Panetta Opens Combat Roles To Women

waltky · Dec 9, 2015

Uncle Ferd says womens always cost more than ya think...

Opening Marine Infantry Jobs to Women Will Raise Recruiting Cost: Rand
Dec 08, 2015 | Opening infantry jobs to female Marines could cost the Marine Corps nearly $2 million per year in additional recruiting and retention expenditures, according to a new study published by the Rand Corp.

The study, commissioned by Marine Corps Combat Development Command, examines all the implications of opening all-male Marine combat jobs to women. Like the other services, the Corps is now preparing to do just that in accordance with a mandate from Defense Secretary Ashton Carter that takes effect at the start of next year. The 215-page report examined the practices of foreign militaries; the experiences of women in male-dominated fields like law enforcement and firefighting; the history of gender integration within the U.S. military; and a variety of literature on the topic. The Marines could be successful at integration, the report finds, as long as the service manages expectations, takes appropriate proactive steps, and monitors the effectiveness of its approach. But the transition will involve one-time and recurring costs.

Because female Marines have been found to complete infantry training with lower success rates than their male counterparts, and because they are predicted to spend fewer years in infantry units, the integration of women will result in a smaller Marine Corps infantry, the study finds. To maintain the infantry at its current size, the Corps will have to invest more to either bring in new recruits or retain talented Marine grunts. Those costs could total $1.8 million per year, the study concludes. "Recurring costs could also include additional physical conditioning time as necessary, lost time necessary to recover from increased injury rates, as well as any other alterations to training or continued implementation of policy changes," the researchers wrote.

And even with all combat fields open, data suggests the number of women in Marine infantry jobs will remain small, the report concludes. The Corps would need to recruit 100 female grunts per year to build an infantry that is 2 percent female, assuming optimistically high boot camp and infantry training graduation rates. "We caution in the report that ... it would not be surprising if we have low numbers of women," the report's head researcher, Agnes Schaefer, told Military.com. "I think that [Carter] got at that issue. He said there will be equal opportunity, but not equal representation."

Because of this, the Marine Corps will have difficulty in developing "critical mass," or large enough groups of women in combat units to avoid tokenism and discourage discrimination. The report suggests that the Marines consider designating a specific infantry battalion to receive the first group of female Marines or using lateral moves to place more female officers and enlisted leaders in certain units to serve as role models. Finally, the report recommends that systematic monitoring take place, including a comprehensive evaluation at the five-year mark after integration, so that the Marine Corps can assess its success and make course corrections. Even gender-neutral physical standards should be frequently monitored and revised, the report recommends.

MORE
Click to expand...

Mr_Truth · Dec 9, 2015

APACHERAT said: ↑

TWENTYNINE PALMS, CALIF. — Marine officials announced they have apprehended Lance Cpl. Jennifer Cruz for defacing port-a-johns throughout the Twentynine Palms area with pictures of vaginas and clitorises.

Waiving her rights to speak to an attorney, Cruz said, “The whole time I’ve been out here, I’ve been thinking of getting my clam slammed by footlong (*)(*)(*)(*). Yet, for some inexplicable reason, I’ve been obsessed with drawing pictures of (*)(*)(*)(*)(*).”

“(*)(*)(*)(*) if I can explain it.”

NCIS claims they had been hot on Cruz’ snail trail for weeks, even though she proved to be hard to get initially.
“We were mystified,” said NCIS Special Agent Steve Michaelson. “We just couldn’t figure out who was writing ‘Wagner luvs puss’ all over the port-a-johns.”
“I mean, obviously Wagner must be an alpha chick who’s hooked up with half the guys in her local area. But does she like (*)(*)(*)(*)(*) as well?” Michaelson asked. “It’s quite baffling.”

Forensics art critics were confident, however, the elusive artist was a female.

“Usually, when guys draw a vagina, it’s completely wrong,” according to Serge Hirshorn, an art analyst who consults with NCIS. “This vagina was actually anatomically correct. It even had a clitoris and everything.”

Cruz was especially proud of her rendition of a clitoris bulging from beneath her perfectly-formed lips.

Marine Pfc. Joshua Neville, who first reported the vagina drawings, had to have the details explained to him. When the clitoris in particular was pointed out, he simply responded, “Huh, never noticed that before.”

Read more: http://www.duffelblog.com/2015/12/female-marine-scribbling-vaginas-port-a-john/#ixzz3tr8a3o3A
Click to expand...

Funny.

Note, however, that this is satire, not reality.

Herkdriver · Dec 10, 2015

Nearly 8 percent of women in the Marine Corps were sexually assaulted in 2014. The figure puts the Marine Corps' rate of past-year sexual assaults for female troops at more than 20 percent higher than the Navy's total, which has the next-highest rate

This means the Marine Corps has more offenses of this nature than its sister services.

waltky · Dec 12, 2015

If dey interested, Uncle Ferd got some 'special operations' for womens...

US Special Operators Say No to Women in Special Operations Jobs
Dec 11, 2015 | WASHINGTON -- The men in the U.S. military's most dangerous jobs care little about political correctness or gender equality. And they have a message for their political leadership. When they are fighting in the shadows or bleeding on the battlefield, women have no place on their teams.

In blunt and, at times, profanity-laced answers to a voluntary survey conducted by the Rand Corp., more than 7,600 of America's special operations forces spoke with nearly one voice. Allowing women to serve in Navy SEAL, Army Delta or other commando units could hurt their effectiveness and lower the standards, and it may drive men away from the dangerous posts. An overwhelming majority of those who agreed to respond to the RAND survey said they believe women don't have the physical strength or mental toughness to do the grueling jobs. Some of the broader conclusions of the survey, taken from May through July 2014, were disclosed by The Associated Press earlier this year, but the detailed results and comments written by respondents had not been released.

The Pentagon released the summer survey and other documents when Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced last week that he was opening all combat jobs to women. That decision was based on recommendations by the military service secretaries and the leaders of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Special Operations Command. Only the Marine Corps asked to exempt women from certain infantry and frontline positions, but Carter denied that request. Half the men who got the 46-question survey responded to it, and Rand did not identify any of them. In some cases, people who feel most strongly about an issue are more inclined to answer surveys.

A group of U.S. Navy SEALs clear a room during a no-light live-fire drill near San Diego

Some 85 percent of the respondents said they oppose opening the special operations jobs to women, and 70 percent oppose having women in their individual units. More than 80 percent said women aren't strong enough and can't handle the demands of the job. And 64 percent said they aren't mentally tough enough. "I could list hundreds of reasons why women cannot do the job that a Green Beret is required to do, but as I only have 1,000 characters, I will choose the one that I think is the most important," said one respondent. "I weigh 225 pounds, and 280 pounds in full kit, as did most of the members of my ODA (a 12-man Army Green Beret unit). I expect every person on my team to be able to drag any member of my team out of a firefight. A 130 pound female could not do it, I don't care how much time she spends in the gym. Do we expect wounded men to bleed out because a female soldier could not drag him to cover?"

Another said politicians don't win the covert wars. "Gender equality is not an option when the bullets are flying," he said. "Most males in the area of the world I work in would rather back hand a female than listen to her speak. There is a reason we send men to do these jobs." Some were even more blunt. "No one wants this. Do us a favor and listen to what we are saying for a change. Can Washington really afford to take that risk so politicians can brag to the public that they brought gender equality to SOF?" said one, who continued profanely. Some saw it as inevitable. "This integration will happen eventually and we might as well embrace it while we have current solid leadership and incoming solid leadership at the top to facilitate the transition," one said.

MORE
Click to expand...

See also:

Female Gitmo Guards Still Barred From Moving Prisoners
Dec 11, 2015 -- A military judge refused Thursday to lift an order barring female guards at Guantanamo from having physical contact with five men charged in the Sept. 11 terrorist attack, at least for now.

