A female soldier has made history by successfully completing the United States (US) Army’s Special Forces Assessment and Selection (SFAS) course (Folley, 2018). Although several women have attempted to complete the US Army’s Special Forces (aka Green Beret’s) selection process since January 2016, this female soldier is the first to graduate from SFAS. The female… Read More
Research Paper Title U.S. Marine Corps Research Findings: Where is the Case for Co-Ed Ground Combat? Abstract This is an Interim Special Report on the multi-phased research effort, initiated by Marine Corps Commandant General James Amos to gather quantitative data identifying the physical strength requirements of combat arms units. The goal is to find ways… Read More
Research Paper Title Biomedical Research on Health and Performance of Military Women: Accomplishments of the Defense Women’s Health Research Program (DWHRP). Abstract In 1994, the US Congress provided US$40 million for biomedical research on issues of importance for military women. This supported 104 intramural and 30 extramural studies and launched an era of research to narrow the… Read More
After the decision by the MOD to open ground close combat roles (i.e. Infantry and Armoured) to women last year, the British Army’s fitness test will be evaluated to ensure women can (physically) qualify for these front line roles. Although all roles will be open to women from 2018, the new physical training standards will… Read More
Research Paper Title Improved Mood State and Absence of Sex Differences in Response to the Stress of Army Basic Combat Training. Background It is reported that women are more susceptible to stress than men but they have not been compared in stressful, real-world, team-centred, occupational/training environments. This study investigated effects of Army Basic Combat Training… Read More
The US Secretary of Defence, Ash Carter, has announced that beginning in January 2016, all military occupations and positions will be open to women, without exception. For the first time in US military history, as long as they qualify and meet specific standards, the secretary stated that women will be able to contribute to the… Read More
Neatly tying in with the earlier post is another article from Soldier Magazine (in the same issue): “The debate over women in combat units is intensifying as the Army’s expected announcement on its recent policy review looms. Writing in The Times, former Colonel Richard Kemp praised the bravery and performance of women serving in front-line roles such as medics and pilots,… Read More
