Russia’s Defender of the Fatherland Day is marked every February 23. In addition to honoring veterans, this holiday is also considered the men’s counterpart to March 8, International Women’s Day. Nevertheless, Defender of the Fatherland Day is not just for men. This holiday honors all those who ever have or who ever will stand up for their country’s security. About 40,000 women serve in the Russian armed forces.
Russia’s Defender of the Fatherland Day is marked every February 23. In addition to honoring veterans, this holiday is also considered the men’s counterpart to March 8, International Women’s Day. Nevertheless, Defender of the Fatherland Day is not just for men. This holiday honors all those who ever have or who ever will stand up for their country’s security. About 40,000 women serve in the Russian armed forces.
Women who serve must literally carry their full share. A Kalashnikov rifle, for example, weighs about six kilograms. It’s not easy to quick-march with this extra weight.
Even long nails do not prevent these women from skillfully handling a rifle.
Social and psychological experts believe there is nothing unnatural about women serving in the armed forces. Many young officers have quit the army in the past few years, dissatisfied with their salaries. Women are willing to fill these vacancies. In 2008, for example, the Baltic Naval Institute enrolled females for the first time in 60 years.
In two years, after five years of training, these young women will become communications officers.
These young women will become platoon commanders for parachute packers in 2013. They joined the Ryazan Airborne Command School in 2008, when it announced openings for female cadets to take a course to prepare them to join Landing Support Units.
On the other hand, psychologists claim that women’s growing influence in society is one of the reasons for their appearance in the army. And indeed, no man will mind finding himself under the thumb of such a beautiful commander.
Paradoxically, high heels sometimes show up in the army. These first-year students at the Makarov Pacific Naval Institute are taking their military oath in decidedly female footwear.
Female officers mainly serve in medical units (72%) and also in the signal corps (8%) and the financial sector (4%). But a servicewoman must be able to throw grenades from a shelter on a par with a man.
It is a proven fact that servicewomen are more disciplined, orderly and efficient than their male counterparts.
In sharp-shooting, too, women stand on a par with men.
Women will always make any parade more attractive.
For a servicewoman, as for anyone, weight can be a challenge: the lighter your companion, the easier it is to run the obstacle course.
But even in the army, a woman remains a woman: a girl in a uniform will never pass a mirror without looking into it.
