I feel as a woman that if a woman feels she wants to go and fight for our country then so be it. We have all asked for equal rights and this is a woman’s right to do what she feels passionate about.

Her husband and family are very proud of her and have not once said she should not have been there. Women are strong and are able to do anything a man can do at war.

Wear the uniform with pride and do the duty respectfully and just hope that you don’t stop one.

Given that the article has been written by a man, it is understandable that he would have a say into why was Sarah’s story covered more by the media than that of her other 3 male colleagues.

I guess we live in times (still the same times) when a woman is considered not capable as doing the same things that men do..and I guess this would never stop, and it cannot stop because …well.. as women we are still somewhat needing to be protected, we marry only if we feel secure, we long for protection and we always fight for our feelings..whatever and wherever those may lead us.

There is an inherent difference between us and men , in the way the body is designed, in the way we think, feel, perceive the world and pretty much everything in it.

BUT…Because (and as long as) this world is still ruled by a majority of MEN, what we are trying to do is to imitate as much as we can the actions and behaviour of men, so that by having the same interests, same frame of mind (even if self-imposed), we can find a common ground and/or form ties with the world’s bunch of MEN.

In doing so, we have , I guess tried to compensate for everything that we have always been blamed incapable of doing. It is not the first and it will certainly not be the last instance of us, WOMEN trying to gain a more “equal” (if I may say so) status to that of the MEN.

Well done Sarah for trying to break the ceiling, set on us so lowly by MEN.

Providing woman and man both go though the same training and have both passed the same fitness, mental and strength tests than I don’t see why they should not be allowed.

I never want to fight in a war, but if there are women who want to then we should let them..

For decades the emancipation of women has been an issue at the forefront of many social discussions and no less apt that it should be referred to in discussions regarding military service.

Women are not women in the military, they are service personnel, no more and certainly no less. As such their contribtions regardless of duty, and regardless of territory of operations, should be no less and no more than that expected and required of any other serviceman. It matters not which branch of service, which Corp, whether front line unit or support, women are entitled and should be expected to shoulder the samer risk as their male colleagues.

And if that means fighting bullet for bullet, mortar for mortar, or RPG for RPG then that is what they must do. Modern infantry warfare is much different to the way it was 20 years ago, both in the nature of the way it is fought as in the technology used to fight it. Weapons are lighter, equipment more resilient, and the terrains that need to be overcome, whilst arduous and energy sapping, no longer require the physical brutality of forced march. Warfare the like that were experienced in The Falklands is now an anachronism. Unit movement no longer relying upon foot slog but soft skinned and armoured deployment. No longer is front line duty a matter of physical strength, of the tabbing with loaded bergens, and the hand-to-hand combat of yesteryear. Mental agility and tactical wit are the foundations of modern warfare, supplemented by tenchnology that allows strike and counterstrike from distance. sure bullets will always be traded over hedgerows but technology in modern warfare is the difference between victory and defeat. Outsmart the enemy with technology before he outsmarts you without. A woman can do this, employ this, and think as tactically as any man. Maybe even more so given men’s propensity to ego.

And at this juncture might I say that this generalisation in no way is meant to denigrate the efforts of anyone serving overseas. I must doff my cap to SF’s everywhere and preclude them from the last statement, for I know how covert operations work and such physical hardship needfully endured to ensure success behind enemy lines is part and parcel of SF deployment the world over.

Loss of life in war is regrettable. Loss of any life, whether male or female, military or civilian is a travesty that we must strive to finally avoid. But we would be doing service personnel operating in all climates, in all zones of hostility, and under all levels of stress, a dis-service to suggest that women are neither capable, nor should they be allowed to serve alongside their male colleagues without enduring the same hardships and the same risks.

I salute all of our armed forces for their commitment and dedication to duty. I salute your bravery. And I mourn with you for your losses. Stand strong, stand resolute, and be proud, for your cause is noble, and your efforts worthy of the highest praise.

NDL

Well done that woman! Such a shame that the MOD can’t seem able to provide anything more than un-armoured taxis for our guys and gals. But then the bean counters are too busy counting beans to be bothered about anything as inconsequential as the life of one our brave people!!

I think your remarks are both disrespectful and crass to all service personnel fighting in the British Army. I notice neither of you are in the British Army and if you feel so strongly about females fighting for Britain I suggest you join up. Maybe then women won’t have too. I hope Alex you never find yourself needing the British Army to defend your freedom I for one would gladly leave you to the Afghanistans.

I dont agree with women being on the front line there are plenty of jobs for thm here in the uk,what i would like to say is bring all the troops home

I had the pleasure of training skill at arms to both men and women in the armed forces and believe me I’ll take a bunch of girls any day on ops they have a natural female killer instinct look who kills in a lions pack. Sarah will not be the last female to die in combat and she is certainly not the first. I was proud to serve with the girls and I know the men of today are just as proud of their women as we where god bless you all and as they say keep your sights clean and your aim straight.

War has no rules, only conventions established by bleeding heart liberals, and old men. War has morals and codes, adhered to by just and righteous individuals as a way of preserving us from the savagery that divides man from the animals. Yet when the tide of conflict ceases to observe those conventions, when the enemy ceases to play by the accepted codes, what then? Do we maintain our moral stance regardless of personal cost? Do we maintain that ’stiff upper lip’ and ’starched collar’ that we, the British, are so famous for? Or do we fight the bastards at their own game, using their tactics, their deceit, their cowardice, and forsake our own ideologies of how war should be fought? I’ll tell you what we should do. We abandon civility, we shirk off the ridiculousness of engagement protocol. We fight them on their terms, in their backyard, with all the dirty, underhanded tactics they employ. To that end we may achieve something more than if we remain the way we are, operating in hazardous climates with little to protect us, and equipment that government should be ashamed to provide us with. Yet beyond all this, if centuries of conflict have taught us anything, it is this: that guerilla warfare cannot be won, led alone fought, using conventional tactics. There are no known targets, no enemy in line of sight, no safe zones, no rear echelon, no forward lines, no ‘no fly’ zones, no ‘free-fire’ hotspots when you fight a guerilla war. When you fight insurgency. When you are in-country everyone is a target, and everyone a potential insurgent. It’s that thinking that keeps you wired; keeps you sharp; keeps you alive. Fire must be fought with fire. Punch landed for punch. Give no quarter, and expect none in return because rest assured if you’re captured it’s the end of the line sooner or later. There is no compassion, no chivalry, no mercy, and no respite. If the government dictate our troops be in Afghanistan then stay we will, not through choice but duty. The sadness of it all is quite simply this: in 12 years of the mighty Red Machine occupying Afghanistan they failed to bring either the Mujahaddin nor the Taliban to heal. In 10 years of occupation of South Vietnam the USA failed to bring the VietCong to heal. Malaya taught the UK that insurgency operations were difficult at best, impossible to achieve success in at worst. Vietnam was unwinnable. The UK realised this and stayed at home. And yet here we are again, at the behest of the USA, fighting a war I have doubts we can ever succeed in, let alone win. You have to ask why can we, or at least the people who profess to run our civilised nation, not learn anything from history?

I pray for the safe return of all our soldiers, sailors, and air personnel. God speed to you all, and stay safe.

NDL