“More than 36 percent of Benning’s women have left — about twice the rate of men. Injuries have sidelined other women who plan to restart the training...While male recruits often get ankle sprains and dislocated shoulders, women are prone to stress fractures in their hips.
Half of the women, Kendrick said, weigh less than 120 pounds (54 kilograms), but all the recruits carry the same 68 pounds (31 kilograms) of gear.”
Now....just how many days, months and years will someone weighing less than 120 lbs stand up to carrying 70 lbs AND MORE regularly? Particularly when WEEKS of training is already causing double the injuries.
“Now....just how many days, months and years will someone weighing less than 120 lbs stand up to carrying 70 lbs AND MORE regularly? ”
I weighed 145 pounds at the end of my training at MCRD in San Diego and it was solid muscle. I actually gained almost 20 pounds in 11 weeks. Double rations and vigorous strength training did it. Then I hit AIT and carried a 65 pound ruck almost constantly.
Even in peak physical condition it was difficult.
L
The injury rates and related subsequent costs to the VA for treating female military members is considerably higher then for men.
I was supporting the new Lieutenants entering The Basic School (TBS) for the Marine Corps.
There were a couple of females who showed up and were about 5' 1" or slightly taller and weighed less than 105 lbs (I know because I asked them).
Their Company trainers decided to have the troops stay out in the field for Range Week and they ended up packing 120 lbs packs to march the four miles to the ranges. The two females could not walk the four miles with packs weighing more than 15 pounds over their body weight. They both fell out of TBS.
They’ll reduce what is carried so that more women can handle the loads, rather than puncture the delusion.