Why are women not allowed to be in combat units such as infantry, armor or artillary?

Earthling

It could affect who gets more covering fire, or favoritism of any kind.
Many men will protect a woman before they protect a man.
This isn't responsible on the battlefield.

Just a thought...

artilleryman89

1) Many women can't get the same p.t scores to get to be in a combat role.

2) Men alone with a woman wouldn't be good. (Rape...pregnant)

3) Men naturally protect women more than men. (could cause death)

CowboyExtraordinaire

Because women weaken the physical strength of a unit. They also add the added risk of rape by the enemy and sometimes their own people. No matter how you slice it, the presence of women only add to an already stressful situation. It's always best to leave them out of the equation whenever possible.
Edit: Ask yourselves this. Could an American Army comprised solely of women go toe to toe with any army of men from anywhere in the world(not counting France)? Unless they were all pmsing at the same time probably not. Therefore logic dictates that women do actually physically weaken an armed force. It's in indisputable fact that men are physically superior to women as a group. so don't give me a thumbs down just because I speak the truth. THINK about what I'm saying first.

Stevie

not sure... but I was an MP and when I was in Iraq I was a .50cal gunner and saw just as much combat as the infantry guys. we did 12 hour combat patrols and I got blown up and shot at.... and I had several infantry guys tell me that they would like to have someone with my guts on their team.

Some people feel that females are afraid to shoot back and dont work well in such high stress situations... LOL but I fired more rounds than any other person in my squad.

OH! and to the guy above me that is complaining about the fitness standards differences between males and females.... there are MANY females I know that can out push and out run most of the guys I know.
Im not going to lie...there are some lazy *** females..but there are males just as lazy.

Groucho

If a woman were captured, and the ramifications of that, it would do more to demoralize this country than todays death tolls.

Imagine Suzie the neighbor you grew up with. Now imagine her in the hands of the enemy. Gang rape, sodomy, beatings, and eventually beheading or disembowelment.

Its easier, all be it just as shocking, to see that happen to a male war fighter. I know that women can definitely do the job but at what cost to the Nations morale would this type of scenario have?

Having been through SERE School and knowing first hand how roughly females can be treated and manipulated. Its not an easy thing to imagine one on CNN having their head cut off like Nick Berg.

desertviking_00

Because it is against Federal Law. And the chief "lobbyist" for that law was the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Service (DACOWITS) which is an all-female panel.

Rob M

In Canada women are allowed, they just have to meet the mens physical fitness requirements. (Only one woman has ever done it, infantry)Canada does have a couple of front line fighter pilots who are women as well

WarBitch

I'm getting a little pissed off by you people. Hey guess what? There are plenty of women fighting over here... yes in IRAQ... saving lives, fighting side by side with men, winning Bronze Stars and Purple Hearts...and yes, dying. Not because they aren't physically as strong as men but because sometimes you just can't win against an IED or a mortar.
I haven't been raped yet either over here... not concerned about that anyway. I sleep with a 9mm, M4 and my MWD (Military Working Dog). A chick in most likelyhood has more of a possibility of getting raped back in the states by their "friend". Also, I hear about dudes getting raped more often by dudes here anyway. Yes, it's true. Plenty of gayness going on here and it's not for lack of females... imagine that.

dynasty_warriorz2000

Oh you want a fair treatment huh? Well lets see if they can go par-to-par with men training.

Instead of female only having to do 40 pushups, make them do 80 like male. Instead of 50 sit-ups, make it 100. Instead of 15-minutes per mile, make it 10 minutes. If they can't pass this course, then fail and make them repeat. Oh and when there's a draft, make women do a frontline combat like the rest of the guy.

Then afterward, don't start crying about why women have to go through regime exercises just to get a frontline job because you're the one who wanted it fair.

forgivebutdonotforget911

It is a cultural thing in that we feel women need to be protected.
But that does not really protect them. There are so many jobs that women do in Iraq that they end up at risk anyway.

