Twenny years ago, somebody (maybe Farrell) said that the famously coed Israeli army was actually a pretty masculine outfit when it came down to meaningful operations. I can't remember the name of the women's side of the service, but I remember that it was translated as "charm".

Don't know for sure, just sayin'. Israelis tend to live in the real world.

Charming, yes. Also armed. Something about an attractive woman with a rifle...Oh, don't mind me, it's early yet.

Curiously arousing are the only words I can come up with at this time. Maybe it's just early in the morning.

I like Rachel's style, but the pictures give me the impression that the women are just attending some sort of extended summer school. They have to participate in order to "graduate", but are bored to tears.

There used to be a separate women's force, now I believe they are fully integrated in most units.

It was called Chayl Nashim.
Chail=force
Nashim=women

The acronym (EVERYTHING in the army has an abbreviation)was pronounced "Chen" - which means "grace" or "charm".

That was back when the girls did filing and made coffee. Now they do almost everything. A lot of the technical training posts use female soldiers - they are supposedly better at communicating and don't inspire defiance/competitiveness as male trainers would.

Dr. Ruth was trained as a sniper in the Israeli military. (She never shot anyone, though.)

The prospects of these ladies ever killing enemies with those big, bad phallic symbols (they actually kind of make them look like weird, saggy, fanny-packs) is, of course, minimal to non-existent. The same is true of the prospects of them ever being intentionally put in harm's way. Those darn ovaries are just tooooo precious! (and some of those fannies are pretty cute!) Testicles? A dime a dozen, and not cute, to boot!

There are two circumstances leading to institutionalized female participation in true soldiering, i.e., engaging and destroying the enemy: a society fighting for its very existence (and even then it is rare; not even Israel puts women into combat), or a society that is so overtaken with the brain-tumour of feminist ideology that it has become insane.

This is not to say that women can't be vicious, cold-blooded, sadistic killers, of course. It's just particularly bad to encourage that in women -- they might grow to like it TOO much! (You prayed the warrior killed you outright so his squaws didn't get their turn with you before, eventually, you found the relief of death. Women routinely tortured injured enemy soldiers to death on the battlefields of Europe, as well. Might you enjoy a little castration before dying, perhaps?)

Seriously, do we want a society that views women's lives to be as disposable as men's? That encourages women to endeavor to learn to kill other people? This is progress? Men's lives will always be disposable as compared to women's -- it's a fundamental part of our "male privilege." All we want is a little respect, and perhaps even a dollop of appreciation, for the sacrifice. (Get back to me after women volunteer, in the name of fairness and equality, to fill half of society's "glass cellar.")

Men have always been quick to take a break from oppressin' their women-folk and die for 'em, instead, if need be. The bastards.

I'm surprised at the vintage of the weapons in the photo essay. Some of those rifles haven't been carried by Americans for twenty years.

So, what do you know about the Israeli army, Jay R?

"So, what do you know about the Israeli army, Jay R?"

Well, PJ, I know that Israel, which has a life-or-death interest in a kick-ass military, abandoned its experiment with including women in combat positions after concluding that it was an unmitigated disaster. The women couldn't pull their weight, and the men compromised their own effectiveness by constantly "looking after" the women.

I think women should do their fair share and serve in the military in support positions. But they should be called "service members" and not "soldiers." Maybe "soldierettes" would be appropriate. ;)

Get back to me when American women, in the interests of equality and fairness, insist on the "right" to be conscripted -- like the Israeli girls.

As for our female "soldiers" and "sailors," I would like discipline imposed on those who show up pregnant, and thus disable themselves from service -- just like a guy who shoots himself in the foot. (Funny how pregnancies spike just before units are to be deployed.)