I attended West Point from 1988-1992. Much of our first and second summer’s training was Infantry based....and women were included.
While I’m sure there are exceptions to every rule...in general, the women could not do everything the men could. No offense to women...its just how nature made us different.
But beyond that, a few other considerations:
1. Infantrymen use a buddy system, and practically sleep on top of each other.
2. Infantrymen change clothes in front of each other.
3. Infantrymen do tick checks on each other.
There are valid reasons to keep the Infantry unisex.
I suppose there are a handful of women out there who are both capable of being in the Infantry, and want to....and their career possibilities may be limited by their exclusion.
But, is it worth changing the entire military, to accomodate a few?
To echo and reinforce your remarks. I was teaching at West Point (DMI) to include running committees at Beast and at Buckner when women were first admitted. I can tell you that the standards were revised before the first woman raised her hand on the Plain based on extensive physical tests of female enlisted soldiers. Women (and their male classmates) did not see the same training that was in place before women were admitted. The standards were revised once again while I was there to adjust to performance metrics. I suspect that there have been changes since I left. I have a good friend who is currently the Comm, I haven't asked him about the current situation, it would put him in an uncomfortable position.
I’ve asked a couple dozen vets of Iraq and Afghanistan what they’re really doing in the field.
The first problem I see for “women in combat” is that the typical, average woman simply cannot hump 100lb loads. Period, thanks for playing.
It’s the same deal with me: I can’t hump 200lb loads.
When you get near to carrying your own body weight, you simply cannot do it for long.
As I’m sure you know, there’s a massive difference between training everyone to the Infantry standard versus assigning women to Infantry Platoons.
You just tell the girls what it’s like to move their bowels in a nighttime alpha alpha and see if they still want to drive on. Or a lay still for ten hours in muddy water in a overnight ambush position.
Or assault a fixed position over broken terrain with a “Pig” and 600 rounds of 7.62 AND the GD spare barrel or tripod.
Or manpacking the tripod or T and E unit from a TOW system for seven klicks over mountainous terrain.
There is no need for this women in the infantry crap and we are losing our minds to even consider it.