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Female and male US Marine recruits listen to instructions during boot camp at MCRD Parris Island. Photo by Getty Images.

Prime Minister David Cameron announced at the recent NATO summit in Warsaw that the ban on women serving in ground close combat roles in the British armed forces is to be lifted. The announcement follows a recommendation from Chief of the General Staff General Sir Nick Carter and extensive research into the physiological risks to women serving in such roles, and brings the UK in line with its major allies.

While the decision is a welcome one, it marks the beginning of what will need to be a well-managed process to ensure that the integration of women into ground close combat roles is a success.…  Seguir leyendo »

Female officer cadets at the Sovereign's parade at Sandhurst. Photo by Getty Images.

Canada has recently appointed their first female general from the combat arms trade. The UK meanwhile is yet to take the decision to allow women to serve in ground close combat roles, and while a decision is expected in 2016, it is still yet to actually be made. When that decision is finally taken, it will mark an important milestone for the British army, as it continues to adjust to meet both the operational requirements of today and the values and expectations of the society it serves.

There are clear advantages to broadening the recruitment pool, as without a diverse pool of talent from which to draw, the army risks being hampered by how effectively it can engage and operate at all levels.…  Seguir leyendo »

Of all the hard-gotten rights that have been, or are about to be, granted to women, I'll confess that the ability to kill an enemy at close quarters is not one that has preoccupied me much. Joining the army was never on the agenda, and in general my friends' interest in soldiering is limited to the sexual – "I'm one marine away from joining a choir," said one recently, though I'm not sure if Gareth Malone's singing military wives would accept the unmarried and promiscuous. Nevertheless, there are thousands of women who want to be soldiers who will be pleased that their options may be about to expand.…  Seguir leyendo »