Women in U.S. infantry (USMC, Rangers, etc. - merged)

[Scoobie Newbie]

Is integrating them in an SF unit any different then an Infantry BN

 

[x_para76]

Is integrating them in an SF unit any different then an Infantry BN

If the unit is predominantly if not exclusively male then I would imagine the challenges are going to be similar if not identical.

I chose the term battalion in my earlier post because we are talking about the Rangers and they to the best of my knowledge are organized as battalions.

 

[tomahawk6]

Special Forces selection is more like the SAS selection course.So far no one has talked about offering women the opportunity to try out. ;D

 

[Scoobie Newbie]

My sister is a WO in an Infantry BN. No issues that I'm aware of. She does lead from the front.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Women make excellent intelligence operators (for the good guys) and terrorists (for the bad guys).

Many organizations, both military and otherwise, successfully deploy women around the world in these roles. In 'good guy' countries they, like the male applicants, have to pass extremely demanding selection programs to succeed. The former 14 Int organization - now the Special Reconnaissance Regiment - in the UK comes to mind, for example. Lots of men fail their selection as well...

Why waste them as 'cannon fodder' (oh yes we are  :nod when you could train and deploy thousands of women in military intelligence type units tailored to meet and defeat the growing threat of international terrorism?

6ft 4in, 220lb, Skol chewing white guys have a lot of limitations in that kind of war, which may be one of the reasons we are having such a hard time winning it in a convincing manner.

 

[Remius]

The Royal Marine Commando course is 32 weeks. Let's not give those cabbage heads too much credit.

Sure.  Was quoting the article.

 

[LightFighter]

I chose the term battalion in my earlier post because we are talking about the Rangers and they to the best of my knowledge are organized as battalions.

Completing Ranger School does not mean you will find yourself posted into the 75th Ranger Regiment. It is a leadership course, not a selection or operator course for the 75th.

RASP is the course required for entry into the 75th Ranger Regiment.

 

[NSDreamer]

No doubt those are two extremely fit woman. The problem is how do you successfully integrate them into a battalion of 600 men? I know that this subject has already been discussed here and I don't recall anyone actually coming up with a viable solution.

Not a combat arms chappie as it were, so people will note I'm well out of my lanes here, but am a CF member so I'd like to state we integrate them with: duty, honour, integrity and discipline.

One of the shitty things about being a leader is that when shit gets hard, you have to deal with it and still strive to do the right thing. It's well asserted in many places that the CAF is designed to represent an accurate reflection of our population. Shit gets hard because we have long standing traditions, and let's face it, prejudices/behavioural...ah..discreprancies. There are female police officers, female fire fighters, female....well just about everything. The reality is, we need to hold to our ethos, and shift left. The rest is just logistics, said the logistics officer. If shit gets hard because we're doing the right thing according to what our country says is 'equal rights' then that's a problem we have to deal with by dealing with it, not by avoiding it. Sure there will be a shit ton of difficulties those first few years. That goes hand in hand with what they tell us is progress.

To sum up, you're looking for a plan, CAF doctrine states plans don't survive, push down the main effort, the intent, the end state and pray that enough of our troops are true to the Ethos to help us leaders sort this shit out.

 

[TCM621]

My sister is a WO in an Infantry BN. No issues that I'm aware of. She does lead from the front.

If she is the one I think she is (and it's pretty likely) she is one of the best soldiers I have ever met in almost 20 years in uniform. And most of the people she works with respect the hell out of her.

This subject seems stupid to me because we have women in combat for years now. It isn't a I think they can do the job, it's they have done the job. Open it up, leave the standard as it is and you will get the odd woman passing it. That woman is going to be a badass.

 

[Journeyman]

I'm just not feeling my testosterone threatened here.  Of course, some Cro-Magnons will be offended regardless.    :boring:

 

[dimsum]

If she is the one I think she is (and it's pretty likely) she is one of the best soldiers I have ever met in almost 20 years in uniform. And most of the people she works with respect the hell out of her.

This subject seems stupid to me because we have women in combat for years now. It isn't a I think they can do the job, it's they have done the job. Open it up, leave the standard as it is and you will get the odd woman passing it. That woman is going to be a badass.

It seems stupid to us in Canada because, as you said, we've had women in combat for years.  In the US and Australia, amongst others, it's still new and they're having growing pains, including the usual dinosaurs spouting off. 

As we all know, it'll become a non-issue.

 

[PanaEng]

I'm just not feeling my testosterone threatened here.  Of course, some Cro-Magnons will be offended regardless.    :boring:

+++

 

[tomahawk6]

Women in the infantry is the issue.We dont at present have women in our infantry squads.This year the Army opened the Field Artillery to women in cannon battalions.Today there are 112 women in the Field Artillery branch and growing.

■Regular Army: one lieutenant colonel, two majors, five captains, 45 first lieutenants and 51 second lieutenants, for a total of 104.

■Army National Guard: one major and two second lieutenants, for a total of three.

■Army Reserve: one lieutenant colonel, one major and three captains, for a total of five.

 

[Journeyman]

Women in the infantry is the issue.

And?  When did the Ranger Course become Infantry only?

 

[x_para76]

And?  When did the Ranger Course become Infantry only?

It isn't and since as it was stated earlier that completion of the Ranger course doesn't necessarily mean serving in a Ranger battalion there really isn't any reason why woman shouldn't be allowed to attempt the course.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Girls on the frontline:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63uoABJyicM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=058B8YHg9LE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MMzjmwfNPc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJ3xdwL2MaU

 

[dimsum]

It isn't and since as it was stated earlier that completion of the Ranger course doesn't necessarily mean serving in a Ranger battalion there really isn't any reason why woman shouldn't be allowed to attempt the course.

I have this strange feeling that we are all aggressively agreeing here.

 

[Journeyman]

I was asking the question of Tomahawk6 though, since it was his point.

 

[tomahawk6]

Ranger School is a leadership course with slots geared for combat arms personnel,with a majority of slots going to the infantry.Its almost required for an infantry 2Lt to go to Ranger School and graduate.IMO until women are authorized to branch Infantry,its a waste of time and money to send them to Ranger School.While I dont consider myself to be a knuckle dragger on this issue,its my opinion that the US Army doesnt need women in the infantry.There are a wide variety of fields available to women that provide for career advancement and job satisfaction.We had a female 4 star as CG AMC.A first for the US military.

http://www.army.mil/article/85606

 

[Journeyman]

Ranger School is a leadership course with slots geared for combat arms personnel, with a majority of slots going to the infantry......

Women are in leadership positions.  Women are in combat arms (if you consider the Guns combat arms). The majority of slots go to the infantry; why can women not compete for the non-infantry slots?

We had a female 4 star as CG AMC.

Yes, and Gen. Dunwoody wore Master Parachute wings (as well as German jump wings); yet her bio shows she never served a single day in a Parachute Infantry Regiment.  Waste of time & money?


Obviously we're not going to agree on this one.