First Israel women tank commanders

JÉRUSALEM: The Israeli army on Thursday graduated the first four women from its tank commanders’ school, a step toward the formation of all-female tank crews. Another six have completed training as crew members, but actual deployment of any of the women will depend on the outcome of a review by senior officers, an armoured corps commander said. The project is a pilot programme to test whether women can be an integral part of armoured operations. Four-member tank crews operate, often for many hours, in cramped conditions where physical strength is needed to handle heavy cannon shells and engine parts which may need to be handled in the event of a breakdown. Five of the 15 original candidates did not complete training for various reasons.