Research, Reality, and More Opinions on Ordering Women Into the Infantry -- Part 6

This SITREP - Part 6 provides more information and expert opinions explaining why Congress needs to conduct diligent oversight and to intervene before President Barack Obama orders military women into the combat arms by his deadline, January 2016. 

A.  CMR Publishes Interim Report on U.S. Marine Corps Research Findings 

These articles explain some of the reasons why women who want to serve our country should not be treated like men in direct ground combat units where they would be at a severe physical disadvantage:

• Elaine Donnelly, Washington Times: Forcing Females Into Combat Is Real "War on Women"
• Inside the Ring, Washington Times: Study: The Weaker Sex
• Arnold Ahlert, FrontPage Magazine: The Disaster of 'Gender Norming' Ground Combat
• Larry O'Connor, IJReview, Mission Accomplished?  U.S. Marine Corps Might Lower Combat Standards for Women
• Marine Corps Times: Marines Delay Female Pullup Requirement Again, This Time Until End of 2015

This is a Two-Page Summary of the 64-page Interim CMR Special Report, which includes extensive footnotes with references linked within.

The following articles present more voices and sources that Congress and opinion leaders should consider, especially since the Obama Administration is attempting to circumvent members of Congress and to exclude members from the decision-making process.  There is no compelling reason why women should be considered interchangeable with men in the combat arms:

• CMR: Q & A: Status of Equal Opportunity (EO) in the Military

Women have served with courage "In Harm's Way," but the definition of Direct Ground Combat goes far beyond that experience:

• CMR: The Definition of Direct Ground Combat

B.  Women Do Not Want or Need to be Ordered Into Direct Ground Combat

• Sep. 2014:  Capt. Lauren F. Serrano, USMC, Marine Corps Gazette: Why Women Do Not Belong in Marine Infantry  (1st Place, MajGen Harold W. Chase Prize Essay Contest)
• Sep. 24:  Aaron McLean, Washington Free Beacon, Disgraceful female Marine Captain Viciously Criticized for Speaking Her Mind
• Nov. 18:   Anna Simons, War on the Rocks, Here's Why Women in Combat Units is a Bad Idea
• Jun. 3:  Marine 2nd Lt. J. Emma Stokien,War on the Rocks: The Mission Goes First: Female Marines and the Infantry

C.  Direct Ground Combat Assignments − Unfair to Both Women and Men

There is abundant evidence that close assignments would put women at a severe disadvantage, causing injuries and other harmful consequences that military women do not want.  First, it is important to define exactly what we are talking about:

• Jul. 2014:  Paul O. Davis, PhD., Marine Corps Gazette, Looking for a Few Good Women: Physical Demands of Combat
• Jul. 19:  Thom Shanker, New York Times, "Marines Share Frank  Views With Hagel on Women in Combat"
• Feb. 25:  AP: Few Army Women Want Combat Jobs
• May 2014:  Army Magazine, AUSA: What  Science Says About Gender and PTSD
• Mar. 21: Marine Corps Times: On Policy Allowing Women Into Combat Marines Prepared to Seek Exceptions

Additional commentaries and relevant articles on this subject are posted in Parts 1 through 5 in SITREP, and in the Issues and Resources and Essential Resources sections of the website of the Center for Military Readiness website, www.cmrlink.org. 

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