women in combat

[Anonymous]

Dear readers,I am a British artillery officer writing a dissertation for my masters on whether women should be allowed into combat. Now I must clarify this, as our definitions may differ. In England virtually all branches are open to ladies, except infantry and cavalry. This is because as a general rule, they are not able to cope physically with the demands made of them, and there is no feeling that allowances should be made, as neither will the enemy. Having said this I am a firm believer that if a lady can cope physically, and wishes to serve in those branches, we should do our best to make it happen, as an equal opportunity employer. Having read some of the articles in this web site, I get the impression that many of you equate being in a combat zone with actual combat. As we all know, around 34,000 British and American ladies served with distinction in the Gulf, and their wonderful conduct has ensured that I have a lively topic for discussion. But the fact that they served in a combat zone, does not mean they are suitable for combat. Perhaps in the future when rifles and bergens(backpacks)are weightless and yomping (walking) is a thing of the past, but at the present, the bottom line (as you say over there)is that the infantry must close with and destroy the enemy, and that means "brute force and ignorance". And in that situation, my money would be on the man, 99 times out of 100, and so should yours. However, this leaves me with the debate "What about the 1 in a 100?" This is where you can help me. The integration of females in the us military is much more advanced than over here (6% as opposed to 12%in the US)and the pool of data is much greater (18,000 compared to 290,000) Plus the Canadians and perhaps even the liberal Scandanavians have serving female infanteers. And I know the Russians had all female units in WW2. Any and all information would be greatly appreciated, especially personal anecdotes and experiences. As an aside, the dissertation also encompasses the issue of whether gays should serve openly in the British armed forces.your servant sirs,Lt. Nabs El-Busaidy RA(V)



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mnmneb@bath.ac.uk