Army Col. James Pohl denied a request by prosecutors to lift a temporary order he imposed in January. Their request followed three days of testimony by Guantanamo Bay detention center officials who said the rule interfered with prison operations and discriminated against women soldiers. Pohl is expected to take up the matter again following additional testimony at a hearing early next year. The defendants say being moved from their high-security prison to court on the U.S. base in Cuba by guard escort teams that include women is an affront to their Muslim beliefs. Their lawyers also argue that it is traumatic for men who were subjected to abusive interrogations while in CIA custody.

A shackled detainee is transported by guards away from his annual Administrative Review Board hearing with U.S. officials, at Camp Delta detention center, Guantanamo Bay U.S. Naval Base, Cuba.

The prison commander expressed skepticism that the men are truly concerned about physical contact with female guards, noting that other prisoners have not raised the issue. "I think it's based on an attempt to stall these proceedings, that's what I think it's based on," Army Col. David Heath told the court. Heath said the men, who are held in a high-security unit known as Camp 7 with eight other suspected terrorists, are treated humanely in accordance with the Geneva Conventions. But he conceded that was not the case before they came to the base in 2006. "I know that the defendants were physically and mentally mistreated," he said. David Nevin, a civilian lawyer for lead defendant Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, said the mistreatment in CIA custody included "sexualized female on male torture" and being chained to the ceiling for extended periods so that his client could not pray. He says the use of female guards to subdue and transport him is psychologically traumatic as a result.

Prison officials began using female guards on the escort teams last year. Pohl issued his temporary ruling banning the practice for the Sept. 11 defendants at the request of the defense. The order, which prison officials say hurts morale and creates staffing problems, does not apply to the rest of the detention center, which holds a total of 107 men. Arguments on the issue dominated the first three days of a four-day pretrial for the five, who are accused of planning and aiding the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack. They face charges that include terrorism and nearly 3,000 counts of murder in violation of the law of war. They could get the death penalty if convicted. A trial date has not been set.

http://www.military.com/daily-news/...uards-still-barred-from-moving-prisoners.html
Click to expand...

Mushroom · Dec 14, 2015

tkolter said: ↑

In WW2 some of the finest partisans and soldiers in Europe and Russia were women and its not a matter of wanting with this move women capable of combat specialties can be channeled into those after boot camp at the needs and demands of the military services choice is not an issue.
Click to expand...

Partaisans are not the same thing as front line troops. They are low density and intensity fighters, who conduct primarily hit and run tactics. Trying to compare the two is a complete failure.

It is like saying you can take a 100 meter sprinter, and make a marathon runner out of them. That is generally a failure, because the two are not the same. Completely different skills and development.

Partaisans generally go into a combat situation with minimal equipment, conduct their raid, then fade right back into the countryside. It is not the same as a combat unit which operates in a hostile area, with no local support and is expected to bring in with them their entire infrastructure.

When you can show me a group of women that can keep up with a male in the Infantry, with the weight and endurance demands placed on them, then I will say you might have a point. But I wish you luck in that, because in my over 18 years of military service (10 of that in the Infantry), I have yet to ever see it.

Here is a perfect example. I am almost 51 years old. My high point in physical condition was over 30 years ago, and my knees are permanently damaged due to my infantry service 3 decades ago. Yet I still have yet to find a single female that can keep up with me today in even a 5 mile road march with only a 35 pound pack. And on more then one occasion, I have gone back and taken 1 and even 2 other packs from females that could not keep up (I am now carrying 3 packs), and they could still not keep up. I with over 105 pounds of equipment, and they with 0 pounds.

I am by far from a superman. As I said, I am almost 51 years old. Bad knees, borderline overweight, smoker, and other issues. Yet women in their late teens and early 20's still can not keep up with me. And if they can not keep up with me with such light weight (not even equal to the body armor and equipment that infantrymen wear every day without the rest of their combat load), how can they ever expect to keep up with young men in their prime with over 125 pounds of weight?

There are proven physiological differences, among them hip placement, muscle development and placement, body fat percentage, weight distribution, and many others.

Now if I was asked if I had a problem with women being allowed in certain units set up as integrated for specific purposes (a model Israel follows), I would have no problem with that at all. I can see the advantage of say a single Battalion in each Division for certain purposes. But trying to say they should be integrated into all units I would be strongly against.

APACHERAT · Dec 15, 2015

waltky said: ↑

Rumors that Ranger School was Fixed so Women Could Pass not true...

Click to expand...

Evidence seems to differ. The fix was in.

Pay attention to the source, "People" magazine.

Was It Fixed? Army General Told Subordinates: 'A Woman Will Graduate Ranger School,' Sources Say

Now anyone who has ever served in the military knows what it means when a General says "A woman will graduate Ranger School."

Was It Fixed? Army General Told Subordinates: 'A Woman Will Graduate Ranger School,' Sources Say

Way back in January, long before the first women attended the Army's elite Ranger School – one of the most grueling military courses in the world – officials at the highest levels of the Army had already decided failure was not an option, sources tell PEOPLE.

"A woman will graduate Ranger School," a general told shocked subordinates this year while preparing for the first females to attend a "gender integrated assessment" of the grueling combat leadership course starting April 20, sources tell PEOPLE. "At least one will get through."

That directive set the tone for what was to follow, sources say.

"It had a ripple effect" at Fort Benning, where Ranger School is based, says a source with knowledge of events at the sprawling Georgia Army post. "Even though this was supposed to be just an assessment, everyone knew. The results were planned in advance."

On Tuesday, PEOPLE revealed that Oklahoma Republican Rep. Steve Russell had asked the Department of Defense for documents about the women who attended Ranger School after becoming concerned that "the women got special treatment and played by different rules," sources say.

Ranger School consists of three phases: Benning, which lasts 21 days and includes water survival, land navigation, a 12-mile march, patrols, and an obstacle course; Mountain Phase, which lasts 20 days, and includes assaults, ambushes, mountaineering and patrols; and Swamp Phase, which lasts 17 days and covers waterborne operations.

But whereas men consistently were held to the strict standards outlined in the Ranger School's Standing Operating Procedures handbook sources say, the women were allowed lighter duties and exceptions to policy.

Multiple sources told PEOPLE:

• Women were first sent to a special two-week training in January to get them ready for the school, which didn't start until April 20. Once there they were allowed to repeat the program until they passed – while men were held to a strict pass/fail standard.

• Afterward they spent months in a special platoon at Fort Benning getting, among other things, nutritional counseling and full-time training with a Ranger.

• While in the special platoon they were taken out to the land navigation course – a very tough part of the course that is timed – on a regular basis. The men had to see it for the first time when they went to the school.

• Once in the school they were allowed to repeat key parts – like patrols – while special consideration was not given to the men.

• A two-star general made personal appearances to cheer them along during one of the most challenging parts of the school, multiple sources tell PEOPLE.

The end result? Two women – First Lts. Kristen Griest and Shaye Haver – graduated August 21 (along with 381 men) and are wearing the prestigious Ranger Tab. Griest was surprised they made it.

"I thought we were going to be dropped after we failed Darby [part of Benning] the second time," Griest said at a press conference before graduation. "We were offered a Day One Recycle."

At their graduation, Maj Gen. Scott Miller, who oversees Ranger School, denied the Army eased its standards or was pressured to ensure at least one woman graduated.

"Standards remain the same,” Miller said, according to The Army Times. "The five-mile run is still five miles. The 12-mile march is still 12 miles.

"There was no pressure from anyone above me to change standards," said Miller, who declined to speak to PEOPLE.

Instructors say otherwise.

"We were under huge pressure to comply," one Ranger instructor says. "It was very much politicized."

The women didn't want or ask for special treatment, says one who attempted the program.

