getting into the infantry

[Catherine]

as you can probably tell i‘m and girl who wants to be in the infantry. I figured out that women are aloud to do whatever job they want in the CF but are there many women in the infantry? Someone told me it would be really hard to get in because i‘m a girl. I hope the CF isn‘t as sexist as i think it is!

 

[Thaedes]

I hope the CF isn‘t as sexist as i think it is!

You think the Canadian forces sexist in the first place?

Don‘t join for the wrong reasons, IE: To prove a point that women can do the job just as well as men. We already understand this, don‘t try to do what our mothers did back in the 60‘s. The army is well aware of equal rights.

If anything, because you are a women you‘ll likely get preference over males. Just because the military wants not to be percieved as sexist.

Good luck

 

[klumanth]

Agreed. In fact, the more minority groups you can place yourself in the better your chances of getting a nice place in the Forces. I know that doesn‘t sound right but that‘s just the way it is.

Now about the infantry... I have seen a few women who can hack it, sometimes even better than a lot of the boys. But those women are very few and far between. It‘s not just about being in excellent shape but also having the right personality and attitude to be able to fit in.

I am certainly not trying to discourage you from joining the infantry but I want you to have a good idea of what to expect and know that it won‘t be easy. Forewarned is forearmed

 

[Infanteer]

It is hard, especially in the reg force, for a woman to be in the infantry. Check the statistics, it is still a mans world here.

 

[WINDWOLF]

Why not.Go for it.
You have the same chance as the rest.
Just remember that from prehistoric times to
now,men with honor have always tried to protect
the females. So don,t be surprised if you run into
a few problems.This is not the "Starship trooper"
era yet. :sniper:

 

[Danjanou]

I was around when the first female 031s came into the system including the first female officer from RMC who went on pahase training in Gagetown and I remember and the resentment it caused especially among the "old guard" NCO cadre.

We had a couple in my company, some couldn‘t hack it, but then so what a lot of guys can‘t either.
Some were ok and some were quite good, including to be honest one who was probably one of the best grunts I‘ve ever seen.

She was a tiny (literally) Newfoundlander and one of the toughest soldiers I‘ve ever met. Totally switched on and I‘d have had no qualms whatsoever going into a firefight with her.

Bottom line you‘re a soldier or not. Where you come from or who you were before (or what you are when out of uniform) is irrelevant to me and that includes gender as well as race etc. hey i didn‘t need "SHARP" to teach me that.

 

[Danjanou]

oops duplicate post, sorry.

 

[Gunnar]

Speaking for myself here:

Don‘t try to prove anything, other than that you are the world‘s best infanteer. Don‘t use your sex, and don‘t hide behind it. There are plenty of men out there who do stupid things to "prove they‘re a man". Don‘t fall into a similar trap yourself.

Listen to your instructors, run your heart out and remember a few things:

1) Women are usually less physically strong than men. They can train up, but testosterone builds muscle mass a lot quicker, and a strong man will almost always be stronger than a strong woman. It‘s not personal, it‘s biology. Taken as a general point, don‘t let your mind write cheques your body can‘t cash. A zero balance in the account occasionally won‘t kill you, but the overdraft charges are a bitch. ;-)

2) Women have the physical and mental capacity to be better at endurance than men. They have to be. In the grand scheme of things, it is women who keep the human race going. ;-) Be tough. Don‘t let anyone make you a quitter.

3) Men tend to think differently than women. Use you own thinking to your advantage, it may screw up the opposing forces. But don‘t reject other ideas or common sense because of it. When you become a platoon leader or officer you‘ll need to see both sides of the coin anyway.

4) Social rules are different for men and women in society, and this point is accentuated by the primarily male environment of the armed forces. Think of relationships as relationships in the office, or relationships in the same class. Very difficult to keep secret, and they *must not* interfere (or even be perceived to interfere) with your work in any way. As you know, there is a double standard for women. Sad, wrong, etc., etc., but still true. You need to be above reproach, particularly if you become an officer.

5) Be a responsible individual. If you are running the rain and you forget your raincoat, don‘t take the one offered by the guy next to you unless it‘s an extra. No special treatment asked for or accepted. You‘re just another troop, *gurl* or not...Make sure that you know this, as well as any well-meaning troopers who may attempt to treat you differently because of your sex.

I‘m a Canadian taxpayer, I expect you to keep me soft, fat and happy, with my 2.3 kids and my house in the ‘burbs.

