"Number of women in US combat roles unlikely ..." Topic

…to boom: official.

"Combat jobs across the US military are set to open up to women by next year, but officials don't expect huge numbers to end up in the posts.

In January 2013, at the request of US President Barack Obama, the Pentagon made the historic move of ordering all branches of the armed forces to open up ground combat jobs to women by 2016.

General David Perkins, who heads up the US Army Training and Doctrine Command, said military studies and a look at the experience of Canada, which has for years allowed women in combat, showed few women are likely to choose such roles…"
Full article here
link

Amicalement
Armand

Really !? And How many females want to be in ground combat roles anyway ?

How many males, for that matter?

Being in the Infantry for over a decade in my distant past … There were a lot of us. And all volunteers. Some guys actually like Infantry, Tanks, Artillery, etc. …

Yep, men like fighting, women don't. Also, women like men who do fighty type jobs (even though some pretend not to) As a professional soldier, I cant think of anything worse than women in a dismounted close combat role. And before anyone gets on their high horse, women attached to the infantry as medics/linguists/dog handlers etc are not in a dismounted close combat role. They are not expected to go in with the bayonet, they provide support to those that do. Of course this is from a purely British point of view.

@Foxweasel: The Israelis seem to have figured out how to make it work. I think they're still running unisex companies, though.

Fox just so you know there are four women who have won the combat infantryman's badge. there are silver star winners for close combat and rescuing their fellows. so the Women in combat boat has sailed.

Sorry guys, I have to agree with Fox … And it's not just a Brit POV. Many Yanks feel the same and would agree … I'm not so sure about the IDF having females in Infantry and Tank units ? I have not heard of any female being awarded a CIB. You have to be an Infantryman to be awarded that. Now a Combat Action Badge … Yes. And yes, we know about MP SGT Hester on a .50 cal taking care of business in Iraq. She was a exceptional soldier. But not an Infantrymen … she was an MP. In a very bad situation. I laud her actions and Silver Star award. Of course being a former Rifle PL and later a Mech Co. Cdr, plus serving in 4 Inf Bns, my views may be based on my experiences, training, etc. as I said in my distant youth.

link

"Gentlemen, I am 25 years old and I have killed 309 fascist occupants by now. Don't you think, gentlemen, that you have been hiding behind my back for too long?"

Wow!.

Amicalement
Armand

Weasel, I have nothing but respect for the Russian female snipers in WW2, however they are no different from modern female Arty observers/weapon systems operators on aircraft etc, they kill a lot of people, but it's all from a distance. They don't bayonet people in compounds or throw grenades in trenches, that's dismounted close combat. I've no doubt women would make decent snipers now, but you have to be an infantry man first.