RE: [SG] Mixed combat units

>> BTW are these female soldiers in the way we have them in the UK (i.e.

>> everyone but the people who actually fight) or like they appear in
say the
>
>> GZG range, with a rifle and fighting like any other grunt?
>> 
>> Richard
>
>I think part of the reason there are few women in front line fighting
units
>in the West is the higher education and health system.  One of the
problems
>I understand is that it can be difficult for women to maintain their
health
>while in the field for extended periods due to the biology involved. 
>Of course, in the future, I'm sure all those problems will have been
>overcome, so there's no reason for them not to join the grunts.
>

Well, there is also the fact that women aren't *allowed* in front line
fighting units in a number of Western countries (ie UK, USA)...

Here (Canada) we have officially fully integrated the entire armed
forces.
The last holdouts were submarine crews, but I think that has changed now
too.  Theoretically, ALL units are open to female members, and we have
deployed female infantry, armour crew, etc, overseas.  Having said that,
there are very few women in the combat arms.  One of the biggest reasons
why is recruitment...  While they opened up the combat trades to women,
there don't seem to be many women who are *interested* in joining those
sorts of units.  

The answer (in our case, anyway) to the "men will do silly things if
women
are allowed in the club" issue is to stuff it in their face...	The
Charter
of Rights and Freedoms in our Constitution makes it difficult to
descriminate on the basis of gender, and I think the military decided to
preempt a Charter challenge in court (which they would almost certainly
loose if they tried to prevent women combat soldiers) by going ahead and
integrating.  Women in the CF still face all kinds of hurdles (ie male
stubbornness), but not legal ones.  That same pattern is repeating all
over
the place.

My take on the "women in the military in the GZGverse" is that in all
but a
few cases, they'd be fighting members of the armed services.  "Man"power
reasons alone would, I think, require it.

***************************************

Adrian Johnson
adrian@stargrunt.ca
http://www.stargrunt.ca

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