Re: “Women still cannot graduate from the Marine Corps Infantry Officer school in Quantico without pelvic fractures and lower extremity injuries. The female anatomy isn’t designed to carry 125 pounds of kit between full body armor (including SAPI plates), weapons, ammunition, provisions and hydration. The bone structure is different, and women lack the necessary testosterone for strength and healing.” Your analysis is quite correct, but debating physical fitness requirements with the left/feminists concedes rhetorical ground which ought not to be given up lightly. In other words, those opposed to the leftist position do so only on the basis of female physical non-fitness; if those shortcomings could be fixed their objections would disappear. In my opinion, that view is mistaken. Even if women’s physical fitness defects could be fixed at a moment’s notice, there are still multiple sound and very compelling reasons to oppose women in the armed forces, and especially in the combat arms. Herschel, I am not the student of theological thought that you are, but unless I miss my hunch entirely, there is what could be called the Christian theological argument against sending women into harm’s way. Women are designed for home, hearth and family and the siring of children; men are designed to protect those things. Women who desire to serve their nation in uniform have always made invaluable contributions doing rear-area administrative/clerical jobs, or as nurses caring for the sick and wounded. For those of a more-adventuresome cast of mind, women are ideally-suited to certain kinds of espionage roles – and often make very good spies. Women are neither needed nor wanted in most other military occupations, including the combat arms. Kingsley Browne, in his excellent book “Coed Combat,” in his closing arguments as to why women do not belong in combat or in the combat arms, says something to the effect of, “The strength of the wolf is the pack – and sometimes that pack must be only males…” The very presence of women on or near the lines or in combat units is deeply disruptive of unit cohesion, esprit de corps and morale – and thereby operational/combat effectiveness. Over the last three decades, there has developed what amounts to a Stalinist mentality in the U.S. armed forces and defense establishment concerning the proper roles for women: Those not 100% on-board with the left/feminists were to be censured, muzzled, and ultimately forced out of the service. Concurrently, the DOD/Pentagon have embarked upon a systemic white-washing of the real history of the sexually-integrated military, and the actual data on women’s performance whether in garrison or in the field. Reports and experiences which did not conform to the officially-approved narrative were to be “pencil-whipped” into shape, or simply disappeared. Serving personnel, whether enlisted or officer, learned it was the kiss of death to one’s military career to sound off in any way which contradicted the official narrative. This left only the veteran’s community to be truth-tellers, apart from sources still in uniform willing to speak anonymously. Hollywood… Read more »

Oh, OK – thanks…. consider it done….