You points are very well taken, especially given that despite the name, Ranger School is a leadership course for individuals so called at a time when the Army had disbanded Rangers and the school was an attempt to infuse the spirit and skills of Rangers throughout the Army through the junior officers. It served its purpose well. It also came to be a surrogate for junior officers who had no infantry combat experience and therefore had no Combat Infantryman’s Badge. The Ranger Tab gave credibility to Lieutenants while the Army worked on them to make seasoned leaders.
From this perspective, what Odierno did was a good move, as the experiment was only about an individual course and not combat organizations. As for females graduating, a 2% graduation rate is certain a reasonable result given known physical and other differences. Bully for them, and they will not be the first Ranger graduates who got a wink and a not from some Ranger Lane Grader. The problem is that this is a tactical victory. The political agenda is women in all combat arms organizations including Special Forces and the Ranger Regiment and the feminists will win this fight followed by reductions of standards across the board for all qualification courses, in unit training, and in selection of leaders across the ground gaining combat arms. The Russians are making a mockery of our military today in Syria because of a weak President and a failed foreign strategy. Wait until they take on our new metrosexual combat units.
Well stated, Centurion316. The degradation in standards you point to is a long term fight. The advantage to the way Gen Odierno played it is that it gives a strong point of defense against establishing quotas an lowering the standards. One of the big issues is the shortage of women qualified, able, and willing to take on the challenge....The Army cast a wide net over the course of a year and could only come up with 100 women to attempt the course. There will be just enough women to qualify for the course and pass in future years to justify keeping the current standards without creating quotas for it.