#women-in-combat

#women-in-combat

Tata requested Army and Marine Corps leaders to provide data on the readiness, training, performance, casualties and command climate of ground combat units and personnel. The services are to provide points of contact no later than Jan. 15 to the Institute for Defense Analyses, a nonprofit corporation that assists the government on national security issues. The memo says the data should include "all available metrics describing that individual's readiness and ability to deploy (including physical, medical, and other measures of ability to deploy.)"

Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel Anthony Tata wrote in a memo last month that the effort is to determine the "operational effectiveness of ground combat units 10 years after the Department lifted all remaining restrictions on women serving in combat roles." Tata requested Army and Marine leaders to provide data on the readiness, training, performance, casualties and command climate of ground combat units and personnel.

The Ukrainian soldiers sat huddled in their dark dugout, all focus and nerve - Viktoriia's eyes shifting frantically between two screens, Tetiana's hands clutching a drone controller. In the fields beyond, a Russian howitzer was firing shells at Ukrainian positions. The women steered their explosive-packed drone toward it and dived. Their screens blurred. The room went quiet. Then came the voice of their commander, Daria, from the trench outside: "There was a hit!"

Women have been involved in Ukraine's drone operations since the early months of the full-scale invasion, but as shortages in the military increase their presence has grown, particularly in FPV (first-person-view) attack units. Casualty figures are not disclosed but widely understood to be high, and Ukraine is becoming reliant on civilians to fill roles that once belonged to trained military personnel.

Instead, Panetta told Axios' Colin Demarest that military leaders were treated to a "recruiting speech" and complaints about "cultural issues." "Hell no," Panetta responded when asked if he would have called that meeting.

The Ranger School curriculum requires extreme physical fitness, including running, lifting heavy weights, and performing strenuous activities in a limited time. It poses a significant challenge that sees high dropout rates.

A female Army Ranger, First Lt. Gabrielle White, achieved remarkable success in the Best Ranger Competition, challenging stereotypes about women's capabilities in combat roles.