Female Marine drops out of infantry course

Considering both men and women will be replaced by robots and drones in the next 20 years, it doesn't matter.

 

No, she's not an officer. At the end of basic they offered her to switch to officer training, but she didn't want it. Surprised us, probably them. She wanted to learn a marketable skill, technical skill, though not not a career goal. Rather, a career backup. She did not want to learn regs and just did not want to be an officer.
So, maybe punitively, threw her into something she knew NOTHING about - electronics.
Yet, she's sharp and knows how to learn and learn well. All her great writing skills, all her intense studies in biology, even "licensed" to work in bio-haz labs, and all the rest added up to nothing - other than the ability to learn - as they threw tech manuals at her.
A couple years later she's part of the air crew programming the flight computers and sensor array flying missions in the ME. They got a problem plane, she'll be moved to solve it. Twice she's vetoed a base commander ordering a plane take off, and twice she was right when it came to a showdown.
She climbs ladders like a rocket ship at anything she does. For this, she becomes highly sought after in whatever it is. Her resume was astonishing and diverse before she left high school. Won multiple science fairs in diverse categories, literally published in scientific journals, had earned corporate grants, even had worked for a stock broker recruiting new clients, supervised a state summer camp...(they made her promise to not say she didn't have a college degree as it required under rules, she was a HS student), lectured at an international science symposium, all others were PhDs, her a HS senior.
She saw no real marketing skills, useful life knowledge or valuable resume additions in officer training. While she has ZERO interest in an electronics career, she saw it as a VERY marketable fall back plans. Airlines pay royally for aircraft computer geeks. So if she can't get the career she wants, she will have the degrees and knowledge for that as a fall-back job.
We were surprised when suddenly she did not enroll for another semester at a full scholarship costly private university to learn she joined the Air Force. She said she can actually earn college credits and a degree faster in the Air Force an in 6 years will come out with double bachelors and a masters in technical "stuff" - and then pursue her masters in the field she wants, which is environmental biology.
Yeah, I'm proud of her, brag on her alot. What is interesting is that she's not really a brainiac type. Rather, she learned how to focus, study and learn. A developed and acquired skill, not super natural ability. We steered her away from a future in academia, and she learned an awesome resume and set of knowledge with a 3.8 obliterates a 4.0 or adjusted 4.6 GPA. "What do you know, what can you do?" is more than a grade average question.
We did all we could to teach her some basics:
1. Money matters. Always be employable and as diversely as possible - and it is a competition.
2. Maximize her resume, make it as diverse but impressive as possible.
3. Knowledge is the one thing no one could ever take away from her.

She does not plan an Air Force career, but said she'll see how the job market looks when the time comes. Another rule we had starting young in any money she has she has to earn. She's had a job, usually two, since around 15. We could, but wouldn't, pay her way. We felt that'd just spoil her and create a dependency. The goal is self dependency and self success as that equate to justified personal pride.

Understand your initial fear of her racing. I used to cring at her swimming around the islands here. These are the most bullshark infested (and gators) waters of the USA. But after awhile have to accept that's who she is and quit worrying.

You sound like a very good parent. Kids do suddenly just change directions in life. But flexibility is a desirable trait too. She also is very physical, martial arts etc, last we spoke to her she was going out rock climbing with Marines last time in the states and had learned knife throwing (said it's easy). Your kids sound like they have good heads on their shoulders too. So congrats. They make you proud, don't they?

 

Its from a (*)(*)(*)(*)ing study you lying hack. Quoting the manual means nothing because the Army has recommended since 2001 that soldiers should carry no more than 50 lbs but they aren't adhering to that recommendation.

https://protonex.com/blog/what-do-soldiers-carry-and-whats-its-weight/

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/report/call/call_01-15_ch11.htm

Now as I said get the (*)(*)(*)(*) off this forum you lying sack of (*)(*)(*)(*).

 

Yes, if it's from a (*)(*)(*)(*)ing study why do you have to quote stupid (*)(*)(*)(*) like "globalsecurity" and "Seattletimes"? bwaahahh...

Meanwhile I quote US Mil regulation manuals dictating the weights of ruck packs ~.~

cuz you know, the military totally lets you put whatever you want in your combat gear, like that bowling ball for when you get bored!

 

I have to agree with that. She seems smart. I mean not simply smart, but very smart.

I have long believed one thing sets the intelligent apart and that is focus. We focus in like a lazer and move on fast.

I don't say this is fact, but I happen to think she would make more cash now as an officer along with that duty giving her extra valuable corporate experience. But have not talked to those in the know recently. I have one guy who is a VP for a company and he heads human resource. He was an Army officer so I will ask him for his tips.

 

Cite it. Because you're just pull shi* out of thin air right now. If you have this info lets see it. I would like to see it. BJ is right. DoD have done studies and FTX to see what they can do to reduce weight. That includes coming up with new light weight materials.

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That is true. From the day you leave the service to the day you die, as an officer you are subject to being recalled. Unless you're medically discharged.

 

Respect to you and your buddies for doing that job is all I can say.

 

There is more to being an officer than meets the eye in the recruiters office for sure.

I think one can get out by simply resigning the commission.

It can provide benefits to keep the commission and work as a reservist and retire as an officer.

But if a war comes, who knows what happens?

