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The Guiding Principles and New Rules
document is now in effect.
United States Armed Forces finally recognizes combat duty of women
Posts
I took it to mean that they'll have to pass the male standards on the APFT after all the runs and beat-downs you do beforehand.
Heh, when I tried to get in, I was in the 94th percentile on my ASVABs but was nine pounds under for my height. Recruiter sent me home for a month to eat this and drink that, came back had lost another two pounds. He laughed and said this wasn't for me. So all I had to do was wait for a war? Ah well, I got to jump out of a plane on my own anyway, lol.
There, I've incorporated strength, cardio and endurance into 1 measurable test, which will solely measure your ability to complete the test and the time it took you. There are no separate times or measures for male or female, it's a go or no-go and time thing.
Yes, people will get injuries, yes it'll hurt and kick some out, but it's better to bleed during peace than at war. And as far as those people bitching about getting out for failing a test like that, all I'd tell them is "go, you're replaceable." If you can't get your ass over a wall or up some rope, and if you can't make the 10 mile ruck and then complete a series of tasks, then you have no reason to be in the infantry or a combat arms unit.
You know, I hadn't actually considered the logistics of it. I can definitely see that being the single biggest issue with changing the APFT.
Please stop
Strength isn't nearly as important for a ranged class. Plus women have +1 Constitution and darkvision, so it balances out.
I was a red leg who during my first tour was re-purposed into infantry, then on my 2nd tour CAV scouts. Then I went to a drill sergeant unit and all that became insignificant.
Edit:
And you know what's absolutely demoralizing? See drill sergeants who don't know how to zero, can't shoot, can't qual, and can't do PT.
Except your idea of mode and harsher punishments doesn't fucking work.
People don't have sex in a combat zone certain they can deal with the consequences. They do it certain they won't get caught.
The current low physical standard for men in the army is the bare minimum you are expected to be able to physically do. It's not designed to test how good of a soldier you are. Men passing at the very minimum are usually not very capable soldiers.
Not very capable at stuff men are naturally good at tho. Where as a woman who was as good as a bare minimum man at man stuff would be really, really good at woman stuff.
A good way of thinking about this would be to imagine a world where women have always had control over the military and they are just now letting men in. The current women soldiers would be saying that a man that would be able to run on 600 calories a day and fit into a Bradley designed for a 110 woman if they wanted to be in the infantry. Would that situation be "soldier is a soldier"? Would those test be a good indication of viability in combat?
Current practical requirements for soldiers are that you be able to carry your rucksack (75+ pounds) on a hike, and be able to grab and drag/lift 150+ pound people out of a dangerous area if they're wounded.
These requirements weren't made just to cater to men.
No that isn't even a military policy as far as I'm aware but one congress has to alter if they want to.
I have the will!
Cause seriously I don't ever want the chance of putting my life in the hands of some one who has no desire or reason to be in the military.
I was specifically talking about the higher standards for schools and such but yes even those tests speak to a man carrying a packload designed for a man and then picking up a man.
Not that those or any other requirements are bad, just that we need to think about how different people have different capablities and how to best test them without built in bias.
The point is, you're talking about suppressing a rudimentary biological need. And it has been proven time and time and time and time and time again that abstinence doesn't work. If you want to stop STD's and pregnancies, make condoms and birth control readily available, and include a sex ed course in basic training. I guarantee you that will do more to stop the issues that we banned having sex for more than the bans ever did.
how much upper body strength do you need to hold and fire an M4? You guys are talking like they're still swinging swords out there. A bullet fired by a woman will kill you just as well as one fired by a man, because yes, a bullet is a bullet.
It should either be done away with, or equally required for both genders.
There is more to being combat infantry than just shooting. Remember - 75 pound rucksacks and dragging 150 pound bodies around, or lifting 30+ pound ammo cans around, or hefting a Barrett around.
It's more the fact that you are required to pull wounded soldiers out of the line of fire and carry your equipment over long distances. I have female friends that are 95-105lbs, who I would never, ever trust to be able to do either of those things even though they were amazing distance runners and in terrific shape. And when dealing with putting people in life or death situations, it is OK to say "No, you cannot properly do this job, you should not be front line infantry." On the other hand, my high school team had a girl playing linebacker (who wasn't half bad). I would be perfectly OK seeing her on the front line because I know if a 160lb squad mate of hers got shot she could haul his ass out of trouble if she had to.
the draft?
it's pretty unlikely there will be another war where a draft will be necessary for a few reasons
1) if the US gets in a war with a country its standing military can't handle that country will almost certainly be a nuclear power, if war kicks off with China or Russia no amount of riflemen will save anyone
2) swarms of infantry just isn't how we fight wars anymore, the individual cost of each infantry soldier in terms of training, equipment, salary and other military benefits has gone up exponentially since the last draft, you can't just give them a rifle and a uniform and send them on their way now
i just don't see a draft happening in our lifetimes
Go several years when someone is right there willing to have sex with you for most of the duration. Then you can come back and talk about impulse control. You are being a goose.