Integrating women into combat (1 Viewer)

[Gary Coal Man]

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Integrating women into combat reduces effectiveness, harms unit cohesion

March 19, 2015

As the American military prepares to open all combat positions to women by 2016, a British report found that integrating women into combat would reduce effectiveness in battle and could harm unit cohesion.

The British report, released in December, found that physiological differences put women at a disadvantage in both strength-based and aerobic fitness tests. Even women who are able to overcome the physiological disadvantage will likely get injured more easily or get tired quicker, making them easier targets and poorer marksmen in combat.

“These are about biology rather than character,” the report states.

The report found that some of these disadvantages could be mitigated. For example, a lack of physical strength or negative effect on unit cohesion could be cancelled out by excellent leadership or increased training.

The Center for Military Readiness said Thursday, however, that even the report’s solutions to problems of women serving in combat were just attempts to “soft-peddle inconvenient facts.”

“Every use of the word ‘mitigate’ in the [Ministry of Defence] report pinpoints a problem, not an advantage,” said Elaine Donnelly, president of the Center for Military Readiness. “There are no benefits balancing the weight of costs and risks that detract from combat readiness and effectiveness.”

U.S. service leaders told members of Congress on Tuesday that they are on track to open all combat positions to women by 2016, as required by law, and expect the rules for those changes to be finalized by this fall.

“We are on track to meet the deadlines. And I personally have received kind of interim update about how it’s all going. And I feel pretty good about it,” Air Force Secretary Deborah James said at a House Armed Services Committee hearing.

Women make up about 15 percent of the U.S. military. Many jobs are open to women now, including riverine units and submarines, but some positions like the “trigger pullers” for the SEALs, remain closed.

Navy Secretary Ray Mabus urged Congress to pass legislation to make it easier to recruit and retain female service members.

“We don’t have enough women in our service,” he said at the hearing.

Several female Marines are currently training at Twentynine Palms in California over the next month to see if they can meet the standards to serve in combat. About half of the two dozen women who were training with an infantry unit have already dropped out, mostly due to injuries, NPR reported.

But almost all of the nearly 20 women who are training with a unit of tanks and armored vehicles are still participating, the article said.

Six women are also expected to attend the elite Army Ranger School next month as part of the broader assessment of which combat roles should remain closed to women, Army Times reported.

Those who successfully complete the course will receive the Ranger tab, but will not be assigned to a Ranger regiment, the article said.

 

[Ditka Butkus]

IMO Women in combat is a bad idea.

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

Depends on the type of combat. They probably shouldn't be sent into a hand-to-hand combat situation, but I don't see why they couldn't be snipers or drone operators.

Or maybe each country in a war could have separate female units that just battle each other, like the WNBA.

 

[IC FBGCav]

I don't get women, still don't understand why they "wanted" to go to work. Personally I would choose housework and watching soaps while eating bon bons but to each their own.

 

[Ditka Butkus]

That is all we need is a young male marine on fire watch being seduced by a young female marine.

 

[Officer Pete Malloy]

Or maybe each country in a war could have separate female units that just battle each other, like the WNBA.

Or like Foxy Boxing or the Lingerie Bowl.

 

[Ditka Butkus]

Or maybe each country in a war could have separate female units that just battle each other, like the WNBA.

Or like Foxy Boxing or the Lingerie Bowl.

None of this will work in the Middle East. They have that big hang up over female nudity.

 

[Super King]

Depends on the type of combat. They probably shouldn't be sent into a hand-to-hand combat situation, but I don't see why they couldn't be snipers or drone operators.

Or maybe each country in a war could have separate female units that just battle each other, like the WNBA.

I'm sure they'll have good fundamentals, at least...

 

[Clifford]

Gotta love the steadfast war against reality going on here.

 

[Fennis]

Depends on the type of combat. They probably shouldn't be sent into a hand-to-hand combat situation, but I don't see why they couldn't be snipers or drone operators.

Or maybe each country in a war could have separate female units that just battle each other, like the WNBA.

you mean like if we decide to settle our differences with other countries with a boxing match?

 

[Jack White]

Depends on the type of combat. They probably shouldn't be sent into a hand-to-hand combat situation, but I don't see why they couldn't be snipers or drone operators.

Or maybe each country in a war could have separate female units that just battle each other, like the WNBA.

No one has ever died in a WNBA game.

 

[Officer Pete Malloy]

Depends on the type of combat. They probably shouldn't be sent into a hand-to-hand combat situation, but I don't see why they couldn't be snipers or drone operators.

Or maybe each country in a war could have separate female units that just battle each other, like the WNBA.

No one has ever died in a WNBA game.

Except for my erection.

 

[BrutalPenguin]

I mis-read the title as "Irritating women into combat" and I'm all for it. Maybe more effective than bullets

 

[Bucky86]

Imagine a platoon full of women on their periods. I'd hate to be the enemy that runs into them.

 

[TheAristocrat]

Depends on the type of combat. They probably shouldn't be sent into a hand-to-hand combat situation, but I don't see why they couldn't be snipers or drone operators.

Or maybe each country in a war could have separate female units that just battle each other, like the WNBA.

No one has ever died in a WNBA game.

Except for my erection.