Roderick F

Each MOS has physical labor requirements and a typically weight they must routinely handle. MOSs which have a very high individual weight lifting requirement (over 90lbs routinely lifted) are not open to women. Out of a 100 males trainees, 95% are capable of lifting the required weight; out of 100 females, only 25% are able to.

Obviously, mechanics, MPs, Air Groundcrews Ammo handle, etc handle huge weight but usually operate as a designated crew or have lifting equipment (forklift and pallet jacks).

engineerchick

LOL... This is actually funny, they say it but I was an engineer and when I was in Iraq we were called up anytime that those guys needed to get around/over/under anything.

7 of 9

I heard some women are on the big guns right now, at least thts what my hubby told me, sounds liek combat status to me.

Myth Child Mitchell

because men are more physically fit than women, no offense, but in general thats a fact.

NSA

At this time, federal law says No.

Currently the majority of men do not want females in direct combat positions.

If you, or any other female, insists on combat duty, then simply request MP(US Army, USMC), or Security Forces(USAF). They see combat.

And for the most part, the women complaining about not being allowed in Infantry, have no desire to be in Infantry. They only wish to complain about it.

I have worked with Security Force Women who were/are absolutely deadly! They met the PT standards for men!

loganslover

men can't see women getting hurt

Julia

Mind this isn't my personal opinion but the answer I recieved when I asked a very, very simliar question.

The person I talked to said it had a lot to do with hygene, too.

Women have their monthly periods; if they were out in the field like the infantry, armor and artillary men, they might not get the a chance to bath for days on end or even have enough time to change themselves. There might not be room in the rucksack to carry sanitary products due to weight limits on the bag.

He asked me to try and imagine myself out in the field, not able to change my tampon; TSS and other serious conditions could insue and cause a new need for medics that the military might not have needed before.

sgtnight2000

yes women soldier are in combat units everyone is a infantry
is your first 11B. in 2003 the Iraqi soldier catcher 5 pow and 2
of them was women soldier. and the way the war is going is now they have mothers and father in combat now. yes we had them in artillery as well. The answer is yes they do now.

cmmoneyiraq

well im a infantry man (11b) in 2id i think that women should be able to join us but the army is worryed because if they mixed women with us there would be rapes,pregnacys,distraction from your job among other things but i think women should be alowed combat arms jobs....

Cassie W

Hey let not pull it , do you really want to be in the front line (i think not)

Stefan F

I am active duty SO. 99% of women cannot hump a ruck that weighs over 40 lbs. Mine in Afghanistan was 94 lbs. 99% of women cannot lift 50 lbs plus M-1A1 120 MM round as a tank loader. get off the Femanazi soapbox. WOMEN AREN'T DESIGNED FOR STRENGTH. Sorry but you evolved into gatherers and child raisers men were and still are the hunters. Any anatomy class will teach you that!

Kaboom

It's against the Geneva Convention for militarizes to use women as infantry isn't it?

jlf

Because Congress has so decreed.

Lexi

first off, i think that it is completely stupid to keep women out of combat areas just because some men can't "control" themselves around her, or becuase they aren't responsible enough to make the right decision during a battle situation. You aren't supposed to let things like emotional aspects get in the way of doing your job, and if you can't adhere to that, then they shouldn't be in the military. women should not have to suffer for the lack of self-control, so to speak, of a man.

second, though it is MOSTLY true that women cannot be as wise in choosing their decisions during high-pressure times and may not be physically up to the challenge, this is not to say that EVERY SINGLE WOMAN IN THE WORLD is not. it is extremely sterotypical. there are many men who are not "military material", and there are some women who have hand-to-hand skills in combat, and excellent marksmanship. strength is not an issue, a bullet flies out of a gun with the same speed regardless of the gender! what the army should do is accept any woman, and they be required to pass a man's physical fitness test. if a man cannot be trusted with a woman, then the woman should not sufffer for it by being banned.

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