![]() ![]() For example: “When negotiating the wall obstacle, male Marines threw their packs to the top of the wall, whereas female Marines required regular assistance in getting their packs to the top.” Men in the provisional infantry platoon who had not attended the infantry course were more accurate marksmen than women who had, hitting 44% of targets with the M4 rifle versus 28% among women trained at the infantry school.Īll-male squads were notably better as a group when tackling obstacles and evacuating casualties. Instead, the report said it focused on overall performance by female troops - who are limited on average by smaller stature and other physiological differences, historical restrictions on access to combat training, and cultural factors such as gun use.Īll-male units performed better than mixed-gender units on 93 of 134 tasks, or 69% gender-integrated units performed better than all-male units on two tasks, which were not identified.Īll-male infantry squads were faster in each tactical movement, with differences more pronounced when “crew-served” weapons such as machine guns had to be carried in addition to the standard assault load.Īll-male infantry rifleman squads were more accurate shots, with notable differences in all weapons except the M4 rifle. The summary of findings makes no mention of top performers among the women on the task force who may have met or exceeded the male average. It quotes from a 1992 presidential commission concluding that “risking the lives of a military unit in combat to provide career opportunities or accommodate the personal desires or interests of an individual, or group … is more than bad military judgment. The primary consideration in conducting the research was combat effectiveness, followed by the health and welfare of individual Marines, the report says. Mabus has said that he wants Marine infantry and special operations jobs to open to women and that he does not intend to seek any exceptions. The Air Force has already opened all jobs to women among its conventional forces. Special Operations Command have indicated in public comments that they are unlikely to fight the new policy. The Joint Chiefs chairman and Defense Secretary Ashton Carter will have the final say after reviewing the research required of any service seeking an exception.īy releasing its research, the Marine Corps is vetting conclusions with the public before a final decision is made. 1, according to a Marine official with knowledge of the proceedings. Dunford Jr., outgoing Marine Corps commandant and the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has not decided whether to ask for an exception to the new Department of Defense policy opening all military jobs to women by Jan. In its research summary, the Marine Corps concluded that the “well-documented comparative disadvantage in upper and lower-body strength resulted in higher fatigue levels of most women, which contributed to greater of overuse injuries such as stress fractures.” The infantry company and its two platoons, including a provisional one of Marines who had not attended the introductory course, were hit especially hard by injuries. ![]()
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