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January 25th, 2013
12:13 AM ET

Veterans debate women in combat roles

Former Congressman Lt. Col. Allen West (Ret.), and former Canadian military leader Gen. Rick Hillier (Ret.) disagree about women on the front lines.

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Filed under: Women's Issues
soundoff (5 Responses)
  1. Stuart

    Actually, there's no wall scale, and the fireman carry was replaced last year with a casualty drag. That's the army test. However, the new fitness test for pan-CF will be one standard for everyone, regardless of age or sex.

    January 25, 2013 at 11:11 pm |
  2. Nancy

    right Jill. I also serve and was appalled to see the extent of their segregation of genders in the US military while in Afghanistan last year. It was as if going back in time. I don't understand how it is still accepted. Women are not equals in their military.

    January 25, 2013 at 10:14 pm |
  3. shelby

    as a veteran i say no to women on the front line of combat, why, well, women naturally have more fat while men naturally have more muscle, making men more prone to stress of excess weight,enviroment and climate change in combat conditions, and while men naturally have 10 to 20 times more aggression testosterone than women, more importantly women give life to all of mankind, life is crattled in a women till a human being comes to existence from our female counter, puting women in combat is hazardous to the children that can potentially have no future from fumes in the air, and from constant abuse to the body making it a high factor of a deformed baby to this world, it's a risk of a women being put in combat not knowing to be pregnent, and when knowing they will be put out of the front line for special treatment, and this unmanned position can mean a lot to the heroes left behind, verses a man finding out they have a baby on the way, but they dont have to worry about life carried with them to a airborn attack, making men more suitable for combat because there will be no worry of a leave of absense for such a important matter, so i tell you all, "I have a dream that no women surrender to the front line of combat, cause equality to the life of being a hero to your country, verses being a hero to the life of an infant, is not a fair trial to the life of future generations of mankind, wondering why life of a young child didnt make it, for if a women surrender to the front line of combat, they surrender the right of a could be human being that if to make it, will wish to be as normal as everyone else, so please, may you reconsider."

    January 25, 2013 at 9:09 pm |
  4. Jill

    I serve in the CF, and it is just silly to me that this is an issue.
    our fitness test is carrying a weighted rucksack with webbing and weapon, for 13 km, and afterwards we have to dig a trench, scale a wall, and do a fireman's carry of another similarily sized soldier. I suck at pushups but I do well at this test because I have good endurance.
    Also, the training courses we go through to become eligible for front line training are tough enough to weed out anyone that could 'lessen the unit cohesion' etc.

    January 25, 2013 at 2:59 pm |
    • Glenn

      I too am a member of the CF, have been for 18 years. In my experience, women in all roles, including combat, perform more than adequately, matching or exceeding the standards. To quote Lt. Col. Allen West (Ret.), "Let's be honest here", women have been on the front lines for almost 100 years. Again, the US is lagging behind in ethical issues that they should be leading. Let's go USA, prove you are the greatest, most powerful nation on earth and give your citizens equality in ALL aspects of society.

      January 26, 2013 at 12:41 pm |
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