"...dont cry Iam only a poor woman."

Why not? If that got me out of getting my head cut off I would do it and I'm a dude.

In a way I agree with you, but for the reason the guys in the infantry are REAL twats. Worse than footy teams. If chicks are going to go in to the infantry they need to go in new platoons and not established ones. If they join straight out of school with guys straight out of school they would be better off, but not making up the numbers in established regiments. They would have a 'boys club' wan*er mentality.

Ok, I have some qualms, based mainly upon the females I encountered during various courses. If the cr@p can be weeded out (I don't care how much you need the makeup, I ain't carrying your pack), then that gets rid of most of the issues.

That said, Infantry... Ok I've been in the infantry, if you are stuck in a pit with someone, well if you are stuck in a pit long enough, various calls of nature have to be dealt with, males have a means of emptying their bladder fairly neatly into a container, which can be ditched later, what are the girls going to do? Wear nappies? that would work, but crotch rot is going to be a b**tch.

What will happen to unit cohesion if, maybe when, the anti-fraternisation rules break down (as they just did at ADFA)? What happens when "couples" aren't talking? What happens when they break up? This issue has been avoided with the acceptance (and wholesale avoidance) of the homosexuality issue, so I'd be interested to see how it works.

As for getting raped, our enemies at the present time aren't well known for taking prisoners except as props for execution videos, getting raped would be a minor issue in comparison (and one faced by males as well).

In a hypothetical, battle situation, I personally don't care who, what or why the person beside me is, all I would give a sh**t about is whether they are going to stand and not run away leaving me (or someone else) in the lurch. As long as women are willing to pay the prices others have paid, and a nice quick death is a blessing, I really couldn't care less. They have every right to fight and die (or linger as a legless, faceless vegetable) as anyone else. On the plus side, it is well known that women aren't as soft as men when taking drastic action to its ultimate conclusion, so there is that.

AP:”interesting link, Jewely. What should be done if a fattie is caught in a fire? I'm sure that you know that a fat fire can soon get out of control.”

Hahaha… [cough] that’s mean! Let me think… fat fire you smother or do you pour salt on them?

Leap:”To translate for you, If you get caught by the enemy....dont cry Iam only a poor woman.”

I watched GI Jane so I already knew that.

Why not foot soldiers? Every time the word woman comes up is everyone imagining some kind of delicate flower or something?

Calls of nature I hadn’t considered. But I know you can get this little thingi that – well it makes it so girls can wee like boys. The army must have thought of something already surely.

Ammonite:” Personally, I would never sign up (attitude to authority) but I have learned self-defense and know my capabilities.”

Me either, crazy moos the lot of them but I’ll cheer on their right to be crazy moos.

Hahaha...Jewely......"Me either, crazy moos the lot of them but I’ll cheer on their right to be crazy moos......lol, you such a way with words:) Well..yes! I mean there are other tactical advantages which could provide handy essentials, like.....Lets say! your pinned down by a 50 cal-machine gun, by three towel-heads, and you need a distraction, if a pair of breasts pops over the mound......it just might give that 3 to 7 seconds to fire a RPG and win the day:)

But seriously, STG.." They would have a 'boys club' wan*er mentality......and thats just the point. Why would you if your a female?

She would have to put up with all the things woman hate, its just makes zero sense to me. I guess like there's all types of lads with odd interests, so there has to be an equal amount gals that would for some strange reason, just like that type of male abuse. G.I Jane for instances....if one wants to look at the margins of majority thinkings....being a front line solder has to be put in minority.

But hey, you ballsy cows....if you want play rough, knock yourselves out:)

LEAP

I'm not sure they have, put it bluntly, most people in the upper echelons of the army (or the other services) only put in the minimum time possible as platoon leaders, not grunts. The unfortunate intimacy that is placed upon every person who has to share a pit for more than one or two days at a time is quite "difficult" at the best of times, I'm quite certain the army hasn't considered it. Damn, I don't even like to remember it, having to use excess sandbags in the middle of the night for #2's, trying to lever oneself up against the top of the pit so the urine can be directed elsewhere... Not the most pleasant arrangement to share and one that is virtually unique to infantry (I cannot think of any other situation that requires such drastic measures, except that faced by infantry, that man (will that term have to change too?) front-line entrenchments.

NASA uses a nappy type arrangement (as does the Airforce) for female pilots, however, nappy rash / jock-rot is going to be a big issue if that is the best they can come up with for female grunts (try walking in even slightly urine soaked underwear for 20km and see how much skin you lose). The difficulty is, being able to transition from static positions to forced/route marches is pretty standard, if nappies (or such-like) are used, where and when are they to be changed?

Intimate details like these become boring in the infantry, they are accepted practice. They are also something that is going to become a major issue really quickly given that the infantry is populated by, predominantly, immature adolescent boys. That describes the basic facts of life, the spanner that will be thrown into the works by fraternization (please don't try and say it won't happen), and the associated emotional sagas, jealousy, spats, etc. I wouldn't like to have to deal with. The difficulty is that, as with males, the infantry would appeal, predominantly, to immature, adolescent girls, the mixing of the two, in the ever-so-close quarters, would have predictable results.

That said, I've known many women who are (a) faster; (b) stronger; (c) tougher; and (d) have better staying power than their male counterparts. It is dealing with the details, the seemingly insignificant details that are part and parcel of living in close quarters with members of the opposite sex, in situations that would make the average dog feel decidedly uncomfortable that are going to pose the most insurmountable hurdle.

In fact, I don't know precisely how they would be dealt with, I cannot see how the living arrangements of infantry can be improved to remove these difficulties. The role of infantry determines the lifestyle of infantry, the role being to seek out and close with the enemy, to kill or capture him, to seize ground and hold it, regardless of season, weather or terrain. There isn't any leeway in there for luxuries like separate ablution facilities (if any exist at all), for privacy or anything else. If one member of a Platoon has the trots, every member will know by morning (generally because of the loud noises coming from their mate).

The immaturity angle is going to be a big hurdle too (see for example the ADFA problem). The infantry is for extremely fit, aggressive and normally none too bright individuals (just being honest). They are predominantly young, immature as hell, arrogant and full of their own importance. They generally get out early or transfer as they grow up (infantry have a tendency to break bits, knees, elbows, tendons, etc.), it is a young person's game because it is so very hard. However, young, immature adolescents have a tendency to make dumb decisions, in life, in relationships, in a lot of things.

The problems aren't insurmountable, but it is only going to take a few to cruel it for the rest.