UP!Later the officer in charge of the course called me aside and requested that I give the errant butter bar a passing grade. I refused to do so, citing the fact that this woman was expected to be able to lead her troops into combat, EVEN AT NIGHT. The officer blew his stack and threatened me with disciplinary action for refusing to obey his order. I told him that if he wanted to pass her, that was up to him but I would not do so. He subsequently calmed down and apologized to me explaining that he was under terrific pressure to pass all of the newly acquired women through all the training whether they qualified or not. I sympathized with him because he was actually a pretty good officer, and I was already aware of the background political machinations behind the integration of women into our outfit. I understand that the second lieutenant in question was assigned another administrative position within the battalion
In later years, this afraid-of-the-dark female 2nd Looie will brag on the internet that she "went through exactly the same training as the guys," and loudly brag about kicking Marine Recon butt, and flying into thunderstorms to prove her courage.
Why argue with someone who is clearly delusional?
UP!You run across one or two or three women and then you group them all into one of your ideals of what we are. Pity. I’ve been on Skype with about five people here and we had great fun chatting about this back and forth. They understand where I was coming from. Apparently you don’t.
This is where I am in total agreement with you. Under no circumstances can the standards be lowered. Rangers, SEALs, Delta, etc. are the elite of the elite. They must remain so. All candidates must pass the rigorous qualifications honestly. Equal opportunity but under no circumstances equal outcome. It is imperative that those who pass the qualifications do so honestly without any political pressure on the COs. Period. I understand that most Admirals and Generals are not up to the task of keeping politics out of this kind of thing, but that is a different problem.
An Army task force led by female officers says the military is falling short in providing equal health care for women on the battlefield even as public pressure grows to allow them a broader role in combat.
Basic improvements are needed to help women avoid higher rates of urinary tract or vaginal infections, stress-related menstrual difficulties and the chafing, bruising and bleeding caused by ill-fitting body armor designed for men, the task force’s report says.