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A Column By A Pow From Desert Storm The view on female POWs from across the pond

#1 User is offline   Matt Wiser 

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Posted 12 February 2009 - 12:17 AM

Here's an interesting column by John Nichol, a former fighter pilot in the RAF, and a POW for 47 days in DESERT STORM back in 1991. He has some interesting things about the women-in-combat issue from the British perspective, though the comments might very well have been written by any one of the 19 male American POWs in 1991.

Here's the link: http://www.johnnichol.com/women_in_armed_forces.htm

Comments and thoughts welcome as always.
Treat everyone you meet with kindness and respect, but always have ready a plan to kill them.

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#2 User is offline   Dilligafst 

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Posted 19 February 2009 - 11:48 PM

Interesting piece there, Matt. One should look at the Israeli armed forces for women in combat roles. They integrated their army decades ago.

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#3 User is offline   Matt Wiser 

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Posted 25 February 2009 - 01:51 AM

Women are still barred from front-line ground combat in the Israeli Army, to my knowledge. However, there are female fighter and attack helo pilots in the Israeli AF. And the instructors at the IDF's armor, artillery, and infantry schools are women. The Military Channel's show The Greatest Ever: Tanks mentioned the Israeli Merkava, and the soldiers interviewed for the show were women, presumably instructors on the Merkava. You can bet, however, that in the event of dire emergency, those women would man their tanks, howitzers, and APCs and go off to the front lines.
Treat everyone you meet with kindness and respect, but always have ready a plan to kill them.

Old USMC Adage
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#4 User is offline   jmangan07 

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Posted 25 February 2009 - 08:07 AM

I was an Air Force female soldier critically wounded in Iraq in 2005. I've tried to put a positive image on female soldiers who are on the front line in today's US military and I want to thank Jessica for doing the same. I know I would go back in a heartbeat if I was able.
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#5 User is offline   tekteam26 

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Posted 13 March 2009 - 10:53 AM

QUOTE (Dilligafst @ Feb 20 2009, 12:48 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Interesting piece there, Matt. One should look at the Israeli armed forces for women in combat roles. They integrated their army decades ago.


That's not quite true. At first, female soldiers were integrated into all Israeli units, even ground combat arms units like Infantry. However, the Israelis learned very quickly that their Arab opponents would fight to the death, taking more Israeli soldiers with them, rather than surrender to a female soldier. In addition, any Israeli female soldiers who were captured by the Arabs were subjected to extraordinarily brutal abuse prior to being murdered. So, in short order, females were pulled out of front line units and relegated to other supporting roles like logistics and intelligence (lots in the intel jobs)

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#6 User is offline   CALIWEBMAN 

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Posted 19 March 2009 - 06:52 AM

finally, an INTEL guy who speaks of a lil known thing called TRUTH!

Thanks TEK.

S


QUOTE (tekteam26 @ Mar 13 2009, 07:53 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (Dilligafst @ Feb 20 2009, 12:48 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Interesting piece there, Matt. One should look at the Israeli armed forces for women in combat roles. They integrated their army decades ago.


That's not quite true. At first, female soldiers were integrated into all Israeli units, even ground combat arms units like Infantry. However, the Israelis learned very quickly that their Arab opponents would fight to the death, taking more Israeli soldiers with them, rather than surrender to a female soldier. In addition, any Israeli female soldiers who were captured by the Arabs were subjected to extraordinarily brutal abuse prior to being murdered. So, in short order, females were pulled out of front line units and relegated to other supporting roles like logistics and intelligence (lots in the intel jobs)


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