Should Women be allowed to see frontline service?

[Oberon]

Man or woman, if one can be trusted to perform the physical and mental duties required of a frontline soldier, then I see no reason to not allow that person to be there.

The main question for me is whether enough women ARE physically capable of being "front line soldiers." Possibly for some infantry groups, but for rangers, infantry marines, special forces, navy seals, ISA, SFOD-D, etc, I find it hard to believe. It takes well above average physical abilities even to be in a basic marine infantry unit, and the vast majority of men can't do it. If women are on average significantly less physically capable (strength and endurance) is it likely that more than a handful will be capable of doing what such a minority of men can do?

And if there are a small minority of women who are physically capable of doing it, how many even want to join the military?

 

[Caladan]

I think women should be allowed to volunteer for combat units. But I do think their training should be separate. That movie GI Jane was very unrealistic, although fun to watch. They should have put a group of women through the training to see who could finish. The whole Hollywood vision of men and women showering together and not being sexual aroused is a myth that will never happen.

This would miss the main point and target of the fighters training, which is to create a band of men, or in this case a band of men and women. the fighters in the unit share the most intimate moments, they are stuck in a bush together for days sometime, helping each other taking a crap in a plastic bag. the men are stuck together in every situation for long months, and get to know each other's limits, style, traits, etc.
a combat unit is the last place that separation should be applied.

 

[Oberon]

This would miss the main point and target of the fighters training, which is to create a band of men, or in this case a band of men and women.

I'm not sure if this is really possible. My own experience tells me that the unity of groups in combat would have serious problems with mixed gender.

 

[Caladan]

I'm not sure if this is really possible. My own experience tells me that the unity of groups in combat would have serious problems with mixed gender.

Dunno, I think waking up next to a woman in the field can make my reserves duties more pleasant

 

[Oberon]

Dunno, I think waking up next to a woman in the field can make my reserves duties more pleasant

That much wouldn't be a problem.

 

[Falvlun]

The main question for me is whether enough women ARE physically capable of being "front line soldiers." Possibly for some infantry groups, but for rangers, infantry marines, special forces, navy seals, ISA, SFOD-D, etc, I find it hard to believe. It takes well above average physical abilities even to be in a basic marine infantry unit, and the vast majority of men can't do it. If women are on average significantly less physically capable (strength and endurance) is it likely that more than a handful will be capable of doing what such a minority of men can do?

And if there are a small minority of women who are physically capable of doing it, how many even want to join the military?

I agree with all of that, but why should the one, physically able female be denied her chosen and desired career path simply because "most women can't do it."

 

[Oberon]

I agree with all of that, but why should the one, physically able female be denied her chosen and desired career path simply because "most women can't do it."

I am somewhat one the fence here. I was in the military, so I have some experience here. I see a big problem with a combat unit operating in the field with one or two women, and all the rest men. If there aren't enough women to form a unit, a mixed gender combat unit could be a big problem (G. I. Jane aside). From what I have heard there were attempts in the past that failed. It is worth a try, certainly, and I don't think that women should be barred from combat simply because we don't want women dying in combat rather than just men.

 

[AlsoAnima]

There need to be set standards, and men and women meeting those standards should be allowed to fight.

Even though I say this, I am still anti-military.