Pentagon to allow women in combat

[Josephus]

For some reason I thought they already were.

[Admiral Yi]

Oh, I think I understand now.  At present women have a lower physical fitness threshold than men do in the army?

Yup.

[Brazen]

The US Army physical fitness test already has different requirements by age and gender. They trialled a new test in 2011 designed to better mimic the requirements of modern combat, but they decided it was no better an indicator of physical readiness and kept the old-style test.

http://www.army.mil/standto/archive/issue.php?issue=2012-09-18

[Barrister]

For some reason I thought they already were.

Nope.  But given the situation in places like Iraq, with no set "front line", women have frequently been in combat in the last decade.

[Brazen]

Nope.  But given the situation in places like Iraq, with no set "front line", women have frequently been in combat in the last decade.

I believe the riskiest job currently undertaken by women soldiers is logistics, or I seem to remember that's where most deaths have occurred. Driving lorries full of gear across IED-riddled enemy territory ain't safe.

[Kleves]

Then either they have to have a higher physical standard for women in combat units or they have to drop the standard for men.

I guess I just assumed they would raise the standards for women and create a uniform standard. They wouldn't be dumb enough to lower standards for everyone just to allow women in, would they?

Oh.

[Brazen]

Thames Valley Police are hardly known for their combat roles. Except maybe pub kicking-out time in Maidenhead.

[Admiral Yi]

I'd hit it.

[merithyn]

If women have already been in de facto combat for the past 10 years, why would there have to be any kind of change to the physical requirements?

Hasn't the government policy just finally caught up with the reality of the situation?

[Kleves]

I'd hit it.

You know, I looked for "police woman" in google, and most of the pictures were of cute British cops. Is this what happens when you ban guns?

[mongers]

Oh.

Kleeves, you know she's not what you think she is. 

[Admiral Yi]

If women have already been in de facto combat for the past 10 years, why would there have to be any kind of change to the physical requirements?

Hasn't the government policy just finally caught up with the reality of the situation?

To answer your and Josephus' question, my understanding is a while ago they first allowed women into certain jobs that exposed them to combat, like attack helicopter pilot.  Now they're letting them (AFAICT) into rifle platoons.  The folks who run around the battlefield in body armor and shoot at bad guys full time.

If my understanding is correct, then it very much raises the issue of physical standards.

[Brazen]

To answer your and Josephus' question, my understanding is a while ago they first allowed women into certain jobs that exposed them to combat, like attack helicopter pilot.  Now they're letting them (AFAICT) into rifle platoons.  The folks who run around the battlefield in body armor and shoot at bad guys full time.

If my understanding is correct, then it very much raises the issue of physical standards.

Direct combat units, or ground combat.

This article answers some of the queries
http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2013/01/23/military-to-open-combat-jobs-to-women/?hpt=hp_c1

But the officials caution that "not every position will open all at once on Thursday." Once the policy is changed, the Department of Defense will enter what is being called an "assessment phase," in which each branch of service will examine all of its jobs and units not currently integrated and then produce a timetable in which it can integrate them.

The Army and Marine Corps, especially, will be examining physical standards and gender-neutral accommodations within combat units. Every 90 days, the service chiefs will have to report back on their progress.

"It will take awhile to work out the mechanics in some cases. We expect some jobs to open quickly, by the end of this year. Others, like Special Operations Forces and Infantry, may take longer," a senior defense official explains.

[lustindarkness]

Combat sandwiches?!

[Razgovory]

I'd hit it.

You know, I looked for "police woman" in google, and most of the pictures were of cute British cops. Is this what happens when you ban guns?

What were you trying to prove with this?