Pentagon to Allow Women in Combat

[Gawdzilla Sama]

At least forty years behind some folks.

more like 70...

légion étrangère des femmes auxiliaire

[klr]

At least forty years behind some folks.

more like 70...

légion étrangère des femmes auxiliaire

Dammit, we'll be going all the way back the Amazonians at this rate.

Or at least to Boadicea.

[Clinton Huxley]

Good grief! Not sure what Raglan would say.

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[Tyrannical]

Does this mean women will be subject to the Selective Service system then?

I'm gonna guess no on that one

But, since they are allowed in combat positions now I could see a law suit to add women to the selective service. I'm sure some fruit cake will sue to reinstitute the draft for women to combat historical inequities in the armed forces.

[pErvinalia]

True, there are plenty of jobs which could be considered combat, depending on what happens. Women have been on surface ships for a few decades too, and recently now on submarines. This step means infantry positions (most prominently), if what I'm hearing is correct. As for Special Forces... I doubt that's included.

Years ago (10+), a mate of mine had a girlfriend who he said was Australia's first female Commando. He wasn't one to lie or exaggerate. I never really looked into it. Quite possibly as it was relating to the special forces it might have been a secret of some sort. In general I wouldn't tend to believe that they'd let a female serve in the special forces but a few years ago I saw a fascinating documentary on Australia's SAS selection process. If you haven't seen it, it's well worth the watch. I just searched on youtube, and I assume this is part 1 of that series:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7A19qS5 ... detailpage[/youtube]

But anyway, after watching that it was quite eye opening who made it through. Generally the "meat heads" - i.e. the real muscley and aggressive types - got cut early. And some of the better ones weren't necessarily uber-fit looking. So much of it came down to mental toughness. Although, they do stress that this is just the selection process and the training is even harder than this. Incredible to think this was "easy" compared to their training.

Anyway, the point I am getting at is that I don't know that being a women would necessarily mean one couldn't be in the special forces. If the particular woman was very fit and strong, I think she'd stack up well against some of the non-meat heads who make it through this gruelling process.

[pErvinalia]

Anti-Taliban shock troops. Bacon bikinis with shrimp earrings.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

rEv, mental toughness counts for a lot. The BUDS training (intake for SEALS) is more about mental strength, not so much physical. You wouldn't have been selected to get to the training if you weren't fit. In BUDS they look to see where you will quit. Not "if", but "when". If you haven't quit by the end of the two weeks they send you on to advanced training.

[pErvinalia]

You should watch the series. It's actually mind blowing what the human body can put up with. And while it comes down to mental toughness, some of the physical shit they had to do was full on as well.

After seeing that series, I saw someone training along one of the roads in my neighbourhood presumably for the same selection course. He had a gigantic pack on, and was carrying the same metal gun analogue they use in that series. He was fast walking, and his leg muscles were like nothing I have ever seen. I've never even seen an athlete with such defined leg muscles.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I've seen it IRL, thank you. Not BUDS, but situations that an instructor would drool over. I prefer to be an observer in those situation rather than the observed.

[pErvinalia]

I'm rewatching it now.