(Newswire.net — December 21, 2015) — War and open combat have been something almost exclusive for men. There are women in the armies all over the world, but the numbers do not exceed 10-20 percent. Among them there are many high ranking officers, but very few of them have seen real fight and open combat.
It seems that the UK Army is going to change that. David Cameron, British Prime Minister has intervened with the Ministry of Defence so that women soldiers will probably start training for fighting terrorists next year. Although it has been said that women are not physically strong enough to fight in combat, that the Army’s efficiency and capabilities would be diminished, the Prime Minister disagreed and said: “The Defence Secretary (Michael Fallon) and I are united in wanting to see all roles in our Armed Forces opened up to women in 2016. We’ve already lifted a number of barriers in our Armed Forces with the introduction of female submarines and women reaching the highest ranks in all services. We should finish the job next year and open up ground combat roles to women”.
One of the ideas is to send women soldiers to Iraq one day to fight the terrorists of IS of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). When this ban is lifted, the UK will stand side by side with the US and Australia which have already made an announcement that all military roles would be opened to women applicants.
Although there are women sailors, pilots and submariners in the Britsh Army, they don’t serve in the infantry. The ending of the ban is recommended, but only after the evaluation of physical demands concerning women’s health in close combat has been done.
The opponents are of the opinion that this change is “political” and that the Army’s cohesion and capability will be undermined if women are admitted into the infantry units. Admiral Lord West of Spithead told to Sky News, “There is no doubt at all that women are very, very brave. We have always been willing to let women die in wars and actually they are very competent, particularly at computer operating, they have longer concentration power than men. I retain some nervousness about women in the infantry and Royal Marines, where they have to actually advance on the enemy, climb into a trench and fight and kill each other. Not because there aren’t some women who can do that, but in general terms, when you are looking at averages, women have one third less upper body strength”.
Lord West’s views on women differ greatly from Brian Paddick’s views. Brian Paddick, former senior police officer and the Liberal Democrat politician said, “Decades ago police had similar concerns about armed police women. They decided not to stereotype but to assess individuals. Many female officers I would rather have by my side in a physical situation than many male officers I can think of”.
On the frontline, women perform jobs in the artillery, they serve as engineers and medics. After these changes are introduced, they will be able to apply to the Royal Air Force Regiment, Royal Marines and Royal Armoured Corps.
The time has come for the women in combat taboo to end and to treat both sexes equally. After all, the Queen, being the head of state is the head of the armed forces.