Marines to consider lowering combat standards for women

[leekohler2]

Must have been a slow day on LGBT news. The OP's going after women today.

[Grokmaster]

Please explain how that is "going after women"? They should be allowed LOWERED STANDARDS? What about all that "gender gap" bull$#@!?

[Abby08]

If women want equality, if they REALLY want equality, they need to be treated no differently than the men.

[Tahuyaman]

Is there a lot of call for that rope climbing thing in dessert wars?

Are the men going to run a duty roster to see who gets stuck carrying the female's 110 lb rucksack, or is her gear going to be dispersed to everyone else keeping her load light?


Is she going to be able to tote her share of ammunition for the machine gunners?


Are there going to be jobs she can't perform because she doesn't have the upper body strength to handle the job?


Combat operations is not the appropriate place to conduct a social experiment to satisfy the zealous supporters of political correctness.

[donttread]

I knew this would happen, they lowered the standards for Police and Firemen because enough women couldnt qualify, it didnt do the professions any good.
I fully understand women on the board arent going to like my opinion. Its not personal but I do believe it.

This is a HUGE mistake if the corp does it.


Two years ago, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the nation’s top military officer, laid down an edict on the Obama administration’s plan to open direct land combat jobs to women: If women cannot meet a standard, senior commanders better have a good reason why it should not be lowered.
Today, the “Dempsey rule” appears to have its first test case.
The Marine Corps just finished research to see if female officers could successfully complete its rigorous Infantry Officer Course.

A IOC diploma is a must to earn the designation of infantry officer. Of 29 women who tried, none graduated; only four made it through the first day’s combat endurance test.
Corps public affairs said it did not have the data on which tasks proved the toughest for women. But one particularly demanding upper-body strength test is climbing a 25-foot rope with a backpack full of gear. A candidate who cannot crawl to the top fails the test.

Traditionalists see the 0-29 performance as a call to arms by those inside the Pentagon who are determined to have significant numbers of women in the infantry. They are on the lookout for standards they believe are no longer relevant in today’s battlefield.

Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...#ixzz3Xu8Nxhuf
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We have an arsenal of weapons that cost billions, sometimes billions to develop each . Woman should be able to fire a bunker buster from 15 miles away just as well as a man. Or use that expensive, shoot around corners urban riffle of one of the guns that fires more bullets per minute that you could possibly ever need it to.
If these expensive weapons are so effective why does size and strength matter so much? And if size and strength are all that matter why spend so much money on these weapons instead of power lifting boot camps?

[donttread]

We have an arsenal of weapons that cost billions, sometimes billions to develop each . Woman should be able to fire a bunker buster from 15 miles away just as well as a man. Or use that expensive, shoot around corners urban riffle of one of the guns that fires more bullets per minute that you could possibly ever need it to.
If these expensive weapons are so effective why does size and strength matter so much? And if size and strength are all that matter why spend so much money on these weapons instead of power lifting boot camps?

[Peter1469]

We have an arsenal of weapons that cost billions, sometimes billions to develop each . Woman should be able to fire a bunker buster from 15 miles away just as well as a man. Or use that expensive, shoot around corners urban riffle of one of the guns that fires more bullets per minute that you could possibly ever need it to.
If these expensive weapons are so effective why does size and strength matter so much? And if size and strength are all that matter why spend so much money on these weapons instead of power lifting boot camps?

That is what the Air Force is for.

[Ransom]

Please explain how that is "going after women"? They should be allowed LOWERED STANDARDS? What about all that "gender gap" bull$#@!?

Sure. The going after women line is a victim mentality at work. Someone must be offended, there must be a victim. Identity politics 101. If you start talking military readiness, how it affects our military in combat.....that is an objective look and perspective thus creates no victim. Lee above provides the victim for us above, "going after women."

Same shiit from these people, different day.

[waltky]

Flygirl competes for 'Best Warrior' Title...

Lone Female Competitor Battles for 'Best Warrior' Title
12 Mar 2018 -- Of the more than 3,200 airmen serving in the Texas Air National Guard, only eight were selected to compete at Camp Swift as part of the 2018 Texas Military Department Best Warrior Competition. Among the selectees, one stood out from her peers -- not just for her skill and abilities in qualifying to represent her unit, but also as the only female competitor.

"Competing seemed like a great opportunity," said Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jennifer Brown, an education and training specialist with the Texas Air National Guard's 273rd Cyber Operations Squadron. "For me, it wasn't an imitation factor. I used to be a Marine, and I remember every year my commander would send out an invite for individuals interested in the competition. When I saw the email for this year and saw the list of different knowledge responsibilities I went ahead and tried out."

Competition

The Best Warrior Competition consists of several challenges over a period of four days. Competitors are expected to display proficiency in marksmanship, physical and written tests, land navigation, self-aid buddy care and combat-communications. Though not a part of her day-to-day operations, Brown trained for months prior to familiarize herself with competition requirements. "The ruck [march] has been the most challenging thus far," she said. "I don't think I was as prepared for the last four miles of fatigue, but it's something you have to learn and power through on your own. The obstacle course was the most fun. It was hard at points, but the competition is about challenging yourself. Getting over the fear factor."

Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jennifer Brown, an education and training specialist with the Texas Air National Guard’s 273rd Cyber Operations Squadron, jumps over an obstacle during the 2018 Best Warrior Competition near Bastrop, Texas, March 1, 2018.

Brown has more than fifteen years of combined service between the Marines and the Texas Air National Guard. Even with deployments to Iraq under her belt, she still lacked all of the experience needed to be successful to compete. So, after she qualified at the base level, Brown's unit was instrumental in making sure that she would be a strong contender. "It [training] exposed me to a different environment in the guard," she said. "To train, we ran tactical air control party obstacle courses, had weapons knowledge training and did 45-pound ruck marches, which was good because I got exposure. Then they had land navigation at the schoolhouse at Camp Bullis."

Real-World Situations

The competition is meant to be grueling, with extreme stress and long testing hours. The simulations reflect real-world combat situations and test the tactical and technical skills of the members being evaluated. Competing alongside her fellow airmen, soldiers and state partners provides a unique opportunity to experience completely different ways of accomplishing the mission, Brown said. "We all serve." she said. "It's a humbling experience, and being here, I hope, is an example that will encourage others to participate. I don't back down from a challenge and I'm proud to have been a part of this event."

https://www.military.com/daily-news/...ior-title.html

[waltky]

Uncle Ferd's g/f protects him from bullies (Run, Ferd, Run!)...

Women Should Be Recognized as Natural Protectors: Air Force Secretary
20 Mar`18 - Women in the military should be recognized for their inherent roles as "protectors" to boost their advancement in the ranks and enhance their recruitment and retention, Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson said Tuesday.

"If I asked everyone in this room to think, just close your eyes for a second and think about the most protective person you know in your life, someone who would do anything to keep you safe -- half the people in this room are thinking about their moms," she said. "We are the protectors," Wilson said in making the case for valuing women's contribution to the military's mission. "That's what the military does. We serve to protect the rest of you, and that's a very natural place for a woman to be," she said in testimony with the two other service secretaries at a House Armed Services Committee hearing on the budget. Wilson’s comments were similar to those made January during a speech at the Bipartisan Policy Center, where she gave a keynote address about future service members.

Wilson, who graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1982 in the third class to accept women, was responding to questions from Rep. Susan Davis, D-California, on her concerns about the recruitment and retention of women in the military. "More women than men, as we know, leave the military at various career points, so concerns persist that this attrition will result in a disproportionate impact to mission readiness if left unresolved," Davis said. Wilson said there is a perception problem that has to be addressed in the way the military appeals to young women. "We're, I think, trying to change a little bit the way we talk and think about who the protectors are in this country, because I think sometimes the way in which we talk about the services may appeal more to boys than to girls," she said. "And that's important, the way we talk about these things."

Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson speaks about innovation during the Air Force Association Air Warfare Symposium, Orlando, Fla.

Wilson's comments were enthusiastically endorsed by other members of the committee. Rep. Mike Conaway, R-Texas, an Army veteran, noted the hush in the room as Wilson spoke: "Your words are reverberating here," he said. Rep. Trent Kelly, R-Mississippi, an Iraq veteran and a brigadier general in the Army National Guard, said Wilson may have been off in her estimate that half the people in the committee room think of women as protectors. "I think it was well said, but I think the numbers were too low," Kelly said. He said 90 percent would see women as protectors. Wilson said the Air Force is looking at ways to allow service members to leave the military to start a family or pursue a degree and return without having their careers sidelined.

Army Secretary Mark Esper and Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer, who also testified, said they are pursuing similar opportunities for their services. "Going forward, rest assured the Navy is really looking at this," Spencer said. "It's game on because all three of us fish from the same [recruitment] pool, and that pool is getting smaller and smaller both by qualification and by demographic size. "We are going to be competing with the private sector," he said. "As the economy increases, we're going to see more competition there. We're going to use every single tool available to us." Esper noted that all military occupational specialties, including combat billets, were opened to women in 2016. "They are doing very well," he said. "I've had the chance to visit with them, the units [women are] in in both at the National Training Center and at Fort Bragg," Esper said, "and at this point, under the Leaders First policy, we have dozens of leaders in these battalion-size units. So a lot of expansion happening there."

https://www.military.com/daily-news/...secretary.html

See also:

Air Force Secretary: Military Is 'Very Natural Place for a Woman To Be'
March 20, 2018 | - The U.S. Air Force has a higher percentage of women than any of the other military branches, and more women are entering the U.S. Air Force Academy, Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson said on Tuesday.

Wilson told the House Armed Services Committee said the Air Force is trying to change the way people talk and think about the nation's "protectors."

Because I think sometimes the way in which we talk about the services may appeal more to boys than to girls. And that's important, the way we talk about these things.

You know, if I asked everyone in this room to think -- just close your eyes for a second and think about the most protective person you know in your life -- someone who would do anything to keep you safe -- half the people in this room are thinking about their moms. We are the protectors.

That's what the military does. We serve to protect the rest of you. And that's a very natural place for a woman to be.

https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article...place-woman-be