A "mixed-gender" Israel Defense Forces (IDF) battalion has been engaged in fighting Hamas terrorists since the beginning of the current conflict and claims to have killed almost 100 Hamas invaders. Their commander has lauded her troops, and reserves special mention for the women in the battalion under her command.

Only a few have had the chance to witness the extraordinary actions of the Caracal Battalion during their battle against Hamas terrorists. 

Lt.-Col. Or Ben-Yehuda, the commander of this unit, now recounts her experiences in the southern Gaza Strip, where her battalion eliminated approximately 100 terrorists. She also has a clear message for those who question the capabilities of female fighters in the Caracal (Desert Lynx) and Tank Battalion.

I would never presume to question or doubt the courage, spirit, or patriotism of the women who fought alongside the men in the Caracal and Tank Battalions. Let me make that very clear right from the start. These women in uniform are clearly dedicated and capable soldiers and have sent a good number of Hamas terrorists to their reward, and that's a good thing for Israel and, indeed, the civilized world. 

The Caracal Battalion has done some brave work so far:

As the assault on the Gaza border area began, Ben-Yehuda swiftly moved from the battalion headquarters in Nahal Raviv to a post on the Egyptian border with armored personnel carriers. Rockets were raining down, and warnings arrived regarding potential terrorist infiltration in the Shlomit and Bnei Netzer towns.

In the midst of this chaos, she received a message from Lt.-Col. Yonatan Tzur, the commander of the Nahal Brigade's patrol battalion, who was later tragically killed in an encounter with terrorists. He reported an infiltration near Sufa and Nirim, saying, "There are several terrorists there... They're heavily armed!"

Ben-Yehuda summoned troops from the mixed-gender, infantry combat Caracal Battalion and made her intentions clear: "We are going out to eliminate terrorists. Infiltration into Israel is happening, and it's spreading. Stay alert. We might cross paths. We are a strong squad."

The Israelis had better decorate this young woman; she has proved herself as a commander.

But the larger issue is of women in direct ground combat roles, and that is worth discussing. The bravery of these individual women and the success of their operations aside, in general, the assignment of women to direct ground-combat roles, such as in the infantry, is not a good idea. That's not to say that women should be ineligible to serve in the military; my own combat-area deployment was in a Medical unit, and women in those units, in particular, are perfectly suited to patient care and supporting roles, just as an example. Many would point out that women have served well in combat roles; for example, in WW2, the Soviets used women not only as combat pilots but also as snipers. One such, Lyudmila Mikhailovna Pavlichenko, had over 300 confirmed kills and was made a Hero of the Soviet Union. It's also important to note that the Soviet Union had been invaded and was literally fighting with their entire population; as Israel may well end up doing as well.

It is important, however, to examine this as a broad policy and not to focus on the exceptions. My colleague streiff documented some of the difficulties of women in strenuous combat-arms roles in a story that is now a few years old but no less accurate. As a quick summary, though, we can point out that men average 40 percent of body weight in muscle mass, compared to 30 percent for women. Men have significantly stronger bones, larger lung capacity, and larger hearts. Men can withstand more serious traumatic injuries than women while retaining more function. One shouldn't overlook one other inescapable cultural aspect of men in Western civilizations — that is, men will take more risks to protect women than they would other men.

There's another consideration as well: Hamas, it must be pointed out, is an enemy that revels in atrocity and uses rape as a tactic. The IDF is preparing a ground assault into a built-up area and has been busy preparing the battle space, which would indicate that operations into Gaza are imminent. These urban-area operations will involve small groups of IDF troops operating independently, and there is a significant risk of close-quarters, physical combat, and the capture of some Israeli troops is horribly likely. It's bad enough that men in the IDF will be subjected to this risk; it's bad policy and poor tactics to subject women to the possibility as well.

There are already signs that the conflict may escalate outside of Gaza as well.

Lieutenant Colonel Ben-Yehuda rightly praises her troops:

Ben-Yehuda also highlighted the dedication of the commanders who rushed from home to join the fight.

She concluded: "There are no more doubts about female combat soldiers, who have triumphed in every encounter with terrorists. At present, we are responsible for 11 towns and are preparing for any potential ground maneuvers to ensure the safety of the southern Gaza border area and the Egyptian border."

Her statement aside, there are still significant doubts about female combat soldiers in direct combat roles like infantry and armor; the IDF, while engaged in what may well develop into a fight for survival, should bear those differences in mind and set their Table of Organization & Equipment (TOE) accordingly.