"Marine Corps to create experimental task force with..." Topic

…25 percent women.

"The Marine Corps will open new combat jobs to women, allow women to volunteer for combat specialty training previously closed to them and create a co-ed experimental task force to evaluate how female Marines perform as part of a ground combat unit, Marine officials said.

The task force will be made up of about 460 Marines, and about one quarter will be women, said Capt. Maureen Krebs, a Marine spokeswoman. The task force will look like a small battalion landing team with attachments such as artillery, tanks and amphibious assault vehicles — similar to the ground combat portion of a Marine Expeditionary Unit, but about half the size.

The Camp Lejeune, N.C.-based unit will replicate the predeployment training cycle that other ground combat units go through, and will help the Marine Corps evaluate whether women are capable of doing the jobs and physically demanding tasks inherent in the training, Krebs said…"
Full article here.
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Amicalement
Armand

I know a couple female Marines. I am amazed that they can carry the combat load. I know I could not.

The Marines have had to dramatically reduce the physical requirements for soldiers to move women into combat roles.

I want women to have equal opportunity, but ignoring the physical demands of Combat on the altar of political correctness has consequences.

Those consequences will be higher casualties.

Nations like Israel with tiny populations cannot afford Not to use women in combat roles.

We have the luxury of not doing so and I think this will be a mistake.

Warlock, do you have the before and after requirements handy? Be interested in seeing the reductions you are talking about.

What a mistake!

Where are those females marines ? In Infantry, Armor or FA units ? Or in support units ? I was a Grunt, and served in 4 US ARMY Infantry Bns and a CBT SPT Bn. The SPT Bn was full of females as truck drivers, medics, supply clerks, cooks, etc. … But in combat arms units all those slots were males …

> Nations like Israel with tiny populations cannot afford Not to use women in combat roles.

And despite all the FUD it has not hurt Israel's military capability one bit.

But IDF females are not in combat units like infantry and are only replacement AFV crews … And of course Israel is in a much different situation than the US … And I've said this before, why is the US so bent on having females in combat units ? Is it not bad enough they die or are maimed in support units from IEDs, etc. in the current conflicts ?

Reducing the physical requirements for males, or females, just to be PC is ridiculous, and as mentioned, dangerous, not only to them, but their fellow soldiers as well.

Because if a woman wants to fight and can meet the standards why should she not? Most of the arguments are not about the women, but about the man who is arguing against women concerns for whatever it is they are concerned about. In a few years it will all be a moot point as power assist suits are fielded.

Yea, like we'll be able to afford more than a handful of those.

Can't even afford to keep 40+ year old ground attack jets, that are already built, and extremely lethal to our enemies, let alone new, super high-tech weaponry for each combatant.

'Because if a woman wants to fight and can meet the standards why should she not?'

I have no problem with that, anybody that can do the job should be able to try out for it.

The problem is that the standards seem to be rearranged to work on a gender curve. Exactly what those changes are seems to be a moving target.

Thanks,

Pat

I read that when they first tried to start this up a few months ago they had to suspend it because they could not find enough women who could do even one pull-up. Women as pilots,Ok. Women as Tankers,Ok. Women as grunts,SF ,etc ,ie a ground pounder,nope unless they can do the same thing a man can do.

Female tankers still gives me pause … I was Air Assault Infantry and later Mech … those iron monsters takes a lot of heavy maintenance. And I believe power armor Grunt suits even if they come about, and it won't be anytime soon, will probably be few.

The Marine Corps has not reduced the physical requirements. They have run women through both SOI (ITB) and The Basic School. At ITB, out of 15 that tried, 3 passed. However, they were not allowed into the 03 field. Essentially, still in the evaluation phase. I believe 40 more are scheduled to go through the next training cycle. At The Basic School, 10 tried, all failed.

Not saying I like it. If anyone thinks there are a lot of issues with sexual harassment now…

Very good point "T" … I lead a Rifle Plt in the 101 and later Commanded a Mech Co. in 197th Mech/18th ABN XXX. Females in combat units would only add to the "leadership challenges". When in the 197 CBT SPT Bn, the plethora of females was an interesting experience. I was a Grunt assigned as the Bde Maint Officer. Normally an Ordinance Officer's slot, but the Bde CO liked to put a few Grunts in Spt units to keep their fieldcraft and stuff up to stands, I guess … And that was my "gift" for doing an effective job as a Mech Bn Maint. Officer (?!?!) … In the field or in garrison it was very interesting with the majority of troops in the late teens/early 20s … In the Infantry we sent out patrols at nightfall. In the SPT Bn, the troops visited their girl or boy friend (?!) In garrison it was like a college dorm … Didn't see many sexual harassment issues. But alot of consenting adult stuff. I had an attractive E-4 female clerk/typist in my section. I was a professional, but some others … not so much …

PRT requirements for women and men have been different in the armed services for a very long time.

Realistically, most American's can not do 10 real push ups. Not for $1,000,000. USD

The 'they can't carry that 80 pound ruck' is silly, as outside of some special forces units, most people put that ruck in a truck or leave it at the fob, and carry a much lighter pack (the marines ILBE and now FILBE come with an 'assault pack' ). A rifle, ammo, armor, hydration, etc is heavy but for someone in good shape its not to heavy.

The biggest thing they changed for the PRT requirements was the pull up. Women, genetically, have a much harder time with pull ups than men. Also women have, genetically, a higher body fat percentage than men, even if they are equally active. Hence lower push up and pull up requirements.

Marines are all Riflemen at heart, and most of these female marines have already been trained as riflemen.

The way the battle field is now, there are no 'front lines', and you can be attacked anywhere at any time in a place like Afganastan. Advances in lighter gear, better logistics and the like has made it so that there is less of a need for all the heavy people carried before. There is no reason that a motivated and physically fit female can not serve in combat arms. In many nations they already do.