Forces ‘dinosaurs’ ordered to accept women on front line

THE head of combat troops has attacked “dinosaurs” in the Army who object to women on the front line – and said there are plenty of overweight male soldiers who would not pass fitness tests.

Lt Gen Patrick Sanders, the commander of the Field Army, said that he was ordering a cultural change to welcome women when they join close-combat troops from the end of the year.

Getting the Army leadership on board was essential to change the macho culture and make troops more effective, he told a group of officers.

“The Infantry exists in an environment that celebrates male behaviour as something that bonds us – and we have to change that,” said Lt Gen Sanders. “We know that cultural change is really hard and it requires leadership to get it done. But we need to think about where the leadership is that matters.

“For me, it sits in the sergeants’ and corporals’ messes and also with young officers. That’s the group we need to persuade and lead if necessary. If you don’t have those personnel with you, then you won’t drive change through the organisation.

“Some of the dinosaurs will need to be persuaded – but if they can’t be, then too bad. These are orders.” The decision to allow women soldiers on the front line, reversing hundreds of years of British military tradition, was made in 2016 following a two-year study. Opponents claimed women could not pass the same rigorous physical tests as men, that they lacked the necessary levels of aggression and that there were risks associated with pregnancy. But Lt Gen Sanders said those arguments “just don’t apply”, as have been proved by women in other regiments.

Addressing complaints that women were not as fit as men, he said: “Each of the battalions I have visited probably have a few overweight personnel who couldn’t pass the existing tests – so you can’t complain when you’ve got male soldiers who fail the fitness criteria.”

He said that although the physical employment standards are being revised, they are being made harder, not easier.

Lt Gen Sanders was speaking to a select group of Infantry officers and NCOS in Tidworth. His speech is reported in Soldier magazine and followed a similar session at Catterick live-streamed to Germany, Northern Ireland, Brunei and Cyprus.

Lt Gen Sanders dismissed claims of political correctness, and said the decision had been made by officers, not politicians.