"All of us wanted the same standards for males and females," Billi Blaschke, who badly injured her ankle only six days into a required pre-assessment program, tells PEOPLE. "We wanted to do it on our own."

On September 2, the Army announced that Ranger School is now open both to men and women.

Women are not currently allowed to perform Ranger duties, even Lts. Griest and Haver who passed the course. However, the Army will be forced to open Ranger positions to females on January 1, unless the Secretary of Defense grants an exception.

If the exemption isn't granted, the Army may send women into combat – which is why so many former and current Rangers are concerned about women being held to the same standards as men.

"Combat is brutal and unforgiving," says Jim Lechner, a retired Army officer and Ranger who was wounded in combat in Mogadishu, Somalia, during the famed "Black Hawk Down" incident. "Fighters must be prepared and capable. If they are not, people will die."

Ranger School teaches students how to overcome fatigue, hunger and stress to lead soldiers in small-unit combat operations.

"I remain unconvinced that the recent graduation of two female soldiers was a proper test of females' ability to perform in combat," Lechner tells PEOPLE.

While Griest and Haver could not be reached for comment, the Army insists the two women who graduated August 21 did so under their own steam.

"In order to successfully graduate Ranger School, all students, male and female, are required to meet all course standards," Army spokesman LTC Jennifer Johnson tells PEOPLE.

"The course standards for Ranger Class 08-15 are the exact same standards that have been used for all other Ranger classes," she says.

Claims of Special Treatment

The women got special treatment from the start, sources tell PEOPLE.

Though the course didn't begin until April 20, the first female Ranger candidates arrived at Fort Benning in January to attend the National Guard's rigorous Ranger Training and Assessment Course (RTAC), a two-week program designed to assess whether a student could attempt the 62-day Ranger School.

Previously, only the National Guard's Ranger hopefuls were required to attend RTAC, while non-Guard candidates had the elective option to attend. Now, all females – no matter whether they were Guard, Reserve or Regular Army – were required to attend.

There they were given another edge, sources say: While men were held to a stark pass-fail standard, women were allowed to redo the special training repeatedly.

"That was the first special concession," says an Army source with knowledge of what transpired. "Males do not recycle RTAC. They either cut it or not."

Neither Gen. Miller nor Fort Benning responded to questions asking about allegations of altered standards.

Approximately 140 women went through various cycles of the 14-day long RTAC. Many left of their own volition. Others dropped out, sources say.

By the end of January, many were slated to begin Ranger school.

Then came the second round of special treatment, sources tell PEOPLE.

The males proceeded to Ranger School without further ado. The women got special training. They were placed into their own platoon and spent the next several weeks preparing for Ranger School, sources say.

They were given nutritional counseling and a soldier to train them full time. The soldier, Sergeant First Class Robert Hoffnagle, previously had competed in Fort Benning's annual Best Ranger competition, touted as the "ultimate test of fitness, endurance and grit for the Army's most elite soldiers.”

The women "lived and breathed nothing but Ranger School 24/7," a source tells PEOPLE. "He taught [them] everything, including how to do patrols."

There they were also allowed to train and rehearse on Land Navigation.

"That right there was a special consideration that only was given to the women," says a source with knowledge of events. "It's not fair, on a lot of levels."

In a response to questions that included a request for confirmation that the women were placed in the special platoon, Army spokesman Lt. Col. Ben Garrett said "the allegations are not true."

However, other sources confirmed its existence to PEOPLE.

"Hoffnagle got us ready for Ranger School," says a woman who attended the special platoon.

And other sources at Fort Benning tell PEOPLE they were present at meetings to discuss the platoon's budget and how it would operate.

By April 20, 19 women and 381 men reported for Ranger School.

Within days, 11 women were dropped from the course because they failed either the physical training, land navigation, or road march portions, sources say.

"They were decimated on road march," an instructor tells PEOPLE.

On May 7, less than three weeks into the course, a highly placed Army source told PEOPLE that no women remained in Ranger School.

Then something changed.

"The women were called in to see the general," said the source, referencing Miller, who oversees Ranger School.

"He told them they could not quit – too much time and money had been devoted to bringing them here," the source said.

Miller himself acknowledged he'd met with the women in a statement to The Washington Post, though he did not say what he told them, just that he was "impressed" that they wanted to continue, according to the newspaper.

On May 8, eight women were allowed to repeat the first phase.

Once again, the women failed, sources said. They stumbled on patrols.

"They were not aggressive enough," a source with knowledge of events tells PEOPLE. "They made poor combat decisions."

Patrols are a crucial element in Ranger School.

"If you fail patrols, it's significant, because you don't have what it takes," says Bubba Moore, a former Ranger Instructor with close ties to the Ranger and Fort Benning communities. "People will get killed."

In late May, with more failed events, commanders reassessed what to do with the women. Five women were sent back to their home units. Three were offered the chance to start Ranger School all over again, from the first day. They accepted the offer.

The three women again failed patrols during the first phase, sources say.

That's when Gen. Miller himself arrived on the course, according to sources.

Fort Benning later acknowledged to PEOPLE that Miller had gone to the training grounds while the women were on the course. A Fort Benning spokesman said Miller went there to commemorate his 30th anniversary of attending Ranger School, and did not go to pressure instructors into passing the women.

Nevertheless, with Miller on scene, the women passed and progressed to the next phase.

"Was it undue command influence?" a source with knowledge of events tells PEOPLE. "No matter what the general intended to convey, the instructors had no choice but to take this to mean, 'Play along.' "

"The instructors knew what they were expected to do," the source says. "They did it."

After the women continue to struggle, Miller showed up again, sources say. Two women passed and ultimately graduated on August 21.

Meanwhile, one woman from that same class, who has redone other phases repeatedly, just failed the Swamp Phase and is going to try it again, sources say.

Another group of women is set to begin Ranger School in November.

continue -> http://www.people.com/article/female-ranger-school-graduation-planned-advance
Click to expand...

waltky · Jan 7, 2016

DoD doin' final review...

DoD Reviews Plans to Integrate Women Into Newly Opened Combat Roles
Jan 06, 2016 | WASHINGTON -- Pentagon leaders are examining plans proposed by each military service to open about 225,000 previously male-only jobs to female troops in the coming months.

Implementation plans were due to Defense Secretary Ash Carter on Monday, about one month after he announced women would no longer be barred from serving in any position in the military for which they are qualified. Officials from each service confirmed their implementation plans had been submitted. The plans, which outline how each service intends to incorporate women into the newly opened jobs and units, will be reviewed by the Pentagon's implementation working group, tasked with overseeing the short-term execution of Carter's decision and "ensure there are no unintended consequences on the joint force," the defense secretary said Dec. 3. The working group, co-chaired by Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work and Air Force Gen. Paul Selva, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was directed by Carter to work with the services to open all positions by April 1. U.S. Special Operations Command was granted a "short extension" to submit its own implementation plan, Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said Tuesday. Army Gen. Joseph Votel, SOCOM's commander, requested the extension to allow time to "collaborate thoroughly with the services" because many special operations units also report to the individual services, Cook said.

Marine Pfc. Christina Fuentes Montenegro, one of the first three women to graduate from the program, prepares to hike to her platoon's defensive position during patrol week of Infantry Training Battalion

Carter's decision followed years of studies on the impact that integrating women into the traditionally all-male jobs and units would have on the military. Mandated by Congress in 2011, the Defense Department reviewed its policies restricting women from roles primarily in the infantry, armor and special operations fields. The Army, Air Force and Navy secretaries and the commander of U.S. Special Operations Command supported Carter's decision, while the Marine Corps commandant asked for exceptions for several jobs. "There will be no exceptions," Carter said during his announcement. "This means that as long as they qualify and meet the standards, women will now be able to contribute to our mission in ways they could not before. They'll be allowed to drive tanks, fire mortars and lead infantry soldiers into combat."

