The military has long worked with a false axiom, that “every soldier should be an infantryman.” But the truth is that as military occupations become increasingly difficult, using physicality as a discriminator can eventually become self defeating.
In the future, the military will need to recognize that they need top notch personnel for *all* their abilities, not just their physical ones, and that they must be willing to sacrifice one unneeded ability for a much needed one.
Many years ago, at the inception of the Army’s “fat man program”, I saw a superb example of this.
A senior supply sergeant, who was quite obese, but a brilliant logistician who had figured out the Army’s still primitive computer supply system, was summoned to a major post by a Lieutenant General who knew him, who had an enormous planned exercise and hopelessly confused logistics.
It took this sergeant several very intense 24-hour days, with the effective authority of a Colonel, to get the logistics straightened out just in time for the exercise, which was then a smashing success.
The General then rewarded him with a glowing commendation, and was not shy that without his efforts, that exercise would have been a disaster, resulting in unfed soldiers without arms or ammunition or even tents and sleeping bags, no fuel or even fresh water.
The Sergeant was then dismissed from the military for being overweight.
I remember sarcasm at the time that the next Pentagon initiative was going to be the “ugly man” program, to eliminate all personnel who were not handsome, on the theory that soldiers that are not pretty cannot be good soldiers.
I get your larger point, but I have to take exception to your opening statement where you said...
“The military has long worked with a false axiom, that “every soldier should be an infantryman.”
AFAIK, only the Marines make that statement AND make some effort in basic training toward achieving that aim.
I would also caution that the fighting in Iraq & Afghanistan proves what the Marines have said is true... even supply companies can get caught in a fire-fight (Jessica Lynch?) and every soldier, sailor or airman had better know how to employ their personal weapon and follow some basic set of tactics.
If we fought in wars with front lines, what you said would be very true. With the reality of recent experiences, what you said doesn’t always hold.
The Air Force still has positions that will always be in the rear but the Army and Marines have in recent times found their rear elements trading fire with the enemy.
The military is no place for weaklings, old people, and the disabled.
Do what we have always done until recently, get a competent skilled man, who is fit and healthy.
In this time of hundreds of millions of population and a tiny military, this is no time to pretend that we are so desperate that we have to hire chicks and obese people because we can’t find a healthy male version that is skilled at the work.