 

[WINDWOLF]

Gunnar, why do i have the feeling that you are nither fat or soft & what the **** is .3 of a child?

armygirl listen very close to what he has to say.
It is centre of mass.If you go in as just one of the guys,fight to be treated that way.Never give up/never surrender.

Good luck soldier.

 

[Thaedes]

Gunnar was refering to Canadian demographics. The average family in Canada has approx 2.3 children. Now quite obviously you can‘t have a 3rd of a child, but thats the average since some families clearly have more then 2 and some less.

Hehe, good rant though :mg:

 

[WINDWOLF]

So,i have twin 22 yr old daughters.Does that mean they are 1 or 1.5.

 

[Bert]

Thades > "Gunnar was refering to Canadian demographics. The average family in Canada has approx 2.3 children. Now quite obviously you can‘t have a 3rd of a child, but thats the average since some families clearly have more then 2 and some less."

I think Gunnar was talking about families with short children and having 2.3 children/family
is possible. Having 3 children, at least one is bound to be shorter than the rest.

ArmyGirl
Im not in the military yet and can‘t comment on the culture but I‘ve worked in many challenging environments.

There will always be at some level a clash of genders. There will always be clashes within the same gender added to the usual challenges of personal confidence everybody goes through.

In life, you can set your own course, do the best you can, and worry less about what some people may think. Recognize good advice. If you worry too much about what some people think, you start to live in a "bucket of crabs". As soon as you try to climb out, somebody grabs your leg and pulls you back in. Have personal confidence.

 

[timbit]

Windwolf did you say twin 22y daughters . Being a young guy I think we score that as 10 oh ya.

 

[WINDWOLF]

See armygirl,timbit is the type you may find in,
so be prepared.

timbit: My girls would like to know if the c/s indicats a shortage of equipment?

 

[Marauder]

And since timbit has been so kind as to bring the issue up,if some horny little 18yo moron in your trg platoon/coy who has never touched a tit before tries to hit on you, kick him in the nuts and tell him to think with his brain instead of his underused ****, and to at least act like he can be professional. Save the graba$$ stupidty for a Friday night out on the town with some pretty boy civ who won‘t screw up a PL dynamic by acting all jealous and saying stupid **** cause he let his **** make his decisions.

Don‘t be one of those females who lets a whole ****in‘ platoon pull a train on her, or the one who will suck a sect cmdr‘s **** in the rockets to pass QL3 either. That kind of **** is why many guys are ambivalent at best about intagrating chicks into inf units. Don‘t be *THAT* woman/girl/person of female persuasion.

 

[WINDWOLF]

Outstanding advice.
Have heard of that type of sh!t happening in the Navy.Don,t let it happen on the ground.

As you can read,we all have advice on the female
perspective of 031,but until you get in take what the boys say here with a grain of salt.We really do not know what females go thru in training.

Most of it will be common sense stuff.
If you screw up then the best thing to do is"
take it like a man"Don,t whine,snivel or bitch.
You may be surprised @ the results you get.
:sniper:

 

[timbit]

come on guy‘s and girls just trying to have some fun.

But really I would never hit on a girl I work with, your just looking for trouble. Besides they might just show you up. I belive and so do many of you that a woman can do their jobs just as good if not better somtimes than a man.

Windwolf: only .50cal in this kids cache
Marauder: good advice,

 

[Danjanou]

Well Armygirl I hope some of these tired old grunts haven‘t scared you off the concept.

Sounds like you already have one of the essentials of being a good 031, common sense.

Simple when you don‘t know something, don‘t be afraid to ask. You may not like the info you get, you may not even use it, but if you didn‘t ask in the first place you wouldn‘t have that option.

On a more pratical note, presuming your still in school and there‘s aunit near by, why not join a reserve infantry unit first. It will give you a taste of this life, and you‘ll know if it‘s for you.

Good luck and let us know what happens.

Oh Windwolf, twins eh, you have my sympathy. I suggest claymores in the front lawn to keep timbit away

 

[WINDWOLF]

Timbit, your 50 cal better have a bfa on it
(not big f*cking animal either)

Armygirl; give a thought to Danjanou suggestion.
Might be a idea to reserve first & then commit if you like it.

Danjanou, I was thinking more inline of low wire entanglment,less mess to clean up.

 

[Danjanou]

Windwolf, simple but effective. Sometimes the old low tech ways are the best.

Armygirl, see how helpful and informative this place is.