The services conducted more than 30 comprehensive studies and developed gender-neutral physical standards for individual occupations. Despite years of planning, Pentagon officials have said some problems are expected to occur as women are integrating into the new fields. "Implementation won't happen overnight, and while at the end of the day, this will make us a better and stronger force, there still will be problems to fix and challenges to overcome," Carter said.

He stressed the services' implementation plans must not compromise unit effectiveness or weaken existing job standards. Additionally, Carter said equal opportunity would not mean there would be quotas for female troops in certain positions or units. "Mission effectiveness is most important," Carter said. "Defending this country is our primary responsibility, and it cannot be compromised. That means everyone who serves in uniform -- men and women alike -- has to be able to meet the high standards for whatever job they're in." Since 2013, more than 110,000 formerly male-only positions have opened to female troops, primarily in the Army, Navy and Air Force. Carter's decision opened the remaining 19 Army, 22 Marine Corps, five Navy and six Air Force male-only occupations to women. Nearly all of those jobs were in the infantry, armor, field artillery or special operations branches.

http://www.military.com/daily-news/...ntegrate-women-newly-opened-combat-roles.html
Click to expand...

waltky · Jan 8, 2016

U.S. Marine Corps to prepare for integration of the sexes...

Marine Corps Ordered to Make Boot Camp Coed, Remove 'Man' from Titles
Jan 07, 2016 | Navy Secretary Ray Mabus has given Marine Corps brass two weeks to submit a plan to train male and female recruits together at boot camp and fully integrate officer candidate school. He's also calling for the Marines to make all job titles gender-neutral as the service opens currently closed ground combat jobs to women.

In a Jan. 1 memo obtained by Military.com and first reported by Marine Corps Times, Mabus ordered the Corps to send him a detailed plan by Jan. 15 for making boot camp and officer training coed. He also requested that the Marines provide him with a "subject matter expert" on the issue. The plan should identify where training is already integrated by gender, where it is separate, and how the Marines will work to fully integrate all training, Mabus said. "Colocation does not meet the requirement for gender integrated training," Mabus wrote. "This plan will complete [the Department of the Navy's] implementation plan and ensure full integration of female sailors and Marines within the DON in accordance with [Defense Secretary Ashton Carter's] guidance."

A Marine Corps spokesman, Capt. Philip Kulczewski, confirmed that the Corps had received the memo but offered no further comment. Mabus also included a memo for Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Robert Neller requesting that he review Marine Corps job titles and remove "man" from applicable job titles to make them "gender-integrated." This means military occupational specialties ranging from 0311, infantryman, to 0321, reconnaissance man, could soon get new names. Mabus demanded this be done and a report submitted to him no later than April 1, 2016, the services' final deadline for opening all jobs to women.

The Navy Secretary also sounded a warning note to Neller about a list of "critical information requirements" the Corps included in the integration plan submitted to Carter this month.

That list of developments to be monitored closely include:
Click to expand...

waltky · Jan 9, 2016

Uncle Ferd says womens always wantin' to prove demselves to be a man...

Opening Combat Jobs to Women Will Mean Lower Standards: Marine General
Jan 08, 2016 | Marine Gen. John Kelly broke ranks with Pentagon brass Friday on the issue of whether ground combat jobs should be open to female troops, saying the "agenda-driven" move was likely to result in lowered military standards.

Kelly, the commander of U.S. Southern Command and a veteran of three tours in Iraq, is set to retire later this month. In a farewell briefing at the Pentagon, the four-star general made clear the Marine Corps' option was to follow to order to integrate its ranks, but suggested the move was politically expedient and not based on military best practices. "I believe given the mission of the U.S. armed forces to fight the nation's wars, I believe that every decision we make, whether it's a personnel decision or an acquisition of a new airplane or widget, I believe every decision has to go through only one filter. And that is, does it make us more lethal on the battlefield?" he said. "If the answer to that is 'yes,' then do it. If the answer to that is 'no,' clearly don't do it. If the answer to that is, 'hmm, shouldn't hurt,' I would suggest that we shouldn't do it, because it might hurt. So that's my opinion."

Kelly said he believed there would be "great pressure" to lower military physical standards in coming years to allow female infantry troops to advance professionally. "The question will be asked, 'well, we've let women into these other roles, why are they staying in these other roles? Why aren't they advancing as infantrypersons? Why aren't they becoming more senior?'" he said. "The answer, I think, will be that if we don't change standards it will be very difficult to have any real numbers coming in the [Marine] infantry, or the Rangers, or the SEALs, but that's their business."

First Lt. Isis Culver, right, talks to Capt. Megan Selbach-Allen during Exercise Desert Scimitar at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif.

Kelly also cited an injury report the Marine Corps commissioned from the University of Pittsburgh that found a higher percentage of female troops got injured while participating in the Marines' experimental integrated ground combat task force, "some of them hurt forever. "I think it will be the pressure for not the generals that are here now, but the generals that become, to lower standards because that's the only way I think that people, the agenda-driven people here in the land want it to work," he said. Kelly's comments underscore the tension between Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and other Pentagon leaders and a contingent of Marine Corps leadership that opposes opening all jobs to women.

The Marine Corps was the only service to ask for exceptions to a Defense Department-wide integration mandate, citing their task force experiment, which found that units containing women were slower, less lethal, and more prone to injury than all-male units. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus has criticized that study, saying cultural opposition to integration helped to "presuppose" the outcome of the research. But following Carter's decision that all jobs would open to women early this year, the Marines' commandant, Gen. Robert Neller, released a statement saying it was "time to move out" in compliance with the order.

http://www.military.com/daily-news/...omen-mean-lower-standards-marine-general.html
Click to expand...

waltky · Jan 14, 2016

Marines open infantry jobs to women...

Marine Corps Announces Formal Opening of Infantry Jobs to Women
Jan 13, 2016 | It's official: The Marine Corps is ready to give female Marines the title of infantrymen.

The Marines announced today in an administrative message that those female Marines who have already passed enlisted infantry training and relevant job schools for combat arms positions are eligible to receive a ground combat arms military occupational specialty. The announcement comes shortly after the Corps submitted its plan for integration of combat arms jobs to Defense Secretary Ashton Carter in keeping with a military-wide mandate. This means that at least 240 female Marines, who made their way through the Corps' Infantry Training Battalion near Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, over the last two years as part of a gender integration study, are now eligible for an infantry MOS and may request a lateral move into a ground combat unit, Marine officials said.

To date, no female officers have passed infantry officers training. The number of eligible female Marines may be larger; a Marine Corps spokesman, Capt. Philip Kulczewski, said officials were awaiting an official figure from Marine Corps Manpower and Reserve Affairs. "Our Marines earned this. They volunteered, worked hard, completed the training, and earned these MOSs," the Marine commandant, Gen. Robert B. Neller, said in a statement. "Given the Secretary of Defense's decision last month, we now have the authority to award those qualified Marines the additional MOS, and we'll continue to keep faith with them. For Marines who are eligible and interested, they can now request to serve in those previously closed jobs."

According to the announcement, Marine Corps Manpower and Reserve Affairs will grant the infantry titles as additional military occupational specialties for those who passed the training. Female Marines interested in moving into a combat field can then submit their request to Headquarters Marine Corps. However, those lateral moves will be processed only once the Marines' complete plan for integration is approved, officials said.

This move marks a significant development for the Marine Corps, the most male-dominated of all the military services with only 7 percent women. The Corps did request exceptions to the integration order, citing an extensive infantry experiment that showed ground combat teams including women were less lethal and more prone to injury than all-male teams. But when Carter announced he would overrule the request, Neller filmed a short message ordering the Corps to "move out" in support of the mandate. "The Commandant and I are extremely proud of those Marines who participated during the two-year research effort in order to help the Marine Corps continue its ongoing gender integration efforts," Marine Corps Sergeant Major Ronald L. Green said in a statement. "Their dedication has helped us develop a well-planned and responsible integration process that ensures the Marine Corps remains prepared to answer our nation's call, while reinforcing our standards and core values."

http://www.military.com/daily-news/...formal-opening-of-infantry-jobs-to-women.html
Click to expand...

