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Posted on Jan 7, 2014 Print this Article

Boot Camp Realities Show Need for Common Sense About Combat Infantry

The Associated Press recently reported that the U.S. Marine Corps has suspended a new boot camp physical fitness strength test for female trainees because 55 percent of the women could not do the required 3 pull-up exercises. The following comments on this issue may be attributed to Elaine Donnelly, President of the Center for Military Readiness. Mrs. Donnelly served as a member of the 1992 Presidential Commission on the Assignment of Women in the Armed Forces, which studied women in combat and related issues for a full year.

"The Marines made the right decision in suspending the mandatory 3 pull-up requirement for female trainees, which was supposed to go into effect this month. Due to physiological differences that are not going to change, only 45 percent of the women passed the new pull-up test, compared to 99 percent of the men.

"This issue is bigger than boot camp. If it is too much to require female recruits to do three pull-ups, it is a thousand times worse to expect women to serve in direct ground combat units such as the infantry, armor, artillery, and Special Operations Forces. These are the small "tip of the spear" teams that seek out and destroy the enemy with deliberate offensive action. (Download PDF for full content)
Posted on Jan 7, 2014 Print this Article