“women recruits were held to the EXACT SAME standards as the men, and the standards were not lowered”
Yep I agree..
I say any gal who wants to do that, who can physically qualify and who will take the buzz cut... best of luck to her. There is still the “chivalry” problem, though, in a coed deployment. Guys will take chances to protect the gals that they might forego for the sake of brothers.