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Australian woman already serving on the front line
Herald Sun (Melbourne) ^ | 10th September 2009 | Ian McPhedran

Posted on 09/09/2009 8:38:55 PM PDT by naturalman1975

AUSTRALIAN female soldiers are already serving on the front line and here is the photograph to prove it.

As the debate rages about lifting the ban on women serving in combat roles, small numbers of female soldiers, such as army medic Jacqui de Gelder from Canberra, are already doing the business.

She was on her first combat foot patrol in the village of Chora in Afghanistan just two weeks ago.

The younger sister of navy clearance diver Paul de Gelder, who lost his foot to a shark attack in Sydney Harbour, spent the previous day treating victims of a suicide bomber at an aid post inside a joint Australian/Afghan national army base called Mirwais.

The dismounted patrol through Chora was a front-line job and the 24-year-old soldier with five years experience, on her second tour to the Middle East, had equal status and was exposed to the same risks as every male soldier.

Commander of the army's Darwin based 1st Brigade, Brigadier Michael Krause, said the reality was that anyone in uniform overseas was on the front line.

"There are no fronts and flanks. Every soldier in any area of operations is likely to be a target," he said.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.com.au ...


TOPICS: Australia/New Zealand; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: aussietroops; militaryreadiness; militarywomen; womenincombat


1 posted on 09/09/2009 8:38:55 PM PDT by naturalman1975
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To: naturalman1975

Are they sure? Those on the frontlines must all have the same sort of faces.


2 posted on 09/09/2009 8:40:24 PM PDT by madison10
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To: naturalman1975

Where does she carry her sanitary stuff ?


3 posted on 09/09/2009 8:46:47 PM PDT by libh8er
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To: naturalman1975

Women in the armies of the world (70 pictures)http://izismile.com/2009/05/13/women_in_the_armies_of_the_world_70_pics.html


4 posted on 09/09/2009 9:13:53 PM PDT by rawhide
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