Women soldiers guard Windsor for first time today

[Blackleaf]

Women soldiers guard Windsor


By ONLINE REPORTER
April 02, 2007

History maid-en ... female soldiers at Windsor Castle, the largest occupied castle in the world.



FEMALE soldiers took over guarding Windsor Castle today for the first time in its history.

The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery will perform the duty for the rest of this month at the Queen’s Berkshire residence, which has been a royal home and fortress for more than 900 years.

A team of 20 soldiers, including five women, have been trained for the task.

Today, they marched into the castle led by a brass band watched by crowds of onlookers.

Both the women and men all wore ceremonial uniforms of plumed hats and short gold braided tunics, and carried ceremonial swords.

They are tasked with providing a 24-hour guard, with soldiers standing on duty for two hours at a stretch.

And each day - except Sundays - they will perform the changing of the guard, known as guard mounting.

The new guard marches up Windsor High Street from Victoria Barracks to the Castle and replaces the old guard.

In January, the King’s Troop became the first unit in the 350-year history of the Household Division to have a woman as commanding officer.

Major Erica Bridge, who commanded a Royal Salute in Hyde Park for the Golden Jubilee, took charge of 168 officers and soldiers as well as 120 horses at their barracks in St John’s Wood, north London.

But she is too senior to perform sentry duty.

It is the first time the King’s Troop itself has been asked to perform guard duty at Windsor, the largest occupied castle in the world.

A spokesman for the regiment said: “We’re confident that women have not guarded the castle before.

“Ninety-nine per cent of guards are done by foot guards battalions which are completely male organised.”

The King’s Troop was formed over 60 years ago and is usually known for firing gun salutes on State occasions.

The spokesman added that around 40 per cent of its soldiers are women.

thesun.co.uk

 

[tamarin]

Hopefully, they won't break and run at the first sign of trouble. Women have yet to prove themselves in positions of military trust and service. This is at least a decent move in the right direction.

 

[temperance]

What ,are you kidding lol
1991 HMCS Nipigon is the first Canadian warship crewed by men and women to participate in exercises with NATO's Standing Naval Force Atlantic.
Lt Anne Reiffenstein (née Proctor), Lt Holly Brown and Captain Linda Shrum graduate from artillery training as the first female officers in combat arms.
Cpl Marlene Shillingford is the first woman selected to join the Air Force's aerobatic demonstration flying team, the Snowbirds. She serves as a technician during the 1993-94 show season.
1993 Lieutenant (Navy) Leanne Crowe is the first woman to qualify as a clearance diving officer, and to serve as Commanding Officer of the Experimental Diving Unit.
1994 Major-General Wendy Clay is the first woman promoted to that rank.
1995 Chief Warrant Officer Linda Smith is the first woman to be named Wing CWO in the CF, at 17 Wing Winnipeg.
1997 Col Marcia Quinn assumes command of 41 Canadian Brigade Group.
Col Patricia Samson is appointed CF Provost Marshall; she is later promoted Brigadier-General.
1998 Lieutenant-Colonel Karen McCrimmon is appointed Commander of 429 Transport Squadron in Trenton, Ont.
Chief Petty Officer, 2nd Class Holly Kisbee is the first woman Combat Chief of a major Canadian warship (HMCS Iroquois).

2000 The Chief of the Maritime Staff announces that women may serve in submarines.
Maj Micky Colton is the first female pilot to complete 10 000 flying hours in a CC-130 Hercules.
Lt Ruth-Ann Shamuhn of 5 Combat Engineer Regiment is the first female combat diver.
2001 Capt Maryse Carmichael is the first female Snowbird pilot.
2002 CWO Camille Tkacz is the first woman appointed to a Command Chief position as Assistant Deputy Minister (Human Resources – Military) CWO.
2003 Maj Anne Reiffenstein is the first woman to command a combat arms sub-unit. She is currently a Battery Commander at 1st Regiment Royal Canadian Horse Artillery at CFB Shilo.
Lieutenant-Commander Marta Mulkins is the first woman to serve as captain of a Canadian warship (HMCS Summerside).
Maj Jennie Carignan of 5 Combat Engineer Regiment (5 CER) is the first female Deputy Commanding Officer of a combat arms unit.
Leading Seaman Hayley John and LS Marketa Semik are the first female clearance divers
Master Seaman Colleen Beattie is the first woman to qualify as a submariner, followed shortly by MS Carey Ann Stewart.
The first all-female CF team to complete the four-day Nijmegen March in The Netherlands carrying the same weight as male teams comprises team leader Lt Debbie Scott, second-in-command Capt Lucie Mauger, Lt Jody Weathered, Cpl Elizabeth Mutch, Warrant Officer Nathalie Mercer, WO Jackie Revell, Master Corporal Denise Robert, Cpl Danette Frasz, LCol Teresa McNutt, Lt Donna Rogers, Cpl Melissa Cedilot and Cpl Anne MacDonald.
2004 Chief Petty Officer, 1st Class Jan Davis, appointed Coxswain of HMCS Regina, is the first female Coxswain of a major Canadian warship.

Canada's theme for International Women's Week 2005—March 6 through 12—is "You Are Here: Women, Canada and the World". Visit Status of Women Canada to learn about International Women's Week events.
Visit the Dominion Institute's Memory Project for Canadian women's war stories.
*This is not intended to be a definitive list of all the achievements or accomplishments of women throughout Canadian military history.

And Readers Digest just wrote a whole story on women in combat as we speak in Afganistan

 

[tamarin]

Temperance, as long as they're serving in the front lines, taking equal duty. The US doesn't allow women in the military to serve except as support on combat missions. That barrier must be overturned.

 

[temperance]

Oh U.S

we do in Canada