See also:

Female Ranger Grad, Air Force Hero Invited to Watch State of the Union
Jan 12, 2016 | When President Barack Obama gives his final State of the Union address Tuesday, First Lady Michelle Obama will be sitting with one of the first female soldiers to graduate U.S. Army Ranger School and an Air Force staff sergeant who helped thwart a terrorist from attacking a train traveling to Paris.

Air Force Staff Sgt. Spencer Stone, Army Reserve Major Lisa Jaster and four veterans have been invited to sit in the guest box with the First Lady and Vice President Joe Biden's wife, Jill Biden. "For the President's final State of the Union address, the individuals who will be seated in the guest box of First Lady Michelle Obama represent the progress we have made since the President first delivered this speech seven years ago," a White House official said in a recent press release. "Their stories -- of struggle and success -- highlight where we have been and where America is going in the future, building on the best of what our country has to offer. The guests personify President Obama's time in office and most importantly, they represent who we are as Americans: inclusive and compassionate, innovative and courageous."

Stone was awarded the Airman's Medal, a Purple Heart and a promotion to staff sergeant for his actions in August of last year. He was traveling on a high-speed train from Amsterdam to Paris when he, Anthony Sadler, U.S. Army Specialist Alek Skarlatos and a British businessman subdued a suspected Islamic extremist who was armed with an AK-47, Luger pistol and box cutter. The gunman repeatedly slashed Spencer with the box cutter, inflicting cuts to his neck and hand. The 23-year-old EMT and resident of Sacramento, California, survived the ordeal -- and another incident back home in which he was attacked with a knife back outside a bar -- and hopes to continue his work in medicine.

Maj. Lisa A. Jaster, 37, carries a fellow soldier during the Darby Queen obstacle course at Ranger School at Fort Benning, Ga.

Jaster became the first female Army Reserve officer to graduate from the Ranger School, the Army's elite infantry leadership course. She followed the path of two of her Ranger School classmates -- Capt. Kristen Griest and 1st Lt. Shaye Haver, who earned their Tabs in an Aug. 21 in a historic ceremony at Fort Benning. The 37-year-old combat engineer is a mother of two children. The average age of a student in Ranger School is 23 years old, according to Army officials. Jaster graduated from the United States Military Academy in West Point in New York in 2000. She was on active duty for seven years and deployed in support of both Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom before leaving active duty in 2007 to work at Shell Oil Co. In 2012, Lisa returned to service, joining the Army Reserve, and took a leave of absence from Shell last April to pursue Ranger School.

Jaster was one of the original group of 19 women who tried out for grueling training program in April. Since then, the Army has opened the traditionally all-male course to all soldiers, male or female. There will also be four veterans sitting with the first lady. Cynthia "Cindy" K. Dias is a Navy veteran who served during the Vietnam War in a hospital ship as a registered nurse. She managed care for wounded soldiers, and worked alongside the chaplain as the designated official to provide notification and care for families of wounded and deceased officers. After her service, she worked as a registered nurse in Florida and Louisiana and eventually moved to Las Vegas, where she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress and lost her job before eventually also losing her home. She found a place to live at Veterans Village, a non-profit working with the city of Las Vegas to provide resources for homeless veterans. She now volunteers with Veterans Village, and she works to care and advocate for veterans in the city.

MORE
Click to expand...

waltky · Jan 16, 2016

Womens inna submarine!...

Navy Personnel Chief Confident about Female Submariners
Jan 15, 2016 | The U.S. Navy's top human resources officer said Thursday he's confident the service will overcome any cultural barriers to fully integrating women into the submarine force.

Vice Adm. Bill Moran, chief of naval personnel, told reporters he plans to get a firsthand look of how well the process is going when he boards the USS Mississippi at Pearl Harbor later this week. The first two women to serve on the Virginia-class submarine arrived last month. The supply officer and submariner are the first women in the Pacific Fleet and among the first in the Navy to serve on attack submarines. Asked about traditions in the underwater fleet that may be crude, Moran said he wasn't a submariner himself but he said they were a highly professional force. "Part of being a professional is treating people with dignity and respect," Moran said. "If there are cultural aspects of being a submariner that don't comport with professionalism, male and female, then I'm sure they're going to figure out a way to get rid of those cultural barriers."

Vice Adm. Bill Moran, the Navy's chief of personnel, speaks to sailors at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

Women have been serving on ballistic missile and guided missile submarines for several years, after the Navy ended a ban on women serving on board submarines in 2010. But attack submarines are smaller and present different challenges. The Navy and its contractors have been working on design changes to accommodate mixed-gender crews on submarines, where privacy is scarce for all, but especially the enlisted sailors. Sailors on the roomiest subs sleep nine to a bunk room, with four showers and seven toilets for the roughly 140 enlisted men. And passageways are so narrow that crew members can barely pass one another without touching. The Navy is first bringing female officers, then senior enlisted women on board the submarines to be followed by junior enlisted women.

The first female enlisted sailors selected for the "silent service" began training at submarine school in Connecticut in August. Moran said his challenge was to ensure enough women are on board the submarines to have them well-represented throughout the ranks from officer to chief and junior enlisted. Moran has said previously that problems develop if a ship has many junior enlisted females but no senior enlisted women on board to mentor them. But he said he expects the ranks of female submariners to swell as time passes. "Once enlisted women get on board submarines and their experiences are positive, that word spreads by social media and other ways and hopefully that helps inspire other women to want to continue," he said.

http://www.military.com/daily-news/2016/01/15/navy-personnel-chief-confident-female-submariners.html
Click to expand...

waltky · Jan 22, 2016

Women in combat rests with Congress...

Congress is Last Hurdle to Women in Every Combat Role
Jan 21, 2016 | On Jan. 8, six days before he closed out a 45-year Marine Corps career, his last job leading U.S. Southern Command, Gen. John F. Kelly sounded an alarm, which he must have hoped would be heard on Capitol Hill.

Kelly was asked at his final Pentagon press conference to comment on Defense Secretary Ashton Carter's Dec. 3 decision that every combat job, without exception, be opened to women who meet gender-neutral standards. This and every decision impacting on the military, Kelly answered, should have "only one filter...Does it make us more lethal on the battlefield?" If the answer "is, 'It shouldn't hurt,' [then] I would suggest that we shouldn't do it, because it might hurt," said Kelly. His great fear is that standards will be lowered, regardless of current promises that they won't be. "There will be great pressure, whether it's twelve months from now, four years from now, because the question will be asked [after] we've let women into these other roles, 'Why aren't they staying...? Why aren't they advancing...? Why aren't they becoming...more senior?' And the answer...will be 'If we don't change standards, it will be very, very difficult to have any...real numbers come into the infantry or the Rangers or the SEALs.' "

The Air Force is planning on opening the seven positions currently limited only to male airmen.

Over time, lowering standards will be "the only way it'll work [for] the agenda-driven people here in Washington," Kelly said. Attention now turns to Congress where some lawmakers, worried about readiness, hope to modify Carter's no-exception policy and will comb through individual services' implementation plans. Other members of Congress will advocate for a swift opening of all combat skills and units to women who have the physical and mental toughness for these jobs. About 10 percent of current military positions, almost 220,000 jobs, remain closed to women, mostly in infantry, armor, reconnaissance and some special operations units. The Marine Corps was the only service to seek to exempt some front-line combat skills from gender integration. It argued mixed gender units would be less capable in ground combat, and women Marines routinely would suffer more occupation-related injuries.

