Abstract
Despite female soldiers representing a growing user population, military body armour systems are currently better suited to the anthropometric dimensions of male soldiers. The aim of this study was to explore issues that female soldiers experience with current Australian Defence Force (ADF)-issue body armour. Following a sequential exploratory design, an initial questionnaire was completed by 97 Australian female soldiers. Subsequently, 33 Australian female soldiers participated in one of three focus groups. Descriptive statistics of questionnaire data considered alongside thematic analysis of focus group transcripts revealed problems with the design (fit, form and function) of current ADF-issue body armour, as well as problems with the issuance and education surrounding use of the system. It is recommended that anthropometric data of female soldiers be better incorporated into future body armour designs, that these data inform processes surrounding both acquisition and iss
WHEN you are a woman trying to convince the world you are a man, one place you don’t want to get shot is in the nether regions. Unfortunately that’s exactly what happened to Hannah Snell, one of the most colourful characters ever to come out of Worcester. A stirring example to shrinking violets everywhere, this tough-as-teak lady managed to maintain her deception by digging out the bullet herself without any anaesthetic and then self-dressing the wound. Anyway, popping down to A&E wouldn’t have been an option, because this happened in 1748 and the location was Pondicherry in south east India.
Statue of Deborah Sampson outside the Sharon Public Library. (Creative Commons.)
From The Female Review: Life of Deborah Sampson, the Female Soldier in the War of Revolution.
An effort in underway to add a State House memorial, honoring Deborah Samson, a hero of the American Revolution who disguised herself as a man in order to serve in the Continental Army.
Reps. Linda Dean Campbell of Methuen and David Vieira of Falmouth filed legislation to establish a 15-member commission to design the memorial. They said Samson “meets the very high bar set for those who are worthy of being memorialized in the State House.”