 

Global security does reports FOR the US military. You don't know jack (*)(*)(*)(*) and everyone on this thread and see what a tool you are. Look more studies.......from the (*)(*)(*)(*)ing military. I have thoroughly destroyed any credibility (which you didn't have much to begin with) and am laughing and mocking you for your stupid posts.

http://www.defensetech.org/2012/08/16/study-evaluates-soldier-load-weights/


http://thedonovan.com/archives/modernwarriorload/ModernWarriorsCombatLoadReport.pdf

 

Well, if she didn't meet the standards then of course she should have been dropped. That's what happens with men who go through such courses.

 

Ouch :/

 

Actually, you CAN put whatever you want in your pack if you're willing to carry it.

As I pointed out, the MTV and an unloaded SAW weighs 47 pounds together... there is no 'guide', it's whatever it takes to get the job done.

 

They are not allowed per forum rules. But then again you keep breaking them and nothing happens to you.

Makes you go hmmmm.

 

Not anymore. But some players still have to be replaced due to fatigue

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Not many can carry 80-100 lbs of equipment

 

Some have to take oxygen while sitting on the bench waiting for a change of possession - only in a highly regulated game.

 

And dont forget the mist cooling fans!

 

im not opposed to letting her in even if it does lower combat standards. Its not like we are going to use the entire army anyway and the reason we lose to insurgencies is not really the fault of soldiers but rather the leadership.

 

What bothers me is the tap dance they do. In the Ranger School debacle I think they started off with 300 hand picked females. They gave them special training. Even then most of them were done within a couple of weeks. They sent teams to the school to "observe". The word was out that this could be career ending.They were given multiple recycles when it is unusual to even get one. The crowning blow was to do away with peer evaluation, a long standing practice where the students actually rate each other. The fix was in. The first two that passed were West Point graduates and even they would have made it had they been male.

 

Oh yes! How can a guy work outside in the summer without a cooling mist?

Our high command needs to get on that before the troops go out on strike.

 

They dont issue this in the Mil?

 

Thanks.They wouldn't ask her again, that's a one-shot offer and rare one at that. In addition, they are literally 4,000 personnel short in the Air Force in her general area and VERY short handed in her specific areas. Base COs are essentially fighting over her. Without such as her entire collective missions, not just flights, have to be scrubbed.

She can both think in and outside the box. She's getting so much into the technical classified technologies more and more she can't even tell us in general what she's working on, other than general comments such as people have no clue how advanced and lethal some of the new technology is, so much so there are ethical debates as to whether they should even be built. As she goes deeper into this her curious and scientific side of her may get very deeply into it in a career way. In the past she has mentioned some rather unique and creative ideas she had of ways to win battles via technologies not used in military weapons context before. Maybe in another year or two she'll be at some Area 51 type location?

Though nothing she works on, rather how her mind works, and before in the military before the battle of Falluyah and her at the time greatly into micro-organism research for a science fair project (that she was published for and lecturing at International Science Syposiums), she said "why don't they just inoculate our troops and then airborne covertly infect the city with a created short lifespan non-lethal influenza virus? That would put the enemy fighters in bed. Our troops would arrive as heroes with the medicine seemingly saving people rather than killing them. That would save a lot of lives and give an easy victory. I pointed out that is prohibited in war. She said she understood that but it it is curious ethic that requires a city be battle destroyed with lots of people killed - calling that "ethical" war if it could be avoided.

BTW, she technically did not medically qualify - but was put on hold after "failing" on a non-consequential past injury and surgery. She also was 1 inch too short for her area she was pursuing. When she told them she'll instead then go talk to the Army, she was told to wait, they're going to solve this. Her resume was so impressive the AF sent an AF doctor specifically just for her for another physical exam, asked her some questions about why she wanted to join the Air Force and then said she was done.

When my daughter asked "what about the physical?" the doctor winked and said "you just passed it." AF records show her 1 inch taller than she is and never had any surgery as determined as signed off on by that doctor. They wanted her badly. She hasn't let them down. Very loyal.

IQ matters, but as you noted it is other skills such as focus that far more matters.

 

The rules and standards are just a method to cut people they don't want. They can pass or fail anyone they want to, regardless of rules and standards. Declaring someone failed avoids controversy. If someone can not pass, but they want the person, they will be declared to have passed anyway. They now particularly do that for brainy, geeky types as they are FAR more difficult to obtain that average intelligence guys who played college football and lift weights. If there is someone who they just don't like for attitude or other reasons, they'll fail them on the physical testing if they can't psychologically get the person to quit.

The physical standards are not absolutes IF there is someone they really want OR really do not. Those standards are a tool, not an end to themselves.

 

The Military IS NOT a democracy....

 

You can say that because you wouldn't be dependent on her dragging you up a mountain side to save your life.

Females can do whatever, as long as the standards remain.

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Since when?

When I was in, if you couldn't keep up with the company, you were run twice as hard and fed half as much until you could keep up.

Because a lot of it isn't physical, it's mental.

You want to stop doing twice as much work? Perform like everybody else.

 

This is true. When I was in Ranger School, Class 8-83 there was a Black student who failed one of the required test, the knot test, in the Mountain Phase. The knot test is something that must be passed to pass the phase. Several White students were sent home. The guy was pitiful. The was one other Black student and he was great.