QUIT PUSSYFOOTING AROUND, PUT WOMEN IN DIRECT GROUND COMBAT

QUIT PUSSYFOOTING AROUND, PUT WOMEN IN DIRECT GROUND COMBAT
by Andy Weddington
Wednesday, 28 November 2012

"Pussyfoot: 1. To tread or move warily; 2. To refrain from committing oneself."

Yesterday I received an email from a longtime Marine friend commenting on the release of an ALMAR (All Marines) 046/12 CHANGE TO THE PHYSICAL FITNESS TEST. Our commandant directed that female Marines will do pull-ups. Noted, surely our commandant is merely following orders. That's what Marines do - salute and carry on.

Shortly after that email another from a civilian with interest in the "gender-norming" initiatives going on in our military and against the left's push to force women into direct ground combat - jumped in with concerns, questions, and requested opinions from Marines.

Though the opinion of a retired Marine officer (an infantryman - 0302) is not worth a plug nickel, I could not resist engaging:

 

"For determined want of maintaining the moral high ground (and apparently superior intellect) as to what is "right," I can no longer comment on human idiocy determined to equalize what God (& Mother Nature, too) never, ever intended to be equal." 

 

That was to be my final word on the matter - the incessant drive towards ignoring the physical differences and capabilities between men and women as to military service. I care but my sentiments do not matter.

 

In this morning's 'The Desert Sun' on page A-2 the headline: Female military members sue for right to serve in combat  

 

In short, four female service members filed lawsuit yesterday challenging the Pentagon's ban on women serving in combat.

 

The article got my attention - I'm slow but finally starting to put two and two together.

 

During the past year the Marine Corps has been conducting carefully structured field tests, a lab environment - if you will, to determine whether or not women Marines can handle the rigors of service in ground combat units. In other words, can they do, literally, the heavy lifting. The data I did not see but did hear the results (from credible sources) were far from compelling, and that not surprising.

 

Most recently, two female Marine officers (second lieutenants - and the only two our Corps could find) volunteered to give the physically and mentally demanding Infantry Officers Course (IOC) a try. Both officers were dropped - one on the first day and the other within ten days or so (13-week course) due to injury.

 

The IOC prepares second lieutenants to lead Marines in combat. Period. 

 

Beyond merely attempting the strenuous training, what does it say about leadership subjecting Marines, volunteers or not, to training they well know is beyond their physical capability and therefore dangerous perhaps deadly?

 

The ALMAR (see Post Script) outlines a gradual implementation plan. Frankly, it begs a lot of questions. Though the intent is clear - implement a standard that will move women closer to being assigned ground combat specialties.  

 

It seems so much nonsense.

 

Quit pussyfooting around!

 

Put the dopey idea of assigning women to direct ground combat units to a no nonsense test - reality. And let's put the matter to bed once and for all so the Pentagon can turn full attention to national defense and be rid of the burdens of social experimentation (that many, far more experienced than yours truly, argue is degrading combat readiness).

 

A simple directive: Marine Corps (and Army) - form and train (if possible) an all-female infantry battalion. Target date for deployment - January, 2015.  

 

If able to achieve standards, same as males, and meet all predeployment combat readiness evaluations then order into combat - without deference to complexity nor difficulty of missions.

 

Evaluate. 

 

Pass or Fail.

 

Publish the results in an ALMAR.

 

Post Script

 

