There were very few women in the military when I was in and I'm glad it was that way. With my job (not that it happened very often), I was always in a position where something could happen that required force of some kind. I didn't want to rely on a woman as my back up if that happened. Some women can be tough and mean, but on average a man is bigger and stronger. Jan is about as tall as me and stronger than most women. She wanted a gun for self defense, so I bought her one that she keeps in her purse. She'd use it if necessary if I'm not around, but she told me several times, "If something happens, I'm giving it to you!"