A government commission will urge the U.S. military this spring to allow women to serve as combat soldiers, but the Pentagon is not likely to adopt those recommendations any time soon as it struggles with two long wars and a new policy toward gay troops.” Reuters.com article Jan 20, 2011

Despite a US government sponsored commission that recommends removing the restrictions that ban women from the combat trades in the US military, the policy will likely go unchanged. Britain also recently decided to maintain their exclusion of women in ground combat roles.

In todays wars in Afghanistan and Iraq the distinction of combat vs non combat does not apply. Whether by roadside bombs or ambushes of patrol units, all soldiers are under threat and de facto, in combat.

In Canada, women have been working in the combat trades since 1989 and are active in those roles in Afghanistan.

What do you think are the biggest challenges for allowing women into combat roles? How does it work for the troops in Canada?