BUB: UK Women in Service

The first female British soldier to die in Afghanistan appears to have been a victim of the "Snatch" Land Rover controversy.

The coroner at the inquest into the death of the first female British soldier to die in Afghanistan has said she and three colleagues were unlawfully killed.

The Wiltshire and Swindon coroner, David Masters, said the training of troops was "inadequate" at the time of the deaths and there had been a "general shortage of vehicles available during that period". He said he would be writing to the Ministry of Defence about issues raised by the hearing.

Corporal Sarah Bryant and SAS reservists Corporal Sean Robert Reeve, 28, Lance Corporal Richard Larkin, 39, and Private Paul Stout, 31, were killed when their Snatch Land Rover was hit by a massive improvised explosive device (IED) on 17 June 2008.

During the six-day inquest the court was told that the commander of the four soldiers had requested a replacement for their Snatch Land Rover but this was refused due to equipment shortages.

Summing up at Trowbridge town hall, Masters highlighted the limitations of the vehicles. "We heard ... that they had limited manoeuvrability, being heavy in soft ground and rural areas, that they were top-heavy and unstable ... that they were relatively light armoured," said Masters. "There was limited visibility. These concerns were raised by the commanding officer Colonel A."

Read more about the Land Rover controversy here.
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Following in the US's wake, there's discussing in England about whether or not to open submarine crew positions to women.

Concerns have been raised about possible sex scandals if women are allowed to serve on British military submarines, it has been reported.
A review is currently being carried out by the Government as to whether females should be included among underwater crew.
According to The Sun newspaper, there are fears within the Navy about what could happen when members of the opposite sex live in such close quarters for months at a time.
It said that women will be allowed to serve on submarines, but initially just five female officers will be deployed on each of the UK's four Vanquish-class nuclear submarines.
The newspaper quoted a naval source as saying: "There is concern over what might happen. If there was a sex scandal it would be impossible for anyone to be taken off until the sub returned from its three-month patrol.

OK - I'll say this. If a guy can't behave himself on a submarine crew with a woman around no matter how long he's on patrol then I don't want him in my military. I understand that there are bad guys out there. And when you find them, you kick them out of the military.


By: Brant