Many graduates of Officer Candidate School complain about the beloved ascot they must wear. Imagine OCS in the summer heat of Afghanistan, wearing this:
from http://www.isaf.nato.int/images/stories/Womengraduation.jpg
These women are part of the first class of women to attend an Officer Candidate School for the Afghan National Army (ANA). The School is run by Afghanistan’s Command and Staff College, with Afghan instructors and mentors made up of female officers from the international military coalition in Afghanistan. Unlike in the United States, the women’s program is separate from the men’s program. Similar to the United States- although even more restrictive- the career field choices for women are limited by cultural restraints.
The first class of 29 women graduated September 23rd, and most of them will serve as finance and logistics officers. Pictures of the ceremony can be found here and here. [Please note the bangin' hairdo of Her Awesomeness, Brig. Gen. Anne Macdonald, in the Flickr album.]
