The growing recruitment of women soldiers is undermining the strength and integrity of Australia’s frontline, a war veteran says.
Bernard Gaynor, who fought in Iraq, warned the recent drive to recruit women for the frontline weakened the nation’s defences, amid claims just one in 10 women completed basic infantry training
Mr Gaynor told Daily Mail Australia the government’s decision to include women in the infantry would lead to ‘soldiers unnecessarily coming home in body bags’.
Former soldier Bernard Gaynor has recently shared his thoughts on the army’s strategic direction to increase numbers of women on the frontline
Former soldier Bernard Gaynor has recently shared his thoughts on the army’s strategic direction to increase numbers of women on the frontline
‘The army is putting the females at risk as well as the men that work with them.’
Gaynor used to be in the army and was deployed to Iraq on three occasions. He earned the United States Meritorious Service Medal in 2010.
He says he is in contact with active soldiers every day and note ‘they can’t speak out about having women work alongside them because they will be discharged’.
‘Defence’s own statistics show 90 percent of the women can’t complete basic training,’ he claimed.
‘In training exercises I have seen the women don’t carry their own gear – the men carry it for them so they are doing their own job and someone elses.
‘Don’t get me wrong I’m not saying women don’t belong in the military – but I don’t believe they belong on the frontline.’
His post on the matter proved so popular that his blog shut down – because too many people were trying to access it at once.
Gaynor used to be in the army, was deployed to Iraq on three occasions and earned the United States Meritorious Service Medal in 2010
‘In training exercises I have seen the women don’t carry their own gear – the men carry it for them so they are doing their own job and someone elses.’
Gaynor followed up on his initial blog post – which claims the army is focusing on beauty over duty with a post claiming women are given priority over men.
‘When the Chief of Army explained that there were no quotas for women, Senator Fraser Anning asked why the Chief of Army had previously informed the Senate that the recruiting targets for females had not been met.
‘The answer: there are no ‘quotas’ and instead the Army simply won’t recruit males unless no female is found within six weeks of the job opening up.’
Daily Mail Australia contacted the Department of Defence for comment.
Women have been allowed to fight on the frontline for Australia since 2013, however their participation rate in the Australian Defence Force remains at 12 per cent.
The percentage of women in the Air Force stands at 20 per cent compared with 19 per cent in the Navy, which first allowed women to serve on ships in 1983.
‘The answer: there are no ‘quotas’ and instead the Army simply won’t recruit males unless no female is found within six weeks of the job opening up.’