Carter rejected the Corps request, saying combat effectiveness remains a priority but it can be preserved through careful implementation and adherence to tough gender-neutral standards to fill every skill. "There will be women who can meet the physical requirements of these specialties, even as there are men who cannot," Carter said. By law, Carter must report to Congress on plans to open units or positions previously closed to women. He also must provide analysis on how removing all combat restrictions should impact the law governing a military draft. Only male 18-year-olds now need to register with Selective Service. Congress then will have 30 calendar days to review Carter's report, which presumably will include detailed implementation plans from Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Special Operations Command. Congress has authority to order changes if a majority of lawmakers have concerns over how opening all skills will affect readiness, unit cohesion or other issues.

MORE
Click to expand...

See also:

Tensions Rise Between Secretary of the Navy, Congressman
Jan 21, 2016 -- In what's a growing dispute between the longest-serving Navy secretary since World War I and a San Diego County congressman, tensions rose this week.

On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, dispatched a letter to the Pentagon suggesting that Navy Secretary Ray Mabus should be replaced because of an apparently abrupt order he issued to the Marine Corps to merge men's and women's training. The letter follows friction between Mabus and Marine Corps leaders over the issue of opening ground combat jobs to women. In recommending the integration last year, Mabus defied a Marine Corps study that said women got injured more often and dragged down the performance of combat teams. "Unfortunately, the only way this relationship can be repaired, I believe, is through the leadership of a new Navy secretary -- specifically one who does not regularly make a point to undercut the Marine Corps, distract its mission and insult its leaders," Hunter wrote.

That letter was a follow-up to one from Hunter the prior week. On January 11, Hunter wrote to Defense Secretary Ashton Carter that Mabus "continues to make a compelling case for the Marine Corps to be an autonomous military department with its own civilian leadership." Mabus, who was in Coronado on Wednesday, shot back during a question-and-answer period with reporters. "Look, I've got that letter framed. That's one of the biggest compliments I've ever gotten," Mabus said, guffawing. Mabus stood his ground on several controversial stances he has taken during his seven-year tenure as the civilian leader of the Navy and Marine Corps.

Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, right, greets sailors as they board the guided-missile destroyer USS Stockdale Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2016, in Coronado, Calif.

One is the integration of women into Marine infantry, Navy SEALs and other direct-combat jobs by April. "If you can meet the standards, why should it matter if you are male or female? Why should it matter if you are straight or gay?" Mabus told reporters. The other issue was the secretary's push toward deploying ships and planes powered by alternative fuels, including biofuels made from mustard seed, algae or animal fat. Mabus was in Coronado on Wednesday to preside over the deployment of an aircraft carrier group that included some ships burning a 90-10 blend of petroleum and animal fat fuels.

The secretary's biofuels initiative became controversial when it became known that a 2011 buy of biofuel cost $15 a gallon for a 50-50 blend -- four times the price of regular Navy ship fuel. "Every single time there were naysayers," Mabus said during a speech at the launch of his "great green fleet" Wednesday. He was describing the Navy's long history of embracing new power sources, including oil and later nuclear energy for ships. "They were wrong again this time."

MORE
Click to expand...

waltky · Feb 5, 2016

Rolling Back Order for Military to Use Women in All Combat Roles...

Paul Ryan Wont Say If He Supports Rolling Back Order for Military to Use Women in All Combat Roles
February 4, 2016 | At his weekly press briefing on Thursday, House Speaker Paul Ryan would not say if he supports congressional action to roll back or restrict the militarys use of women in combat roles.

Defense Secretary Ashton Carter has ordered the armed services to open all combat roles in the U.S. military to women. There will be no exceptions, Carter said at a Dec. 3 press conference. This means that, as long as they qualify and meet the standards, women will now be able to contribute to our mission in ways they could not before. They'll be allowed to drive tanks, fire mortars, and lead infantry soldiers into combat, said Carter. They'll be able to serve as Army rangers and green berets, Navy SEALS, Marine Corps infantry, Air Force parajumpers and everything else that was previously open only to men.

At todays briefing, CNSNews.com asked Speaker Ryan whether in light of Carters order he will support any congressional action to roll back or restrict the use of women in combat by the U.S. military.

CNSNews.com: Defense Secretary Ashton Carter has ordered that all combat roles in the U.S. military be open to women. Will you support any action by Congress to roll back or restrict the use of women in combat by the U.S. military?

Ryan: I am going to leave this up to the committees. Again, I think people are used to the speaker sort of consolidating power and predetermining the outcome of everything around here. That is not the kind of speaker I am going to be. So, I would just, I hate to say it, but I am going to turn you over to the Armed Services Committee. Talk to them, because we are not going to make these decisions in the Speakers office. I believe Congress should work the way it was intended to work: Bottom up, members of Congress have their voices, the committees take the lead on policy. So, this is not an issue that I have spent a great deal of time on. Why? Because we have a fantastic chairman in [Rep.] Mac Thornberry. And, so, I would just defer you to him."

MORE
Click to expand...

See also:

No, No, No, No--Pelosi Says She Opposes Restrictions on Women in Combat
February 4, 2016 | At her weekly press briefing on Thursday, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said that she does not support Congress taking any action to restrict the use of women in combat by the U.S. military.

In December, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter announced that the Defense Department was opening all combat roles to women. At the briefing, CNSNews.com asked Pelosi if she supported any action by Congress to roll back or restrict the use of women in combat.

CNSNews.com: Defense Secretary Ashton Carter has ordered that all combat roles in the U.S. military be open to women. Would you support any action by Congress to roll back or restrict the use of women in combat by the U.S. military?

Pelosi: "Will I support actions to restrict?"

CNSNews.com: "Yes."

CNSNews.com: No, no, no, no. I think that women canwhile its an individual thing for men and for women as to the taskbut I support removing any barriers to women serving in the military, including becoming commander in chief.

MORE
Click to expand...

waltky · Feb 15, 2016

Army looking to make service more amenable to womens...

Army Looks to Recruit More Women, Adapt Physical Testing
Feb 13, 2016 | Beginning this summer, a visit to a local Army recruiting office will include a new set of gymnastic tests to help determine what military jobs a recruit is physically capable of performing.

Prospective soldiers will be asked to run, jump, lift a weight and throw a heavy ball -- all to help the Army figure out if the recruit can handle a job with high physical demands or should be directed to a more sedentary assignment. The new tests come as the Pentagon is opening all combat posts to women, a process that involves setting physical standards for every job that both men and women will have to meet. As part of the effort, the Army will increase the number of female recruiters to better target women. The goal will be to add 1 percent each year for the next three years in order to get at least one woman at each of the Army's more than 780 larger recruiting centers across the country. Right now, only about 750 of the 8,800 Army and Army Reserve recruiters are women.

Army recruits take the oath of enlistment. More female recruits and a new set of gymnastic tests are two measures the Army is taking to bring in more women soldiers.

The head of US Army Recruiting Command, Maj. Gen. Jeff Snow, told The Associated Press that adding more women as recruiters will give female recruits someone more credible to talk to about options for women in the military and how an Army career could affect married or family life. But he said that getting that increase will be tough because other commands across the Army are also competing to get more women in their units. As women move into combat roles, Army commanders want to have women in leadership positions across the force to serve as mentors and role models. In particular, Army leaders want more women as drill sergeants and platoon sergeants as recruits go through basic and advanced training.

Defense Secretary Ash Carter in December ordered the military services to allow women to compete for all combat jobs. But he and other military leaders have been adamant that the physical standards for the jobs will not be lowered in order to allow more women to qualify. Brig. Gen. Donna Martin, deputy commander of Army Recruiting Command, said that despite the added recruiting efforts, there may not be a flood of women rushing to compete for combat jobs. But she said the Army may see an eventual increase in women enlistments as they see the array of options. "I think it's all about awareness -- about a choice," Martin said. "It's not forcing any women to go into combat arms. It's about making them aware that this is a choice. "It's the whole question of can you have it all," said Martin, who has been in the Army for 29 years, has been married for 21 years, and has a 19-year-old son. "You can have as much as you want."

