BS: Women in the front line

Subject: RE: BS: Women in the front line
From: Ed T
Date: 19 Dec 14 - 02:19 PM

""Some 7,000 volunteer soldiers have joined the Women's Protection Unit, or YPJ, which grew out of the wider Kurdish resistance movement. The group is strongly associated with the PKK, an organization fighting for the rights of Kurds in neighboring Turkey that has been designated a terrorist group by the U.S. State Department. Alongside Kurdish Peshmerga forces, the YPJ has been battling against Islamic militants who have seized large areas of Iraq and Syria and declared a cross-border caliphate.""




Kurdish women solders 

Subject: RE: BS: Women in the front line
From: GUEST,Some bloke in Scotland
Date: 19 Dec 14 - 01:34 PM

panel view?

What a simplistic, odd notion? I doubt many people on Mudcat would wish to be associated in a view of a subject where the only alternative to equal access to career advancement is misogyny.

The original post refers to idealistic claptrap.

Meanwhile, back in the 21st century, we have equality which, in the country the original poster resides in, is supported by enabling legislation to allow such moves to go forward without reference to old fashioned views that sometimes need a nudge in order to wither and die.

Subject: RE: BS: Women in the front line
From: Lighter
Date: 19 Dec 14 - 01:28 PM

The "average female" is unlikely to make a lifetime career of the military in the first place, and less likely to seek or need "combat experience" (which can be defined quite loosely).

Women who seek combat-unit assignments shouldn't be prevented from doing so simply because they're women. If they can meet the requirements, they can do the job.

Soviet women successfully flew combat aircraft in WWII. Right now, Kurdish women are fighting of their own free will as uniformed, gun-toting infantry against ISIS/ISIL (now to be called "Daesh," according to today's news). They seem to be quite effective.

While wars are certainly caused by greedy, ambitious SOBs, what should the people they target do about it, if not fight?

Subject: RE: BS: Women in the front line
From: GUEST,sciencegeek
Date: 19 Dec 14 - 01:19 PM

thank you, DC for pointing out what should be the obvious & I didn't feel like bringing up myself.

that said.. when 40 years younger I knew that I was stronger & fitter than many of my male college friends... and later when I was running a riding stable, I could handle 100 pound bags of grain without breaking into a sweat... you don't need a gym membership when you physically mix 1500 pounds of feed several times a week, not to mention bales of hay or mucking out stalls.

If a person can make it through training - boot camp- they should be qualified to handle their duties. That IS the point... take civilians and turn them into military personnel.

Subject: RE: BS: Women in the front line
From: GUEST,#
Date: 19 Dec 14 - 01:08 PM

Women in combat--it'll never happen, right?

Subject: RE: BS: Women in the front line
From: Doug Chadwick
Date: 19 Dec 14 - 12:58 PM

Who ate my cookie?

That was me above.

DC

Subject: RE: BS: Women in the front line
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Dec 14 - 12:55 PM

It seems to make no sense, as the average female is less strong and of different physical and mental make up.

The average female is less strong than the average male but the overlap is such that the best females will be better, in many respects, than the average male. The average male, after all, lies somewhere between an elite fighting machine and a pot-bellied couch potato

I expect that there will always be a lot more men on the front line than women but, for those females who have the desire and measure up to the requirements, why not make use of their talents.

DC

Subject: RE: BS: Women in the front line
From: GUEST,sciencegeek
Date: 19 Dec 14 - 12:00 PM

since I work in a state office building, we often get notice to lower the flags... this just came a few minutes ago:

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has directed that flags on state government buildings be flown at half-staff on Monday, Dec. 22, 2014 in honor of a Fort Hood soldier who died in Afghanistan on Friday, Dec. 12.

Sgt. Ramon S. Morris died from wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device in Parwan Province, Afghanistan. Morris, from New York City, was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

Too many of our troops are young people who see little future in their current circumstances and find military service as a possible way out of their otherwise dead end lives... if they survive and don't lose it to PTSS. You'll not see names like Romney, Chaney or Bush on the casualty lists...

Subject: RE: BS: Women in the front line
From: Rapparee
Date: 19 Dec 14 - 11:14 AM

If they can pass the same training, why not? It's not like someone being mortared and shot at is going to "take advantage" of a bunker mate who's armed with a rifle, knife, and bayonet (or more).

The problem that is going to be faced in the long run is that most women don't see any need for combat unless it's to defend themselves, their children, or others near and dear to them.

Besides, "combat" doesn't mean "infantry." It includes tankers, cannon-cockers, gunship pilors, combat engineers, and others.

Subject: RE: BS: Women in the front line
From: GUEST,sciencegeek
Date: 19 Dec 14 - 11:14 AM

there is a stretch of highway recently dedicated to a young servicewoman who died in "combat"... her convoy hit either mines or car bombs detonated remotely. That's part of the current way that war is being "fought"...

Anyway... females in the military often have more issues with sexual harrassment from their own "superiors" who either participate or cover up such inappropriate behavior. It seems that there are still plenty of jerks who have yet to realize that having a Y chromosome does not impart any kind of superiority to them... they are still jerks in the end.

Subject: RE: BS: Women in the front line
From: GUEST,CS
Date: 19 Dec 14 - 10:58 AM

Other nations have women soldiers on the front line. Is there any evidence to demonstrate that such armies have been in any way undermined by such a policy?

My personal opinion on whether it's a good idea or a bad idea, would tend to depend on what is actually known about the impact of having women on the front line.

Subject: RE: BS: Women in the front line
From: GUEST,sciencegeek
Date: 19 Dec 14 - 10:47 AM

I would think that based on thousands of years of written record, it is "reasonable" to assume that there will always be self serving SOBs that will start wars that they think will benefit themselves and their cronies... and the heck with anyone else.

So... if there is to be a war fought, then at least provide equal opportunity to those who are willing to fight. Hopefully, the competent will rise to the top and do their best to end the conflict with the least amount of damage to their own side. And make sure that equality is in ALL parts of society. I for one support the notion of "liberty and justice for all", even if it isn't always practiced.

Subject: RE: BS: Women in the front line
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Dec 14 - 10:29 AM

Just guessing, but I would imagine the reason given is that advancement in rank is hindered by a lack of combat experience, so keeping women out of the front lines is a way of discriminating against them.

And complicity, i.e. getting people to squeeze the trigger and actually kill for the enrichment of the already obscenely over-rich, is the best way to ensure loyalty. With women in positions of authority in the corporate world it's important to make sure they have as much reason as men to be patriotic.

Subject: RE: BS: Women in the front line
From: GUEST,sciencegeek
Date: 19 Dec 14 - 10:17 AM

and here I thought we were in the 21st century...

if yours is a volunteer army, then I suspect that any female who wishes to enlist is free to do so... and since the career advancement path requires combat experience, then they should be afforded the opportunity for promotion....

maybe you might end up with better leadership if a gal is in charge... just saying...

Subject: BS: Women in the front line
From: akenaton
Date: 19 Dec 14 - 07:09 AM

I would be interested to hear the panel's views on this move to bring females into a fighting position in the UK Army

It seems to make no sense, as the average female is less strong and of different physical and mental make up.

The real question of course is WHY? We are cutting our armed forces, why do we need to bring women into an aggressive fighting position?

Is it simply dangerous ideological claptrap?