I voted no and not that I think that some woman are not strong enough, its that I have seen how men act around them in a combat enviornment.
I think it could be done if the units were segregated. All women unit. I think that is the only way that it would work.
Human science is just that science. But I am also a person who has a big problem with female police officers. Here is just an instance of a very trained Male coming to the aid of a threatened female. He almost gets killed in the process.
http://youtu.be/1ObxfhjkCww
I thought I should modify this.
This is just my opinion and yes I have met some great female officers out there. But like I said Human science is just that.
If a man sees a woman in danger no matter if your are straight, gay, or inbetween it will illicit an emotional response. Another man can not watch another man beat the crap out of a woman with out some sort of emotion becoming involved which leads to wanting to protect her. If Another man witnessing another man being beat up, depending on the nature and background of the event. you might be rooting the "punishment" on.
Ksail, I think I'd replace human science with human nature....and I agree it would be a concern. In a previous post, I noted it as social problems....
However, I don't know how much of a problem it would be...or should be allowed to be.
Doing risky and 'stupid' thing to come to the defense of fellow officers in police depts. isn't a rare occurrence and in the military, they even give out medals for it....sometimes even when it is done against orders and SOP. "No one left behind" is deeply embedded in military culture.....even to the point of risking lives to retrieve your brother-in-arms corpse.
Even with this, professional soldiers should not risk the success of the mission, if success is still possible, for this honorable action.
It is also true that the soldiers might be more likely to take that risk should a female soldier's life be in danger. One reason is that they have not come to respect the abilities of that woman like they do with their fellow male soldiers.
As we have discussed, lowering the bar to allow women to "make the grade" is not the way to lead men to respect their abilities.
Should women serve after passing the same standards men to and after they demonstrate themselves as capable....as every new man in a squad needs to do...they can earn that respect and be treated as a 'sibling-in-arms'.
I don't know how quick or easy it might be, but human nature will change....as soon as it is seen the change will work.