MORE
Click to expand...

See also:

Pelosi Wants to Discuss Requiring All Young Women to Register for Draft
February 11, 2016 – House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told CNSNews.com at her press briefing on Thursday that requiring young women to register for the draft is “an issue that we should discuss."

At the U.S. Capitol on Thursday, CNSNews.com asked Pelosi, “The commandant of the Marine Corps and chief of staff of the Army testified in the Senate Armed Services Committee last week that young women should be required to register for the draft. Do you support requiring all young women to register for the draft?

Pelosi said, “I think it’s an issue that we should discuss. I think we should discuss it. Every time we use the word draft people get a misunderstanding about what you’re talking about but I have supported women in every role in the military including Commander in Chief.” “I think it’s an important issue for us to discuss,” she said. “It is, the public opinion on it is really I think thirsty for more information as to what that would mean.”

Earlier this month, Gen. Robert Neller, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, told the Senate Armed Services Committee, "t’s my personal view that based on this lifting of restrictions for assignment to unit MOS, that every American who’s physically qualified should register for the draft.”

Also, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley testified, "I think that all eligible and qualified men and women should register for the draft." As CNSNews.com previously reported, Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced in December that all U.S. military positions--including combat positions--will be open to women. When asked if that means women must register for Selective Service like men are required to do, Carter said, “It may.”

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article...cuss-requiring-all-young-women-register-draft
Click to expand...

Related:

Cruz, Rubio Back Bill to Keep Obama From Opening Draft to Women
Feb 12, 2016 | WASHINGTON -- Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio are supporting legislation that could put the brakes on women in the military draft, adding momentum to growing opposition on Capitol Hill.

The Republican presidential candidates confirmed Thursday that they will back Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and his upcoming bill barring the White House or the courts from changing the law, which requires only men to register with Selective Service in case they need to be drafted into combat. A bipartisan bill was introduced in the House on Thursday that would completely abolish the draft.

Marine Sgts. Emma A. Bringas, left, and Amaya Marin Garnica take cover while maneuvering to conduct an enemy counterattack during an exercise at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif.

The sudden groundswell of opposition comes after military brass and Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, came out in favor of drafting women. The question of fairness in the all-male draft is pressing because the Pentagon decided in December to open all positions -- from boot camp to special operations -- to female troops. "We simply can't trust this president or the courts to honor the law and protect our daughters," Lee said in a statement released to Stars and Stripes. "We need new legislation making clear that if the United States is going to change this policy, Congress must be the one to do it."

Staff for Sen. Cruz, of Texas, confirmed he will be a co-sponsor of the bill. Sen. Rubio, of Florida, supports keeping any decision on the future of the draft in lawmakers' hands. "Sen. Rubio agrees with Sen. Lee that Congress needs to determine the future of the Selective Service system and is working on legislation to codify that role and plans to support it‎," Rubio spokesman Alex Burgos wrote in an email to Stars and Stripes. The Supreme Court upheld the all-male draft in 1981, finding that women could be excluded because they would not be called to fill critical combat positions during a war. But since the Pentagon began full integration of women, that rationale might no longer be valid. Marine Commandant Gen. Robert Neller and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley testified to the Senate this month that they believe the exemption should be ended.

MORE
Click to expand...

APACHERAT · Feb 15, 2016

waltky said: ↑

Army looking to make service more amenable to womens...

Army Looks to Recruit More Women, Adapt Physical Testing
Feb 13, 2016 | Beginning this summer, a visit to a local Army recruiting office will include a new set of gymnastic tests to help determine what military jobs a recruit is physically capable of performing.

See also:

Pelosi Wants to Discuss Requiring All Young Women to Register for Draft
February 11, 2016 – House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told CNSNews.com at her press briefing on Thursday that requiring young women to register for the draft is “an issue that we should discuss."

.[/i]
Click to expand...

Putin, the chi-coms, ISIS, Al Qaeda are all probably laughing their asses off after looking at that photo of these army recruits taking the oath.

Are we already scraping the bottom of the barrel in the name of political correctness ?

waltky · Feb 17, 2016

Uncle Ferd would like to snuggle with dis snow bunny...

Female Soldier Completes NATO Winter Training Course
Feb 16, 2016 U.S. Army Capt. Kate Alfin, a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter pilot with the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade based at Ansbach, Germany, graduated from the Allied Winter Course at the Norwegian School of Winter Warfare here, Jan. 28.

Alfin is the first female soldier from an allied NATO military to complete the course, which took place Jan. 4-30 at the Terningmoen infantry training camp 140 kilometers northeast of Oslo, Norway.

U.S. Army Capt. Kate Alfin, a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter pilot, practices Nordic cross-country skiing under a full combat load at the Allied Winter Course at the Norwegian School of Winter Warfare in Elverum, Norway.

Cold Weather Training Course

The Allied Winter Course is 26 days long and provides students with the basic knowledge and practical experience to operate in cold weather environments, to include survival, mobility and leadership under winter conditions. "At the Norwegian School for Winter Warfare we run courses for officers and noncommissioned officers," said Norwegian Army Capt. Hans Olaf Kalsveen, course officer. "We also have avalanche warning courses and sere courses in the autumn available to all our NATO allies." "The course was extremely challenging," Alfin said. "I learned a lot of important techniques for winter operations that I will take back to my unit and apply toward future training and exercises across Europe."

The Allied Winter Course is held annually at the Norwegian School of Winter Warfare.

http://www.military.com/daily-news/...er-completes-nato-winter-training-course.html
Click to expand...

See also:

Combat Jobs for Women Stir Questions about the Draft
Feb 16, 2016 | WASHINGTON -- The decision by the Pentagon to allow women to serve in all combat jobs has put new focus on an often-forgotten U.S. institution: the Selective Service.

While America has not had a military draft since 1973, all men must register with the Selective Service within 30 days of turning 18. U.S. leaders repeatedly insist that the all-volunteer force is working and the nation is not returning to the draft. But there are increasing rumblings about whether women should now be required to register if they can indeed serve in all areas of the military. Some questions and answers about the Selective Service and any moves toward requiring women to register:

Army 1st Lt. Shaye Haver, center, and Capt. Kristen Griest, right, pose for photos with other female West Point alumni after an Army Ranger school graduation ceremony at Fort Benning, Ga.

Q: Is the Selective Service part of the Defense Department?

A: No. It is an independent agency that exists to ensure that the nation would be able to force men into military service in a fair and equitable way if directed by the president and Congress in a national crisis.

Q: Are women subject to the draft?

A: No. Under the current law, women can volunteer to serve in the U.S. military, but they are not required to register and they would not be subject to any draft.

Q: Has the law been challenged?

A: Yes. In 1981, the Supreme Court heard a case brought by several men challenging the law for gender discrimination. The court upheld the constitutionality of the male-only draft registration law. The court accepted Congress' decision to exclude women from registration because they were excluded from direct combat by statute and by military policy.

Q: Who would decide if women need to register?
Click to expand...

axialturban · Feb 17, 2016

APACHERAT said: ↑

Putin, the chi-coms, ISIS, Al Qaeda are all probably laughing their asses off after looking at that photo of these army recruits taking the oath.

Are we already scraping the bottom of the barrel in the name of political correctness ?
Click to expand...

I wonder what is worse, getting your throat cut by some IS scumbag, or being a sexslave for the rest of your life to some IS scumbag (and his friends). Being PC about warfare is ignoring the impact it will have on the enemy (positive for them) and many potential allies (negative for them).

