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[Reduce firepower to accomodate female recruits]
[Dr. Aaron Lerner - IMRA: Reduce fire-power and use inferior rifle to
accommodate female recruits: a decision was made to discontinue the use of
heavy machine guns and MAG machine guns in the configurations carried by the
male and female warfighters..adopt the shortened version of the M-16 assault
rifle...lighter than the Micro-Tavor rifle used thus far by the warfighters
of the Caracal battalion." ]
“350% Increase in Women Warfighters in the IDF Ground Arm”
Following a staff work effort that lasted about eighteen months, the IDF
publishes new data, trends, and conclusions regarding the integration of
female warfighters in the IDF Ground Arm
Or Heller 23/02/2017
http://www.israeldefense.co.il/en/node/28641
IDF sources reported a 350% increase in the number of female warfighters
serving in the IDF Ground Arm between 2015 and 2016, an improvement in
motivation to opt for combat positions among female recruits from the
religious sector, and an increase in the recruitment of religious female
warfighters into the Combat Intelligence Collection Corps – at present the
“Eilat” company is a “gender specific” company and soon the entire “Eitam”
battalion will become a “gender specific” battalion enabling religious
female warfighters to join its ranks.
As part of the establishment of the new border protection layout, which
integrates the border protection mission and commands the various setups,
the border protection training school will be established in November, where
the personnel of this layout will be trained (surveillance operators, combat
intelligence collection operators, trackers, operations center NCOs and
light infantry border battalions). The establishment of the new border
protection layout provides a glimpse into the data and service
characteristics of IDF female warfighters. Last week, the IDF Ground Arm
presented, in a briefing to the press held at the Quirya compound, the
border protection layout currently being established. The new layout
includes the four mixed light infantry battalions (Caracal, Arayot HaYarden,
Bardelas and the new 47th battalion), the combat intelligence collection
forces, the civilian settlement protection forces, the command centers of
the regional brigades and divisions and other elements.
This new layout is being established pursuant to a staff work effort that
lasted about eighteen months, during which the IDF attempted to make the
necessary adaptations and improvements required in order to enable female
warfighters to serve in the ground forces (today, some 1,300 female
warfighters serve in ground units), with the emphasis on the female
warfighters in the mixed battalions and the combat intelligence collection
battalions, which are intended to constitute the core of the new layout.
This staff work effort produced various data, trends and conclusions
regarding the typical female warfighter of the IDF ground forces.
For example, a comparison between a company of new female recruits in basic
infantry training course and a mixed warfighter company indicated that in
the mixed company, the number of ‘sick bay’ calls and visits to the medical
staff was four times higher. It was further indicated that female
warfighters are 5 cm shorter, on average, than male warfighters, in addition
to other physiological changes that would require adaptations of the
nutrition of female warfighters as early as during the training stage at the
new training base for mixed light infantry battalions. The new base is a
part of the Sayarim Combat Intelligence Collection School in the Arava
region, and is to be opened between August and November (today, the training
companies of these battalions are scattered among the brigade training
centers of the Golani, Givati and Nahal infantry brigades).
Another adaptation currently under development for the benefit of the female
warfighters is a lighter and more comfortable helmet and a combat vest
designed specifically to fit the female body. Additionally, a decision was
made to discontinue the use of heavy machine guns and MAG machine guns in
the configurations carried by the male and female warfighters. These machine
guns will only be mounted on the routine security vehicles. The male and
female warfighters will continue to carry the Negev machine guns regarded as
lighter and more comfortable. The light infantry battalions will adopt the
shortened version of the M-16 assault rifle, which is, admittedly longer but
lighter than the Micro-Tavor rifle used thus far by the warfighters of the
Caracal battalion.
Fighting the Dropout Issue
IDF sources admitted that a substantial dropout was recorded about two years
ago and about a year ago in two major elements of the new border protection
layout: the new light infantry battalions and the female surveillance
operator force.
9% of female surveillance operators in active service plus 12.5% of the
operators undergoing training dropped out of this demanding job in 2015, but
last year the dropout figure decreased to 8% during active service and 5.7%
during training. The female surveillance operator layout has grown by 1500%
in the last decade. Pursuant to the reconstruction of the operations center
infrastructures and the revised leave arrangements, dropout figures
decreased by 15% between 2015 and 2016. According to IDF sources, dropout
has stopped and decreased in the light infantry battalions as well. “The
staff was not suitable for these companies. They had squad leaders and
platoon commanders that had hailed from such other brigades as the Golani
Brigade and did not know how to deal with the special characteristics of a
mixed company,” a senior Ground Arm officer explained. “Today, almost all of
the commanders in these companies had previously served in the mixed
battalions. Contrary to the American concept according to which the same
selection processes are applied to both male and female warfighters, we
decided to make adaptations so as to have many more female warfighters
relative to the US Army.”
Another officer described the extent to which negative media reports
regarding the service conditions affect motivation as early as during the
recruitment stage: “A few weeks ago, 35 female recruits at the BAKUM (IDF
central recruitment & selection depot) refused to be transported to the
surveillance operator course pursuant to negative media reports, despite the
increase we had experienced following Operation Protective Edge.” Another
element with which the IDF is trying to cope with the fluctuations in
motivation is the new unique beret designed for the entire personnel of the
new layout by one of the female warfighters – a yellow and brown camouflage
pattern.
All of the above notwithstanding, in the coming years, the new layout is not
expected to be involved in the primary activities of the world of routine
security that keep the IDF busy in the various border sectors. These
activities are assigned to the battalions of the regular brigades – the same
battalions expected to execute the ground maneuvers in enemy territory
during wartime. These battalions, the very core of the combat force of the
regular military, will continue to be trained for routine security
operations by the IDF regional commands. “Our vision is to establish a
training base through which all of the IDF battalions assigned to
operational routine security activities will go,” explained the Ground Arm
officer. “For the time being, the new layout includes the drivers, the
operations center officers and female NCOs for the various sectors, the
routine security coordinators and the trackers. The objective is to assign
all four light infantry battalions to operational security activities in the
Judea and Samaria district by 2018 – just like the mixed battalions of the
IDF Home Front Command. Today, these four battalions also have operational
plans for fighting in enemy territory near the border. We look at the border
threat while planning a few steps ahead. Accordingly, for example, the issue
of multicopters is already on our doorstep, as a surveillance asset or as a
strike asset, operated by Hamas as well as by Hezbollah, and we are
preparing to face this threat, among others.”
Source: http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=72231
I think we should have an all female military. All of them should be subject to being required to register for the draft at age 18.
That way, they can prove they can do anything a man can do once and for all, and men can be free to “get in touch with their feminine side”.
The dudes have taken on the responsibility for long enough. Its the chics turn.