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Army leaders vow 'gender-neutral' standards for women in combat
al.com ^ | January 29, 2013 | Leada Gore

Posted on 01/29/2013 7:38:09 PM PST by Tailgunner Joe

As military officials formulate plans to open combat positions to women, the Commander of the Army's Training and Doctrine Command is vowing any changes in job requirements will be handled fairly.

"Soldiers - both men and women - want fair and meaningful standards" Gen. Robert W. Cone said. "I think that fairness is very important in a values-based organization like our Army."

Last week, Secretary of State Leon Panetta and Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, announced the end of the 1994 policy that prohibited women from serving in combat positions below a brigade level. At that time, Panetta said each branch of the military will examine requirements for positions and provide information by May 16 if they feel some jobs should remain off limits to women. Full implementation is due by 2016.

The vast majority of the newly opened positions will be in the Army. As of September, 418 of the Army's 438 military occupational specialties, known as MOSs, were open to women. The remaining positions are now being examined to determine if they will be opened.

Cone said the Army will be "looking at knowledge, skills and attributes of soldiers and get the best match in specialties (now restricted) like infantry, armor, field artillery and engineers."

One of the main areas of examination will be physical requirements.

"Soldiers don't want to see (that) degraded," Cone said.

Cone said each requirements for each position will be examined, such as information on how much infantry soldiers are required to lift and carry and for how long. Once that information is complete, Cone said scientists will develop physical tests to validate those requirements.

He added that TRADOC is also examining armies in countries such as Iraq and Canada, where women already serve in combat roles.

In comments made shortly after the change was announced, Dempsey echoed Cone's statements about fairness and training.

"Some fear that this decision will lower standards in our military. That is simply not the case. The services will carefully examine current standards to ensure we have them right, taking into consideration lessons learned from a decade of war and changes in equipment, tactics and technology. We will study each closed occupational field or unit to determine where women are able to serve," he said.

"Let me be clear: The standards will be gender-neutral -- the same for men and women. The burden of proof used to be 'why should a woman serve in a particular specialty?'" Dempsey added. "Now, it's 'why shouldn't a woman serve in a particular specialty?'"


TOPICS: Government
KEYWORDS: stupid
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To: Tailgunner Joe

Already lowering standards


41 posted on 01/29/2013 8:46:36 PM PST by GeronL (http://asspos.blogspot.com)
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To: Red Steel
Spelling out the realities. You ever go up 1 on 1 in sports against a female? They are always in slow-mo vs a man no what shape the female is in.
If you were to say "usually", I'd agree with you. But "always" simply isn't true.
42 posted on 01/29/2013 9:05:27 PM PST by jdege
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To: jdege

“Always” my case.


43 posted on 01/29/2013 9:10:44 PM PST by Red Steel
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To: jdege

“Always” in my case.


44 posted on 01/29/2013 9:10:49 PM PST by Red Steel
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To: Tailgunner Joe

No real man would enlist now, only women and homosexuals will sign up.


45 posted on 01/29/2013 9:13:02 PM PST by Age of Reason
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To: RushIsMyTeddyBear

Every great empire becomes a victim of its own success.

Spoiled by luxury, the population becomes soft in body and mind, while believing itself enlightened when it is really deluded.

Just examine history: it’s the same pattern every time.


46 posted on 01/29/2013 9:20:57 PM PST by Age of Reason
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To: Age of Reason

Women will probably go Air Force or Navy. SEALS and such you have to volunteer. Homosexuals, not sure where they are hiding out.


47 posted on 01/29/2013 9:22:38 PM PST by USAF80
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To: Age of Reason

You noticed that too? /sarc

I use the common vernacular by calling it the wussification of society.


48 posted on 01/29/2013 9:25:09 PM PST by Red Steel
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To: USAF80

They are. Anyone in the blast radius will be killed or wounded regardless of gender. The grenade does not care what gender you are when you pull the pin and throw it. It will explode regardless of the distance thrown.


49 posted on 01/29/2013 9:27:41 PM PST by Calamari (Pass enough laws and everyone is guilty of something.)
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To: Red Steel

“Fairness”... who does this general think he is, a five-year-old?

