Equal rights, equal pay, equal standards. If everything is equal, and everyone is held to the same standards, than that is a good thing, and wait for this to come around. Thats all I have left to say on this subject.

I'm all for women serving in front-line combat roles as long as they can meet, or exceed, the EXACT SAME physical requirements as the male soldiers. There is a reason for the strength requirements in the military. You have to be physically capable of performing feats of strength and endurance in order to be a useful soldier. You have to be able to drag a certain weight because that's how much a soldier in full gear will weigh when they're laying injured on the ground. You have to be able to carry a certain weight on your back and still move at a certain speed or greater so as not to slow down the unit. You have to be able to navigate obstacles easily enough to not get stuck somewhere in combat. There won't be any specially marked steps for women to use in a war zone, so don't coddle them in boot camp.

Just because a woman suddenly tries to drag the soldier doesn't mean the man gets magically lighter. 200 pounds of dead weight is still 200 pounds of dead weight and you better damn well be able to drag him to safety fast enough that you don't get shot as well.

As for the added dangers for women who are captured, just make them vividly aware of the risks. Don't assign them to front-line roles. Make them choose to be part of a unit that will go into combat.

[edit on 12-9-2005 by boredom]