RHRP
08-10-2005, 19:46
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16220524%255E601,00.html
John Kerin
August 11, 2005
WOMEN will be posted to frontline combat zones under changes to military rules to tackle a recruiting crisis in the armed forces.
Defence Personnel Minister De-Anne Kelly is expected to announce as early as today that restrictions will be lifted on women serving in the army's four frontline war units, making them eligible for active service in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The new rules will make the Australian Defence Force one of the most progressive in the world, putting female soldiers in more dangerous battlefield positions than their British or US counterparts.
Women will be able to join the infantry, tank and armoured vehicle units, heavy gun units and combat engineers. However, they will still be banned from serving in the elite SAS.
Although they will not be involved in frontline fighting, the army's 2600 women will serve in support positions including logistics and communications. Research still suggests women lack the physical strength and power required in close combat and have lesser load-carrying stamina than men.
Government sources last night confirmed the proposal put forward by the army. "It still has to go through the channels of government," one source said. "But the Government's policy on women in frontline combat will not change."
The 52,000-strong Australian Defence Force, which boasts 7000 women across the three services, is in the grip of a recruiting crisis and fell about 1000 short of its recruiting target last year.
John Howard has asked Mrs Kelly to address the recruiting crisis in the wake of a survey in May that showed up to a third of defence force personnel were considering quitting the force.
Soldiers complained of poor pay, the lure of private sector jobs and dissatisfaction with long deployments.
Mrs Kelly is looking at a range of options, including breaking the long-held notion that the military is a life-long vocation and turning it into a more flexible career.
Changes to pay rates, childcare and spousal support and moves to ease the stress of postings and long periods away from home are all being considered.
While women serve widely aboard navy ships, including in command positions, and now as fighter pilots, and have already seen action in these capacities in Afghanistan and Iraq, some restrictions remain.
Navy women still cannot be involved in the clearance of deadly sea mines and are not allowed to serve in the guarding of airfields in the RAAF.
In 2001, the German defence force was the first to move to open combat units to women, closely followed by the Royal New Zealand Defence Force.
Britain has lifted its ban but left it up to the defence force to decide whether to recruit women to combat units. The US bans women in units that "co-locate with ground combatants".
RSL national president Major-General Bill Crews welcomed the decision "for a modest expansion of positions available to women". "It will mean women will be able to fill support positions in combat units but still won't be exposed to hand-to-hand combat," he said last night. "We believe its a sensible move."
But Women's Auxiliary Air Force of NSW president Beryl Evans said she believed it was time "the ladies be allowed to decide" whether they occupy frontline combat positions.
Mrs Evans, who served in the WAAF in World War II, said: "When we took the oath to serve our king and country, we were prepared to do whatever we were asked to do. I know men are concerned about women in combat but I think its great that women are taking on more roles."
NSW secretary of the Council of Ex-Servicewomen Grace McDonald, who served in the navy auxiliary in World War II, stressed it was her personal opinion that frontline combat was too physically demanding for women.
"But it's certainly a good thing that women are being allowed to do a lot more than they did in my day," she said. "We weren't allowed to serve on ships and now the lasses tell me they run them."
Of the 16,000 young Australians who applied for places in the defence force last year, only 4747 were accepted.
Former defence force chief Peter Cosgrove told a parliamentary inquiry that most of those rejected could not meet rigorous physical and psychological standards, but dropping standards was not the answer.
John Kerin
August 11, 2005
WOMEN will be posted to frontline combat zones under changes to military rules to tackle a recruiting crisis in the armed forces.
Defence Personnel Minister De-Anne Kelly is expected to announce as early as today that restrictions will be lifted on women serving in the army's four frontline war units, making them eligible for active service in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The new rules will make the Australian Defence Force one of the most progressive in the world, putting female soldiers in more dangerous battlefield positions than their British or US counterparts.
Women will be able to join the infantry, tank and armoured vehicle units, heavy gun units and combat engineers. However, they will still be banned from serving in the elite SAS.
Although they will not be involved in frontline fighting, the army's 2600 women will serve in support positions including logistics and communications. Research still suggests women lack the physical strength and power required in close combat and have lesser load-carrying stamina than men.
Government sources last night confirmed the proposal put forward by the army. "It still has to go through the channels of government," one source said. "But the Government's policy on women in frontline combat will not change."
The 52,000-strong Australian Defence Force, which boasts 7000 women across the three services, is in the grip of a recruiting crisis and fell about 1000 short of its recruiting target last year.
John Howard has asked Mrs Kelly to address the recruiting crisis in the wake of a survey in May that showed up to a third of defence force personnel were considering quitting the force.
Soldiers complained of poor pay, the lure of private sector jobs and dissatisfaction with long deployments.
Mrs Kelly is looking at a range of options, including breaking the long-held notion that the military is a life-long vocation and turning it into a more flexible career.
Changes to pay rates, childcare and spousal support and moves to ease the stress of postings and long periods away from home are all being considered.
While women serve widely aboard navy ships, including in command positions, and now as fighter pilots, and have already seen action in these capacities in Afghanistan and Iraq, some restrictions remain.
Navy women still cannot be involved in the clearance of deadly sea mines and are not allowed to serve in the guarding of airfields in the RAAF.
In 2001, the German defence force was the first to move to open combat units to women, closely followed by the Royal New Zealand Defence Force.
Britain has lifted its ban but left it up to the defence force to decide whether to recruit women to combat units. The US bans women in units that "co-locate with ground combatants".
RSL national president Major-General Bill Crews welcomed the decision "for a modest expansion of positions available to women". "It will mean women will be able to fill support positions in combat units but still won't be exposed to hand-to-hand combat," he said last night. "We believe its a sensible move."
But Women's Auxiliary Air Force of NSW president Beryl Evans said she believed it was time "the ladies be allowed to decide" whether they occupy frontline combat positions.
Mrs Evans, who served in the WAAF in World War II, said: "When we took the oath to serve our king and country, we were prepared to do whatever we were asked to do. I know men are concerned about women in combat but I think its great that women are taking on more roles."
NSW secretary of the Council of Ex-Servicewomen Grace McDonald, who served in the navy auxiliary in World War II, stressed it was her personal opinion that frontline combat was too physically demanding for women.
"But it's certainly a good thing that women are being allowed to do a lot more than they did in my day," she said. "We weren't allowed to serve on ships and now the lasses tell me they run them."
Of the 16,000 young Australians who applied for places in the defence force last year, only 4747 were accepted.
Former defence force chief Peter Cosgrove told a parliamentary inquiry that most of those rejected could not meet rigorous physical and psychological standards, but dropping standards was not the answer.