraction" of those would have the physical capability to do so.

Women to serve in close combat roles in the British military - BBC News

[ENT]

A stupid and dangerous move. Feminism and PC egalitarianism gone mad.

[longway]

Well, this may not make our combat forces more effective, but at least they will smell nicer.

[stroller]

A stupid and dangerous move. Feminism and PC egalitarianism gone mad.

Never been in a fight with a gal?

[ENT]

A stupid and dangerous move. Feminism and PC egalitarianism gone mad.

Never been in a fight with a gal?

I have in fact, several, at the dojo.

[jimbobs]

So the women are serving close combat rolls
Is that a type of sandwich?

[ENT]

Placed between a rock and a hard place.

[NZdick1983]

Humor me.. take a guess if you think that I would support women in the armed forces or not...

[Pragmatic]

Have been on maneuvers with women. They're a joke. They shit themselves as soon as it gets dark. Have a need to wash due to feminine hygiene and change their knickers every 10 minutes. Does Cameron really think a woman would take a dump in the midst of a dozen men and not cry for her mammy? The world's gone mad.

[Seekingasylum]

Or, conversely, do you think a gay REMF caught up with an Amazon like crew of bull dyke hard-assed, stumpy muscled women with attitude is going to get his white, worm-like pecker out and not freak out wanting his arse-bashing mate, Roger?

The only thought provoking argument against women in the front line was from an Israeli study in which they noted that combat effectiveness was somewhat undermined when female combatants were wounded in battle and the men around them simply could not resist the atavistic urge to protect them in favour of pressing home an attack.

Apparently, we are hard-wired to do this but in the Russo-German conflict of 1941-45 the Russkies used women everywhere and no-one gave a fuck. Horses for courses I suppose.

[NZdick1983]

The only thought provoking argument against women in the front line was from an Israeli study in which they noted that combat effectiveness was somewhat undermined when female combatants were wounded in battle and the men around them simply could not resist the atavistic urge to protect them in favour of pressing home an attack. Apparently, we are hard-wired to do this but in the Russo-German conflict of 1941-45 the Russkies used women everywhere and no-one gave a fuck. Horses for courses I suppose.

Exactly! it goes against human instinct to allow women in the armed forces.
What next? allow children to fight?

*Unless, of course - your mother country is being invaded by Nazi Muzzies, then every man, woman and child, should fight to the death...

[ENT]

Very few women will ever be used frontline, except for politically driven PC purposes.

[Maanaam]

Have been on maneuvers with women. They're a joke. They shit themselves as soon as it gets dark. Have a need to wash due to feminine hygiene and change their knickers every 10 minutes. Does Cameron really think a woman would take a dump in the midst of a dozen men and not cry for her mammy? The world's gone mad.

The women are not going to be sent to a frontline combat unit, they are going to apply for it, so I suppose that whoever applies knows what she's getting into.
I doubt Maryanne or Ginger will apply, but Xena might.
There are hormone injections that stop menstruation for 6 months at a time. I guess that would be popular for any women volunteers.

[VocalNeal]

The new ruling says they can, not that they will!

On a lighter note:

I say form a unit of 72 virgins and let the "other" potential combatants get a taste of paradise?

Or get the Geneva Convention changed so that all wars are girl-on-girl.

[Seekingasylum]

The Peshmerga operate an all gender frontline battle group. Those girls fight to the death not least because they know the consequence if captured alive by the enemy.

No man with a functioning brain would go toe-to-toe with those girls because he thought they are "weaker".

[Kurgen]

They'll be trigger happy 1 week in 4

[Maanaam]

The Peshmerga operate an all gender frontline battle group. Those girls fight to the death not least because they know the consequence if captured alive by the enemy.

No man with a functioning brain would go toe-to-toe with those girls because he thought they are "weaker".

True.
And there's quite a few Tongan and Samoan women I wouldn't want to mess with either.

[Kurgen]

It would be a brave man indeed who got between a geordie lass and her chips

[VocalNeal]

The Thais used to have women cut their hair like men and stand in the battle line in the hope of convincing their enemy that the army was bigger than it actually was!

[stroller]

[ENT]

^ Weird.

[NZdick1983]

^ Kinky