Mr_Truth · May 1, 2016

http://feministnews.us/culture/armys-just-introduced-first-female-infantry-officer/

Capt. Kristen Griest, who has already made waves by becoming one of the Army’s first female Rangers, a coveted titled, will also make history by adding first female infantry officer to her name.

Bob Purtiman, a spokesman for the Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning, Georgia, has said that,

“Griest applied for an exception to Army policy to transfer from military police to infantry. Her transfer was approved by the Department of the Army [on Monday] and she’s now an infantry officer.”

Griest has helped pave the way for women serving in the Army who want to move up in the ranks so much that as many as 22 female cadets have applied and have approved requests to enter as second lieutenants in the infantry and armor branches. Every cadet must successfully complete branch-specific training before they will qualify, but this is just the beginning for enlisted women.

In an article in the Army Times, it states that,

“These moves are part of a multifaceted Army campaign to open all branches and specialties to women, as ordered by Defense Secretary Ash Carter in December.”

Defense Secretary Carter announced on December 3, his decision to lift all of the gender-based restrictions on military service. This decision helped offer the opportunity for women to serve in a previously all-male infantry, armor and Special Forces fields.

As a response to this historic decision, the Army has opened up more than 95,000 positions and nine occupations to women. This doesn’t include the other initiatives created that offer enlisted women the combat arms reclassification as well as assignment opportunities with the 75th Ranger Regiment, a unit previously not available to women.

Griest and another woman became the first women to graduate from Ranger School in August, but Griest will become the first female Infantry Officer and wear the distinctive blue infantry cord at her graduation.

APACHERAT · May 1, 2016

Mr_Truth said: ↑

http://feministnews.us/culture/armys-just-introduced-first-female-infantry-officer/

Capt. Kristen Griest, who has already made waves by becoming one of the Armys first female Rangers, a coveted titled, will also make history by adding first female infantry officer to her name.

Bob Purtiman, a spokesman for the Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning, Georgia, has said that,

Griest applied for an exception to Army policy to transfer from military police to infantry. Her transfer was approved by the Department of the Army [on Monday] and shes now an infantry officer.

Griest has helped pave the way for women serving in the Army who want to move up in the ranks so much that as many as 22 female cadets have applied and have approved requests to enter as second lieutenants in the infantry and armor branches. Every cadet must successfully complete branch-specific training before they will qualify, but this is just the beginning for enlisted women.

In an article in the Army Times, it states that,

These moves are part of a multifaceted Army campaign to open all branches and specialties to women, as ordered by Defense Secretary Ash Carter in December.

Defense Secretary Carter announced on December 3, his decision to lift all of the gender-based restrictions on military service. This decision helped offer the opportunity for women to serve in a previously all-male infantry, armor and Special Forces fields.

As a response to this historic decision, the Army has opened up more than 95,000 positions and nine occupations to women. This doesnt include the other initiatives created that offer enlisted women the combat arms reclassification as well as assignment opportunities with the 75th Ranger Regiment, a unit previously not available to women.

Griest and another woman became the first women to graduate from Ranger School in August, but Griest will become the first female Infantry Officer and wear the distinctive blue infantry cord at her graduation.
Click to expand...

And Obama's politicizing of the military and moving the U.S. military to the left with social engineering continues.

What happens when the U.S. military has to fight a major war and a enemy who has a real army, a real air Force and a real navy and don't have PC rules of engagement ?

Mr_Truth · May 1, 2016

''social engineering''

Laughable. If you are so afraid of women go visit a psychiatrist who might help you alleviate your fears.

To me, these young women are professionals who love their country and are willing to give it all for the USA. Each and every one of us should be very proud of and wish we could all have daughters just like them.

APACHERAT · May 2, 2016

Mr_Truth said: ↑

''social engineering''

Laughable. If you are so afraid of women go visit a psychiatrist who might help you alleviate your fears.

To me, these young women are professionals who love their country and are willing to give it all for the USA. Each and every one of us should be very proud of and wish we could all have daughters just like them.
Click to expand...

They wouldn't last on the battlefield in a high intensity war.

It's been over 43 years since America has been involved in a high intensity war.

Those of us who are old enough and unfortunate to experience it know what we are talking about

That's why the IDF will not allow women to serve in combat. They learned their lessons from blood spilled.

Real men will get themselves killed protecting their six. It's just natural if you are a real man.

They are a distraction on the battlefield. They just can't grunt with the other soldiers and Marines.

Every time the military has been used for social engineering, soldiers, Marines, sailors and airmen end up bleeding or being killed.

Mr_Truth · May 2, 2016

They used to say the same about police forces.

Not anymore.

APACHERAT · May 2, 2016

Mr_Truth said: ↑

They used to say the same about police forces.

Not anymore.
Click to expand...

I have no idea what you're talking about.

Mr_Truth · May 2, 2016

No problem.

APACHERAT · May 2, 2016

Mr_Truth said: ↑

They used to say the same about police forces.

Not anymore.
Click to expand...

Now I know what you are referring to. female police officers in patrol cars.

Did you know a female officer is more likely to use deadly force when alone and being confronted by a hostile threatening criminal ?

Remember the Rodny King whooping ?

Rodney King was a convicted violent felon who had just been released from prison and was on patrol. He was drunk and racing down the I-210 at 100 MPH.

A female CHP officer pulled King over. King was one big dude. Almost twice the size of the female CHP officer. No way was King going to allow himself being arrested and having his parole revoked and sent back to prison.

As King advanced on the small female CHP officer, she was just about to draw her .357 Mag service revolver and blow Mr. King away when the cavalry showed up to save Rodney King's life, the LAPD.

Instead of showing his appreciation towards the LAPD for saving his life, King made it very clear, (*)(*)(*)(*) you, I ain't going back to prison.

Now the LAPD delivered 33 blows using their batons on Rodney King. Rodney deserved every one of those baton blows except for maybe blows # 6, # 24 and blow # 29.

Log in or Sign up

Panetta Opens Combat Roles To Women

waltky Well-Known Member

Mr_Truth Well-Known Member

Herkdriver New Member

waltky Well-Known Member

Mushroom Well-Known Member

APACHERAT Well-Known Member Past Donor

waltky Well-Known Member

waltky Well-Known Member

waltky Well-Known Member

waltky Well-Known Member

waltky Well-Known Member

waltky Well-Known Member

waltky Well-Known Member

waltky Well-Known Member

APACHERAT Well-Known Member Past Donor

waltky Well-Known Member

axialturban Well-Known Member

Mr_Truth Well-Known Member

APACHERAT Well-Known Member Past Donor

Mr_Truth Well-Known Member

APACHERAT Well-Known Member Past Donor

Mr_Truth Well-Known Member

APACHERAT Well-Known Member Past Donor

Mr_Truth Well-Known Member

APACHERAT Well-Known Member Past Donor

Share This Page

Log in or Sign up

Panetta Opens Combat Roles To Women

waltky Well-Known Member

Mr_Truth Well-Known Member

Herkdriver New Member

waltky Well-Known Member

Mushroom Well-Known Member

APACHERAT Well-Known Member Past Donor

waltky Well-Known Member

waltky Well-Known Member

waltky Well-Known Member

waltky Well-Known Member

waltky Well-Known Member

waltky Well-Known Member

waltky Well-Known Member

waltky Well-Known Member

APACHERAT Well-Known Member Past Donor

waltky Well-Known Member

axialturban Well-Known Member

Mr_Truth Well-Known Member

APACHERAT Well-Known Member Past Donor

Mr_Truth Well-Known Member

APACHERAT Well-Known Member Past Donor

Mr_Truth Well-Known Member

APACHERAT Well-Known Member Past Donor

Mr_Truth Well-Known Member

APACHERAT Well-Known Member Past Donor

Share This Page

Useful Searches