Gender-neutral standards? Obviously he’s fighting a war against reality because a) the vast majority of humans are either male xy or female xx, and b) it is precisely these chromosomal arrangements that decide the upper limits of strength of the fighting force.

How many BS surveys will be conducted/sent out to the troops to obtain feedback... feedback ostensibly used in order to formulate appropriate, workable policy?

It would be what those old FR threads about being Delphi-ed are all about. Institute whatever-the-h*ll policy they intend from the get-go, but keep a revolt down by making survey participants think that it was some sort of consensus within the ranks.

They’ll want honest feedback all right... so they’ll know what kind of opposition they face and can thus counter it effectively.

This one will be the ultimate “gender survey”... on steroids.

I wonder if this latest scheme is a follow-up to intergrating perverts. After all, the women are surely more welcoming (than normal males) of the catty, bitchy... er I mean chatty, crafty interior decorators in their midst.

This must be one of those generals who passed Obama’s “test” with flying colors.


50 posted on 01/29/2013 9:41:45 PM PST by Ezekiel (The Obama-nation began with the Inauguration of Desolation.)
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To: Ezekiel

Something you’re never going to hear in an Army squad in 2013:

“Jenny, you’re hauling the SAW today. Barb, you’ve got the M-2.”


51 posted on 01/29/2013 9:45:29 PM PST by RinaseaofDs
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inte...grating
52 posted on 01/29/2013 9:46:40 PM PST by Ezekiel (The Obama-nation began with the Inauguration of Desolation.)
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To: Ezekiel
Seen this one. Duh General said they're going to use "scientists" to figure out if they are front-line combat effective. LoL.

Cone said scientists will develop physical tests to validate those requirements.

53 posted on 01/29/2013 9:49:28 PM PST by Red Steel
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To: Tailgunner Joe

This is all good and dandy, until the first female POW is taken by any enemy. I hate to say it, but it will be horrible what the scum does. And mostly because of the stupid rules of engagement that liberals and rinos impose of the military.


54 posted on 01/29/2013 9:54:24 PM PST by ABQHispConservative (Only fake Christians vote or are Democrats.)
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To: BitWielder1
They need to fly in 10 randomly picked average ruskie military males and put them in a room with 10 randomly picked average 'murican military females and see who kicks who's butts.

THAT is the true test of "fairness"

Beware when liberals start using the word "fair"!

55 posted on 01/29/2013 10:49:09 PM PST by HeartlandOfAmerica (Get in touch with your galtitude!)
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To: Tailgunner Joe
Army leaders vow 'gender-neutral' standards for women in combat

As a start, the term "Infantryman" will no longer be used. The new term will be "Infantroid."

Mark

56 posted on 01/30/2013 12:26:37 AM PST by MarkL (Do I really look like a guy with a plan?)
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To: Tailgunner Joe
I wonder how well a composite Marine regiment of gays and women would have done at Peleliu, Iwo Jima, or Okinawa in prolonged ground combat?

I can imagine all of these folks clamoring to be sent into the maelstrom of fire and death chanting: “Send me! Send me!!” Nope, not a chance. It would be: “Anyone but me! Anyone but me!! I'm too young and beautiful to die.”

57 posted on 01/30/2013 2:50:27 AM PST by MasterGunner01
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To: Tailgunner Joe
In order to avoid making the ladies...er...female soldiers feel some how fundametally different, regulations will now require that all soldiers squat to pee.
58 posted on 01/30/2013 3:42:26 AM PST by tbpiper
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To: tbpiper
In order to avoid making the ladies...er...female soldiers feel some how fundametally different, regulations will now require that all soldiers squat to pee.

Off topic but in the Middle East they do not have urinals. Men have to squat to pee or have a really good aim.

59 posted on 01/30/2013 4:54:18 AM PST by USAF80
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To: Utilizer
Hate to break it to you, mate, but you are decades too late for that particular worry. Even as far back as the seventies some muck-sucking politico(s) mandated a defined percentage of females in the military.

You don't have to tell me. I took Basic Training at Ft Dix in 1979. My platoon had females in it and the DIs told us that we were the first "mixed" cycle. Though I wouldn't know if the standards were lowered for them at the time.

60 posted on 01/30/2013 9:15:15 AM PST by VeniVidiVici (Bathhouse Barry wants YOU to bend over for another four years)
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