Canada Undertakes Gawain's Quest

Pity the poor fools of the Canadian Armed Forces.

A military study group spent three years trying to figure out what will entice more women to enlist in the Canadian Armed Forces.

The group called the “Tiger Team” was tasked with finding out where the military could do a better job of getting women to want to enroll and the results included things like referring to medals as “bling,” and more fashionable uniforms like “shorter, tighter skirts” and “more stylish shoes,” according to MilitaryTimes.com in a piece published Wednesday.

They should have read Chaucer.

'Thou standest yet,' quod [Guinevere], 'in swich array,
That of thy lyf yet hastow no suretee.
I grante thee lyf, if thou canst tellen me
What thing is it that wommen most desyren?'

Gawain at least came up with an answer that satisfied his own woman. My sense is that accomplishing that much is the most that any man can do with the question.