R 271120Z NOV 12
UNCLASSIFIED/
ALMAR 046/12
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC DMCS //
SUBJ/CHANGE TO THE PHYSICAL FITNESS TEST//
REF/A/MSGID:DOC/CMC WASHINGTON DC MCCDC C461TP/08AUG2008//
AMPN/REF A IS MCO 6100.13 W CH1, MARINE CORPS PHYSICAL FITNESS PROGRAM//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. THIS ALMAR ANNOUNCES A CHANGE TO THE FEMALE PHYSICAL FITNESS TEST (PFT). EFFECTIVE 1 JANUARY 2014, PULL-UPS WILL REPLACE THE FLEXED ARM HANG (FAH).
2. THIS CHANGE WILL TAKE PLACE IN TWO PHASES WITH PHASE ONE BEGINNING 1 JANUARY 2013. PHASE ONE WILL SERVE AS A TRANSITION PERIOD AND IS INTENDED TO ALLOW COMMANDERS AND INDIVIDUAL FEMALE MARINES TO ADJUST INDIVIDUAL AND UNIT TRAINING ROUTINES TO PREPARE FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW REQUIREMENTS. THE FAH WILL REMAIN AS PART OF THE INITIAL STRENGTH TEST (IST) CONDUCTED IN RECRUITING AND UPON ARRIVAL AT MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT PARRIS ISLAND (MCRDPI) AND DURING PFT'S CONDUCTED AT RECRUIT TRAINING. THE FAH WILL ALSO REMAIN AS PART OF THE PFT FOR OFFICER CANDIDATES IN THE SELECTION PROCESS AS WELL AS IN PFT'S TAKEN DURING OFFICER CANDIDATES SCHOOL (OCS). DURING CALENDAR YEAR 2013, FEMALE MARINES WILL HAVE THE OPTION TO CHOOSE PULL-UPS OR THE FAH ON THE PFT; THE SCORE FROM THE CHOSEN EVENT WILL BE USED IN CALCULATION OF THE OFFICIAL PFT SCORE FOR ALL PURPOSES.
3. PHASE TWO WILL COMMENCE ON 1 JANUARY 2014. PULL-UPS WILL REPLACE THE FAH PORTION OF THE PFT. THE FAH WILL, HOWEVER, REMAIN AS PART OF THE IST CONDUCTED IN RECRUITING AND AT MCRDPI. PFT'S CONDUCTED IN THE OFFICER SELECTION PROCESS AND DURING THE INVENTORY PFT AT OCS WILL ALSO INCLUDE THE FAH. PASSING THE PFT WITH PULL-UPS INSTEAD OF THE FAH WILL BE A GRADUATION REQUIREMENT FOR RECRUITS AND OFFICER CANDIDATES BEGINNING 1 JANUARY 2014. SCORING TABLES MAY BE ADJUSTED AS DATA IS GATHERED AND ASSESSED. MARINE CORPS RECRUITING COMMAND, MCRDPI AND OCS WILL REMAIN CRITICAL PARTICIPANTS IN THIS DATA COLLECTION PROCESS.
4. THE PHASE ONE SCORING TABLE FOR FEMALE MARINES IS AS FOLLOWS:
A. THE FAH WILL BE SCORED PER THE REFERENCE.
B. PULL-UP SCORING FOR FEMALE MARINES:
EIGHT (8) PULL-UPS EQUAL 100 POINTS
SEVEN (7) PULL-UPS EQUAL 95 POINTS
SIX (6) PULL-UPS EQUAL 85 POINTS
FIVE (5) PULL-UPS EQUAL 75 POINTS
FOUR (4) PULL-UPS EQUAL 65 POINTS
THREE (3) PULL-UPS EQUAL 40 POINTS
C. TO PASS THE PULL-UP PORTION OF THIS EVENT, FEMALES WILL BE REQUIRED TO EXECUTE AT LEAST THREE (3) PULL-UPS.
5. I HAVE DIRECTED THE COMMANDING GENERAL OF TRAINING AND EDUCATION COMMAND TO DEVELOP A PFT CHANGE SUPPORT WEBSITE WHICH IS LOCATED AT HTTPS:(SLASH)(SLASH)FITNESS.USMC.MIL/FPFT. IT CONTAINS A DETAILED, PROGRESSIVE WORKOUT PLAN WITH EXERCISES DESIGNED TO ENHANCE PULL-UP PERFORMANCE AND OVERALL UPPER BODY STRENGTH, VIDEO DEMONSTRATIONS AND OTHER RESOURCES. COMMANDERS ARE REQUIRED TO INCLUDE PULL-UP TRAINING AS A PART OF THEIR UNIT'S PHYSICAL FITNESS PROGRAM FOR ALL MARINES.
6. ADDITIONAL COORDINATING INSTRUCTIONS WILL FOLLOW IN SEPARATE CORRESPONDENCE.
7. THIS ALMAR IS APPLICABLE TO THE TOTAL FORCE MARINE CORPS.
8. SEMPER FIDELIS, JAMES F. AMOS, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS, COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS.//

 

Author's Endnotes

 

1. 'Pussyfoot' - as defined by Merriam-Webster.

2. A Marine who knows a little something about direct ground combat opines: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fy--whDNNKk