Female Navy Commander Leaves Ship Over Alleged Affair

[ChillDoubt]

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-28500346

I know we had a discussion some weeks back after the MOD announced a review over using females in a combat role.
This story if proven is precisely the reason that women cannot and should not serve in front line 'teeth' arms, it is fraught with detrimental implications.

[mikey4444]

Well, its not as if affairs haven't been happening on all-male ships since time began is it !

[Svejk]

sp. There have probably been tens of thousands(if not hundreds) of Captains in the RN. No doubt there have been similar cases but I cant remember one. Along comes the very first woman to command an RN ship and, allegedly, she cant keep her hands of the men. (or the wren)

[Sqad]

Svejk

\\\\Along comes the very first woman to command an RN ship and, allegedly, she cant keep her hands of the men. (or the wren)\\\

I don't see it that way.........i see it that the men can't keep their hands of the "boss." If she is "up for it" and she can separate her professional life from her personal needs....then why not.
It happens in all aspects of life.....the boss sh@gging" or being "sh@gged by the ....employees.

Consultants and nurses......barristers and juniors.....and so on and so on.

If we have been given the full facts.

[vulcan42]

Is it just a coincidence that sqad put consultants and nurses first?

[Sqad]

vulcan..LOL

No that is just an indication of how narrow my life experiences have been.

[ChillDoubt]

Ok people, just to clarify:
I have absolutely no problem with females becoming Rear Admirals, Field Marshal's or Air Commodores, good on 'em. As I said on that other discussion, the best Sgt Major I had during my service was a female.

I'm just pointing out that it is this particular occurrence that would cause mayhem and havoc in a tight-knit infantry unit out on ops.
As DTC pointed out, you can't have males and females giving in to their baser instincts on the front line, it would cause mayhem.
As an aside, a quick trawl on Google suggests the other person involved is male.

[Sqad]

Chilli

\\\\As DTC pointed out, you can't have males and females giving in to their baser instincts on the front line, it would cause mayhem.\\\

I just wonder how true that statement is and if it is rather assumed than real. The cry of "incoming fire" or similar would surely suppress one's baser instincts.

[DTCwordfan]

A mug of bromine tea and 600mg of Ibuprofen every three hours should cure the condition...?

[EcclesCake]

Reading Lord West's view of it all is beyond laughable; quite how is has the cojones to speak out is beyond me.

[humbersloop]

Chilli

//I'm just pointing out that it is this particular occurrence that would cause mayhem and havoc in a tight-knit infantry unit out on ops//

and I'm just pointing out this wasn't in an infantry unit and it wasn't on ops

I doubt very much that many people's first instinct in battle is to immediately seek out sex, though strange things happen at sea...

[ChillDoubt]

and I'm just pointing out this wasn't in an infantry unit and it wasn't on ops
--------------------
I understand that sloopy, that's why my argument is the one that was discussed a month or two back i.e. it's this type of incident that ought to ensure that females do not serve in combat units.
Every infantry unit has a Recce platoon. In Northern Ireland they were used for close observation tasking, 4 man groups staying in a hide for up to two weeks at a time. How would such a unit function if there was the ever-prevailing possibility of sexual tension?

I've no problem that the lady in this story is in charge of a Navy vessel, I'm pointing out that it's for this type of scenario that females shouldn't be used as infantry soldiers, as was being mooted a month or two ago.

[humbersloop]

I'm not following the logic of your argument Chilli

are you suggesting that troops in any combat situation are subject to uncontrollable sexual urges towards any colleagues in close proximity and that's their paramount state?

247/2, a better start btw

[ChillDoubt]

are you suggesting that troops in any combat situation are subject to uncontrollable sexual urges towards any colleagues in close proximity and that's their paramount state?
---------------
No sloop, I'm saying that during times of inactivity out on Ops, when one should be on 'stag'(Forces speak for passive observation and safeguarding) that the risk of distraction and temptation with a female colleague presents all sorts of problems, as was indicated in DTC's post.

And yes, 247/2 is a great turnaround, given how bad they were in the last Test. Looks like Cook has secured his short term future for now and Ballance has slotted into 3 like he was born for it.

[pixie373]

Chilli, i think we are- or should be- well past the point where women are not allowed jobs because they're women. A little self-discipline is not unrealistic. Are you saying that males that have no females around don't think about sex?

[humbersloop]

quite pixie

//the risk of distraction and temptation with a female colleague presents all sorts of problems//

so, do gay soldiers contain their impulses better then?

yep, Ballance has promise and I hope for a return to batting form for Cook, but I think he's a bloody awful captain all the same.There's just nobody else really

[ChillDoubt]

Are you saying that males that have no females around don't think about sex?
------------------------
Obviously they do. Having a female in close proximity on Ops would be an even greater distraction.


so, do gay soldiers contain their impulses better then?
--------------------------
Maybe, but they're not going to create feelings of tension and resentment between colleagues that a female would undoubtedly instigate, albeit unwillingly.

http://www2.palomar.edu/telescope/2013/02/11/women-should-not-serve-in-combat/

http://www.bible-researcher.com/women/schlafly3.html

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/25/opinion/boykin-women-in-combat/

Excerpt from last link:

The slots that may be opened are in our infantry and Special Forces units. The purpose of such units is to directly and physically engage enemy forces. This can often involve personal, hand-to-hand combat in which women will now have to fight men.

These units can often be deployed in prolonged operations that can last for months. The physical toll is constant and wearing. During operations of this kind there is typically no access to a base of operations or facilities. Consequently, living conditions can be abysmal and base.

There is routinely no privacy or ability to maintain personal hygiene for extended periods. Soldiers and Marines have to relieve themselves within sight of others.(My own addition: Recce/Close Observation platoons in N. Ireland have to urinate in sealable bottles and defacte into cling film. That, combined with menstruation would create difficulties). Think back to those scenes of combat in Vietnam, the Pacific in World War II, or the frozen mountains of Korea. It isn't pretty, and the same is happening now in Afghanistan.

This combat environment -- now containing males and females -- will place a tremendous burden on combat commanders. Not only will they have to maintain their focus on defeating the enemy in battle, they will have to do so in an environment that combines life-threatening danger with underlying sexual tensions. This is a lot to ask of the young leaders, both men and women, who will have to juggle the need to join and separate the sexes within the context of quickly developing and deadly situations.