The point is that ground combat specialties have intense physical requirements that most women and most men can't do. Women can't because they are big enough or strong enough. Most men that can't for the exact same reasons. If we ever sacrifice that standard then we will get extra people killed in this war and the next.
I already fear for the Navy. Bombs don't get lighter, fires don't get cooler just because you are weaker. It doesn't matter if 99.9% of your career is spent banging away at a keyboard if you get killed during that .1% when you needed to move a huge piece of metal or close a water tight door to survive.
I agree with one thing, privacy is an invalid argument. Screw privacy.
There are two problems
1) the standards will be relaxed for women. Perhaps not officially but commanders will be required to explain why the job can’t be done by a woman, and no answer will be adequate. Women already have lower standards for every measurement of physical fitness in all the branches.
2) discipline. Put young men and young women together and they will do what young men and women do. It will hurt moral and lead to real and false charges of assault.
In the end it will damage readiness and cost lives.
Perfectly stated.