re: Women in Combat Arms: The Master Thread

quote:

---

You don't think physical fitness is important for deployed personnel?

---

I don't think it should be the determining factor in all cases. The one size fits all hand tied process simply doesn't afford the commanders the latitude to do what's best for the unit.

I'm talking about the sheer intensity and how instructors now have their hands tied. A complete change happened in the last 2 years or so.

quote:

---

I don't think it should be the determining factor in all cases.

---

It should be a significant factor. Meet the same basic standards as everyone else, or find a new job.

quote:

---

best for the unit

---

Or their personal interests.

quote:

---

Ah I see, it's your leadership that you have little confidence in.

---

I'm out. Just providing some observations based on my experiences and opinions.

quote:

---

I'm out. Just providing some observations based on my experiences and opinions.

---

Same here Brosephus.

quote:

---

I should jettison this valuable highly trained asset?

---

You should follow guidance to get him back in shape. If he can't get into what I consider extremely lenient standards, yes, it's time to replace him.

By the way, in my military, waist measurement would mean exactly nothing.

quote:

---

in my military

---

quote:

---

Wrong

---

Wrong is what I say it is.

I would not begin to pretend I know what the demands of being an infantryman are today.

But I know what the demands of deployed, emergency medicine and rescusitative surgery are. Trust me on that one.

The demands are not the same. And I want Hawkeye Pierce there to save a young persons life. That is all I care about. Cheating death. Every day I wear a reminder of the first time I tried and failed to do just that.

quote:

---

Every day I wear a reminder of the first time I tried and failed to do just that.

---

quote:

---

Says who? And why do they say that? Where did this idea even come from? I want someone to tell me exactly what data they have to support this argument and why it works other than it sounds really good in a soundbite. The fact is that our military hasn't ever reflected society as a whole. If we were truly interested in having a military that reflected our society we'd just reinstitute the draft.

---

I like all of your points in your post. I think they are strong points.

The wiki link on Civil-Military Relations provides a good explanation of the kind of thinking that's done at the highest levels. When we think about how a healthy nation-state functions, we come to the observation that civil-military relations must be healthy. If the military is seen as vastly removed from civilian society, problems can arise to weaken the nation-state. That's why this is important; civil-military relations are important: every Secretary of Defense would emphasize this point.