If they actually do it then I can support it. I doubt it though. Both the women that signed up for the USMC Infantry Officers quit, and they couldn't find more to do it.
Like Bruce I've known a couple of women that could hang, Tactical HUMINT, PSYOP, MPs, CA, and FETs all do forward deployed outside the wire combat jobs. They still aren't infantry/ranger/sf/smu and the requirements for that are pretty damned intense. On Jan 25, 2013 5:44 PM, "Judah McAuley" <[email protected]> wrote: > > This "social experiment" is just like all the others. Somehow they managed > to survive integrating blacks into the military, I'm sure they'll figure > this out. Will it be disruptive? In the short term, I'm sure. Will we end > up with a stronger force as a result? History indicates, yes. > > Still, glad to see that they are planning on making the physical > requirements whatever the requirements for the job are. If you need to be > able to carry 60 lbs for 20 miles, then that's what you need to be able to > do. > > Cheers, > Judah > > > On Fri, Jan 25, 2013 at 2:37 PM, Bruce Sorge <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > So today General Cone, the commander of TRADOC (Training and Doctrine > > Command) announced that the services will have to ensure that the > standards > > are met in regards to women serving in combat jobs. > > > > > > > http://www.armytimes.com/news/2013/01/army-physical-standards-key-for-women-in-combat-012413w/ > > > > A couple of paragraphs that stood out to me: > > > > While their focus must remain on winning the battles and protecting > their > > troops, they will now have the distraction of having to provide some > > separation of the genders during fast-moving and deadly situations, said > > Boykin, a retired Army lieutenant general. He noted that small units > often > > are in sustained combat for extended periods of time under primal living > > conditions with no privacy. > > > > What I take from this part is that if a female wants to be in the > > Infantry, she will have to get used to the idea of changing clothes, > > bathing and going to the bathroom with little to no privacy. Of course > the > > other side of this is that male soldiers will have to learn not to stare > > and make lewd comments, which at this time will be hard to do. > > > > "In addition to questions of strength and performance, there also have > > been suggestions that the American public would not tolerate large > numbers > > of women being killed in war". > > > > This one is a no brainer. But hey, if it's equality that women want, then > > they should be willing to die just like men are. > > > > "And these conflicts, where battlefield lines are blurred and insurgents > > can lurk around every corner, have made it almost impossible to keep > women > > clear of combat". > > > > This one is very true. In fact, while women were not allowed to serve in > a > > line unit, we did have three females on our COP (Combat Outpost). One > was a > > medic who went on several patrols and we became good friends. She is an > > exception. She no only went on patrols with us, she carried her 60lb aid > > bag without complaint. She even responded to an Afghan soldier who, > through > > his own stupidity, stepped on an IED and blew off part of his leg. Her > > performance in that situation was flawless. The second was an HCT (Human > > Intelligence Collection Specialist) who also went on a lot of patrols > with > > me. She did not complain and actually helped us out by being able to talk > > to the females in my village and get some good intelligence. The third > was > > a TOCRoach (Someone who spends their entire deployment in the Operations > > Center). > > > > "Still, as recent surveys and experiences have shown, it will not be an > > easy transition. When the Marine Corps sought women to go through its > tough > > infantry course last year, two volunteered and both failed to complete > the > > course. And there may not be a wide clamoring from women for the more > > intense, dangerous and difficult jobs, including some infantry and > commando > > positions". > > > > There was an interview yesterday on Fox. A female Marine Captain who said > > basically that she could not hack the infantry. She suffered extreme > muscle > > atrophy (how that happens I have no clue, the Infantry makes you > stronger, > > but whatever), would trip a lot on patrols and during firefights. > > > > So the bottom line for me is that as long as the standards are not > > changed, and a female can perform the same as a man in that particular > job, > > then go for it. Let's see how this works out. But, we all know that there > > is a natural tendency for men to protect women (in most cases). Having a > > woman by my side could become a distraction because I am going to worry > > about her more than the men in my squad. All I can say is I am glad I > > retire soon so I don't have to go through this "social experiment", as > they > > say. > > > > > > Bru > > > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Order the Adobe Coldfusion Anthology now! http://www.amazon.com/Adobe-Coldfusion-Anthology/dp/1430272155/?tag=houseoffusion Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/message.cfm/messageid:360468 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/unsubscribe.cfm
