Military plans would put women in most combat jobs

June 18, 2013 @ 1:46 pm


FILE - In this Sept. 18, 2012 file photo, female soldiers from 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division train on a firing range while testing new body armor in Fort Campbell, Ky., in preparation for their deployment to Afghanistan. Women may be able to begin training as Army Rangers by mid-2015, and as Navy SEALs a year later under broad plans Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is approving that would slowly bring women into thousands of combat jobs, including those in the country’s elite special operations forces, according to details of the plans submitted to Hagel that were obtained by The Associated Press. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File) | Zoom

WASHINGTON (AP) - A top general says cultural, social and behavioral concerns may be bigger hurdles than physical fitness requirements for women looking to move into the military's special operations units.

Maj. Gen. Bennet Sacolick, director of force management for U.S. Special Operations Command, says "the days of Rambo are over."

He says he has seen women working alongside special operations teams in Afghanistan who met difficult physical requirements. But he says the commandos usually deploy as small teams, often with a dozen or fewer troops, in austere conditions for long periods of time.

He says he is more concerned about the men's reactions to having women in their ranks.

Military leaders are detailing plans to slowly bring women into thousands of combat jobs, although after studies some exception may be made.


(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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Comments (17)


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  • WashingtonCitizen wrote...
    Gosh
    January 5, 2013 5:59 am
    Haven't the women been screaming for the last 30yrs that they can do any job just as well or better than a man? Maybe an enemy bullet will miss you and shatter that glass ceiling that's been holding you back.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • shark75 wrote...
    "Going to sea" is different than fighting in the trenches
    January 5, 2013 9:31 am
    Which takes brut strength and endurance over your enemy (I'm guessing). The country can barely stomach the news of our boys getting killed much less hearing news that our girls are being raped, then killed...and knowing our heathen muslim enemies, getting raped again after they are killed. No need OR ADVANTAGE to women to fight in the infantry. The idea of weakening our military in the name of affirmative action is sickening.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • HLC wrote...
    After beating the bush in viet nam I can say it's not as easy as they think.
    January 5, 2013 3:09 pm
    A week of that and they would be looking for the typing pool job. I doubt very few could make it 3 days.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Rangerhawk wrote...
    Equal Opportunity is a sham
    January 5, 2013 3:39 pm
    Until men and women are required to register for Selective Service.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • mnpat wrote...
    Rangerhawk
    January 23, 2013 2:11 pm
    You took the words right out of my mouth.....can wait to see the screaming when they get drafted.....bet the pregnancy rate goes through the roof as the Navy has seen prior to deployments.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • HPD 5-0 wrote...
    Open it up.
    January 5, 2013 4:22 pm
    When AlGore Jazira shows American girls raped then be-headed we can blame the left.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • murr wrote...
    Equal Opportunity is a sham
    January 7, 2013 3:34 am
    Its being a victim, is what they want. They dont want it, or want to earn it. They want to become a victim of it, to get something for nothing. Where does entitlement breed. poor poor poor me mentality.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Cbrew wrote...
    Bad Move....
    January 23, 2013 1:21 pm
    Studies have proven that it's not a good idea to put women in combat roles, i'm not trying to be sexist here but as a Former US Army Soldier i have to tell you... Women can't keep up with Men, it's science it's not me being a jerk. In todays Army women have different standards than men, easier standards.. Not unlike getting a handicap in Golf... they have their own Physical fitness requirements that are not as difficult as ours, they do not have to run as fast, do as many sit ups or push ups. Also they simply are not as strong, I can tell you from experience, this is the case. They lag behind, and often require their male counterparts to assist them in keeping up... I'm not trying to be mean, and certainly there are a few exceptions, a small percentage of women that are extremely fit maybe the top 5%... but still even the top percentile are only as strong as maybe the lower 10 - 20% of guys. Now don't get me wrong, I believe women have a role in our military today, i think what they do now is great, I just don't like the idea of putting them in our front lines in combat positions where physical fitness is paramount and their ability to keep up could be the difference between life and death for their fellow soldiers, remember this isn't a normal job... this isn't about equal opportunity this is about survival and about carrying out vital missions critical to this nations security... In the Military in a combat zone often times you are ONLY as strong as your weakest link... Also i need to point out that studies have proven that Male soldiers respond differently to wounded females than they do to wounded men, call it sexism if you want to, but I call it human nature, Men are more likely to help an injured female than a more critically injured male, it's our natural instinct, This in my opinion disrupts the integrity of these units and for this reason and many others i think this is a huge mistake.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Hayduke wrote...
    My sister's in the Army and guess what?
    January 23, 2013 6:01 pm
    She could kick any of your chicken-hawk arses here on MYNW.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Hayduke wrote...
    I don't doubt it.
    January 23, 2013 7:52 pm
    I wonder how they'd do against each other.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Rangerhawk wrote...
    Take that Al Qaeda!
    January 23, 2013 8:55 pm
    Them boys will be throwing down their AK's and cowering in the mosques now! Let me get a high pitched "Hooah!" So does my daughter have to register for Selective Service when she's 18 now?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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