Re: [semi OT] Women wargamers

tom.anderson@altavista.net wrote:

> from a future army point of view, might it be that the introduction of
power armour, with which the strength and speed of the biological
component of the infantryperson are all but irrelevant, would remove
this problem altogether?
>

You are correct about the physical component, but the true problem of
male/female integration in combat units has always been an
emotional/social problem, based on male belief of superiority, and how
women react to all male close knit primary groups, not really a physical
problem. However you make an interesting point. Power Armor could take
away an excuse to dislike women in the infantry.

>
> it might also be interesting in that the attributes which make a good
footsoldier become not physical (eyesight is less important when you
have a big computerised image-intesified optical/ir scope and a
millimetre-wave radar; fine motor control is less important when your
gun is aimed by a linear actuator controlled by a computer-assisted
neural jack)

Eyesight has not been an issue in the twentieth century since infantry
are only required with vision correctable to 20/20. Before that I bet
half the guy in the infantry since time immemorial were half blind.  And
hand eye coordination has never ever been a domain of male dominance.

> but mental, eg the ability to quickly perceieve the flow of battle,
figure out where the enemy is hiding, effectively work the suit, etc.
>

This remains important. Though the basic characteristic of any regular
infantryman will still remain the ability to follow orders and do what
your told, and perform your basic skills to standard. Reminds me of a
few weeks ago when I had my cousin (a gifted Quake player) and a few
others over and was teaching them room clearing tactics for the new (and
excellent) Rainbow Six multiplayer game at our house. He kept on
breaking ranks and getting us all killed. "Oh we should do this when we
go
into the room or that blah blah." I told him, no. you should do exactly
what your f***ing told. Even if we all go into the room and get killed.
As long as we did it together, then that's a start. First we start
moving as one and working as a team, then we'll figure out how best to
tackle the situation. It was amusing to behold, especially after I
reigned him in and we started performing the tasks correctly. But it's
true, you don't need some gifted shooter or someone that can thread a
needle with a thread with one finger, you just need a bunch of average
guys that will do what they're told. Skill and more importantly,
exeperience will come later, working under the tutelage of an
experienced leader.

>
> thus, it is no longer the archetypal/stereotypical big, heavily built,
tough-arse bruce willis type who makes a good soldier, but the
physically inept but quick-thinking nerds. revenge is sweet!
>

HERE COMES A DISSERTATION ON THE TYPICAL SOLDIER.....

This statement Quoted above alludes to the sad trap that what we see in
the movies is true in real life. Are there any civilian types that don't
believe this? It's amazing how often you hear it. The typical soldier,
even in special forces, has always been an average looking guy,
somewhere between 5'6" and 5'9" 135lb to 180 lbs, not a Bruce Willis
type. That's purely a figment of Hollywood's imagination. Endurance has
always been the primary critical physical trait fo a good soldier, not
brute strength. Size has never helped anyone hump a rucksack 20 miles,
which is the overriding single most improtant thing an infnatryman has
done since long before the Romans.  If you saw any guy on my Operational
detachment walking down the street on his own, it would not necessarily
occur to you that he is in Special Forces. Nothing would stand out about
any one of them that would strike you as the archetypical Hollywood SF
soldier. I suppose it doesn't help when you get clowns like
Marcinco writing these complete BS accounts of how all the guys on his
team brench press "500lbs and go into town every night looking for
fights in order to build small unit cohesion". This type of stuff is
pure fantasy. Staright out of Sgt Rock-type comics.

In all the time I've been in neither  myself nor anyone else I know has
ever been able to look at a guy getting ready to go through Special
Forces Selection and say: That dude is definately goingh to make it
based on appearance. Sure the Bruce Willis, Schwartzenegger types think
they will, but it often is not so. It's easy to point of people that
definately won't make it. Most of your cocky types, most of your pudgy
types, any one who's out of shape, poeple that like to draw attention to
themselves. But I've never been able to view a "perfect looking" soldier
type and say, this guy is definaetly gonna make it and be 100% sure.
Some of the most toughest surest, looking guys crap out, while walter
middy who kept his mouth shut, didn't get hurt, and did what he needed
to help himself and his team get through.

Los