Effective Use of Females to Support Nation Building Operations in Afghanistan
Abstract
The current policies of Western Governments, particularly the UK and the US, exclude the use of women from service in combat arms. This restriction causes challenges when the combat units are required to undertake COIN and nation-building missions in countries with diverse cultural requirements. The front lines have moved and women are no longer solely in the rear echelons and are often required to assist security forces on patrols. Within Southern Afghanistan, the requirement for the Royal Air Force Regiment to patrol the Ground Defence Area around Kandahar Air Field brings them into contact with the local Pashtun population. This local population can provide useful HUMIT to warn of unrest in the area but, conversely, if the actions of coalition troops in the area are culturally insensitive this population could also provide a useful recruiting tool for the Taleban in the area. The main cultural requirement to be aware of in Pashtun areas is that of their attitude to women. Culturally sensitive forces take this requirement into account and include women in their patrols. Unfortunately these women are not combat troops and, as such, are not as well trained as those around them. In addition, the inclusion of women on these patrols is ad hoc and there is no mechanism for them to undertake training with their RAF Regiment counterparts prior to deployment. Recommendations to resolve this include setting up a cadre of female volunteers to undertake deployments with the RAF Regiment and additional training to ensure that they are fully conversant with combat section drills. To enable this there must be an acknowledgement that such a requirement exists and funding made available for such training. The consequences for not being culturally sensitive or appropriately trained could lead to greater loss of life over the course of the campaign.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 2009
- Accession Number
- ADA539139
Entities
People
- Anne-marie Houghton
Organizations
- Air Command and Staff College