Women in the Defence Force

[sofa]

I know quite a few women who joined the RDF and really enjoy it. A friend of mine served in the U.S. airforce and she couldn't get out of administration....something that seems fairly typical for the US military: http://www.statista.com/statistics/2...e-us-military/

But its good to see them pushing for a greater role on the frontline. If that's what they want, they should be allowed do it. Most women I know in the military didn't join up to cook or serve in administration.

Inclined to get preggers when posted to nasty places like Iraq and A-stan.

http://voices.yahoo.com/soldiers-getting-pregnant-while-deployed-military-5160045.html

[Truck Driver]

Was following a thread on The Journal in relation to this issue and it came to light from one of the female commentators that the first female platoon in 1981 were engaged specifically for non combatant roles and this went on for nine years.They basically wre drivers medics or penpushers.

This was lifted circa 1990 and at that point the RDF conidered it was appropriate to enliste women

There's a thread going on FB around this - seems to have gotten a few people exercised a lot. Then again, the plank who is the chief sh1tstirrer on it is not helping either...

[Goldie fish]

Tune into @TV3Ireland at 10 to see Comdt Jayne Lawlor with Collette on gender, equality & diversity.

[gibedepusib0ss]

I hope jayne will be fighting the good fight, to bring womens testing standards up to males'. Equality and all that.

[kermit]

I hope jayne will be fighting the good fight, to bring womens testing standards up to males'. Equality and all that.

What testing standards are different, other than the different method for push ups ?

[Fridge Magnet]

Female recruitment drives, family friendly overseas trips... What a load of bollocks.

[SwiftandSure]

No problem with women in the Armed Forces, but it's horses for courses.

The way I see it, the infantry's job is to close with and kill the enemy.

If it came down to a pound for pound close quarters death match between the following, I know who I'd put my money on and who I wouldn't be putting at the tip of the spear.



Iranian Republican Guard Vs USMC



I mean, if someone proposed a heavyweight unisex boxing match, there'd be outrage! So why are we so keen to put women at the mercy of our male enemies?

[madden]

What testing standards are different, other than the different method for push ups ?

Longer time on the run

[Goldie fish]

The problem is not the fact that women are serving frontline, but the type of woman.
Instead of Brigid, the camogie playing, 6 foot pig farmers daughter, who had the biggest hands of any goalie, who did cross country running and deerhunting in her spare time, we are recruiting Megan, who was voted most popular girl in her all girl school, follows rugby because she thinks the players are hot, went did a charity 10k walk and wristband sale to raise funds for her charity trip to Bangalore to see how the poor children in india live and chose a career in the army because at 4'8 she wasn't tall enough for her first choice, modelling. Her CV says what she lacks in stature she makes up for in determination.

If you manage to recruit both, Brigid will leave after 5 years because she is sick of being billeted with the girlie girls, and carrying megan's kit while megan takes up the rear in all route marches. You'll promote megan, who then goes on maternity and career break after being impregnated by a Junior officer, attached to her unit while in College.
Meanwhile Brigid has joined the Gardaí, and is now head of the ERU.

[HavocIRL]

No problem with women in the Armed Forces, but it's horses for courses.

The way I see it, the infantry's job is to close with and kill the enemy.

If it came down to a pound for pound close quarters death match between the following, I know who I'd put my money on and who I wouldn't be putting at the tip of the spear.



Iranian Republican Guard Vs USMC



I mean, if someone proposed a heavyweight unisex boxing match, there'd be outrage! So why are we so keen to put women at the mercy of our male enemies?

I can understand your argument but with that logic why not only have 6ft brick shithouses for the infantry and get rid of all the short arses and skinny streaks of piss?

[DeV]

Have they ever taught that many women don't want to put themselves on a 24 hour duty or spend 3 days in trench while cold, wet and dirty?

Maybe women just don't want to be soldiers!

[Barry]

Have they ever taught that many women don't want to put themselves on a 24 hour duty or spend 3 days in trench while cold, wet and dirty?

Maybe women just don't want to be soldiers!

There are lots of men who wouldn't be interested in that either, but thanks for bringing some sweeping generalisations into the conversation

[DeV]

There are lots of men who wouldn't be interested in that either

Absolutely I didn't say otherwise, but there would be more men that would be attractived to the DF as a career

There was 60 in my year in 6th year (30 lads and 30 girls), maybe 8 lads would have considered the DF as a career but only 3 girls. Not all of them would have been suitable.

[SwiftandSure]

I can understand your argument but with that logic why not only have 6ft brick shithouses for the infantry and get rid of all the short arses and skinny streaks of piss?

I see the point you're making, but we know that the more advanced infantry types tend not to be the 6ft Brick shithouses either. It's about stamina, muscular endurance, strength of mind, body and character that makes the infantry the formidable weapon that he is. Plus, even if there were women who kept up with the men, pound for pound; there's still the practicalities and psychological impact of having women on your team and potentially in immediate mortal danger.

It wouldn't matter to me if Goldie's Brigid was her:



Her:



Or Her:



If I was responsible for taking an enemy position, knowing that there was an enemy who is alive, dangerous, motivated, and who cares as much about his life and cause as you do yours, then I would send the meanest, competent and most aggressive lads I have in my team first. Simply because I'd have more confidence in them achieving the objective set and meeting whatever threats with swift violence of action. Even if that means hand to hand fighting.

I only think this for the infantry, doing the infantry's core job. That's not to say women aren't capable of performing frontline duties on attachment to infantry, such as medics, MPs, Comms Ops, FOOs, JTACs etc etc. But when it comes to sending someone through a door where we're not sure of what hostilities lie within, then I'd leave that to the lads.

It's just my personal opinion.

[hptmurphy]

There's a thread going on FB around this - seems to have gotten a few people exercised a lot. Then again, the plank who is the chief sh1tstirrer on it is not helping either...

I've contributed to that post, believe it not the main falldown on that thread was caused by a female soldier who felt like belittling the officer in question and when this was pointed out to her by me, she pulled her posts.

The guy doing all the stirring is the ultimate wind up merchant , it has however moved away from what the thread was intend to be and has become a bit silly.