I note that the Government is proposing to let women serve in frontline infantry units in order to remove yet another so-called glass ceiling, and, no doubt, all in the name of equality. I disagreed with this idea when it was first mooted and I have not changed my mind. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with women serving in our armed forces. Indeed, they have proved themselves as dedicated, courageous and professional as their male counterparts, not least in places like Iraq and Afghanistan. However, a frontline infantry soldier is not, in my view, a place for a woman. A soldier is trained and expected to kill, sometimes at close quarters and maybe even with a bayonet. In addition to the physicality of the job, I believe a woman would break the integrity of a fighting unit, whether platoon, company or battalion. As a former soldier myself, I do know something about this subject, and I do not want to see some of the finest units in the world brought down by political correctness. The sheer practicalities of serving on the frontline are the obstacle to this move, perhaps more than the sex of the soldier, although strength is definitely a factor. During the Falklands War, soldiers were having to carry packs weighing up to 100lbs. And not to put too fine a point on it, soldiers have to attend to bodily functions in close proximity of each other. It's not uncommon, for example, to have to defecate into a plastic bag held by a comrade in order to leave no trace of your unit, especially behind enemy lines. Forgive me for being blunt, but this is frontline soldiering, and not some desk exercise run by a Whitehall official, or, politician. Most importantly, I believe that mixing the sexes will adversely affect a frontline unit's fighting ability. And, one should not forget, that a woman would face the very real threat of rape if captured. Soldiers on the front line have enough to cope with already than worry about female colleagues. Speak to those who've been there. There are plenty of roles for women, offering good career opportunties, and no one would downplay their contribition, but please leave the actual, physical fighting on the ground to the men.