Re: [semi OT] Women wargamers -longish

>	If women are to take a place in combat roles, especailly combat
command,
> >there needs to be a radical change in military culture that must
start
> >during basic training. You must change the idea that women are
inherently
> >weaker and useless apart from sex. The banter is part of it but more
as
a
> >symptom for what is underneath than a problem in itself (I know some
of
the
> >female cadets could give as good if not better than they got when it
came
> >to sexually innuendo). You have to get the grunts (sailors, airmen
> >whatever) thinking from day one that the women are just other members
of
> >the team who will depend on them, and who can be depended upon.

One significant problem (and one which makes arguing from fiction highly
unreliable) is that men and women have different psychological makeups. 
(Disagree? So why did _Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus_ sell so
well?)	I have known women who were gung-ho types who might have passed
all
the tests to be an individual soldier--but soldiers need to fight as
units,
not individuals.  I would not want a woman in combat with me, because I
don't know what she would do.  With my buddies, I could predict who
would
do what and what I'd need to cover.
I don't necessarily see a problem with all-female units, though.