Women in Combat Arms/ SOF Discussion

[Ooh-Rah]

I dislike the tone of this article. Essentially it says, “your standards are so unreasonable that not enough women are even bothering to try out...”

Talk like that always gets me nervous.

Where are the female Marines?

A total of 92 women are operating in a multitude of combat billets across the Corps, from rifleman to armored reconnaissance to combat engineers.

Yet only 11 enlisted women are serving today in the traditional “03” infantry career fields, Marine Corps officials said. No women have even attempted the Basic Reconnaissance Course or Amphibious Reconnaissance Course, and there are no female snipers.

 

[Devildoc]

So a lifetime ago, when my wife and I first met, we played on a co-ed soccer team in the DC area that had the same rule.

The wife was incredulous; considering she was a Div 1 captain of the Big South Conference Champion team she played for, she felt just fine playing against intramural level dudes.

What did she do? She would goal out about every game (girls could only score 3 times or something) and then go back to playing more defensive mid than offensive. There were times when, just before she ripped the crap out of the ball at some out of shape 40 year old goalie, she would actually say, "Worth 2! Way to go, assholes." She also recruited a Harvard grad and one of her college club friends and we would win some games by 8 or 9 points. In soccer.

Dubs are dubs, moral of the story.

In the early 90s I dated (well, went out with for a couple dates) a member of the UNC-CH women's soccer team. They were pretty good (won like a billion national championships if felt like). She and some of her teammates would often meet to just kick the ball around at a local park, and sometimes some Latinos would play them a quick game or two. Championship for-reals pro-level soccer. Amazing to watch.

Back to the thread.....

 

[Gunz]

So a lifetime ago, when my wife and I first met, we played on a co-ed soccer team in the DC area that had the same rule.

The wife was incredulous; considering she was a Div 1 captain of the Big South Conference Champion team she played for, she felt just fine playing against intramural level dudes.

What did she do? She would goal out about every game (girls could only score 3 times or something) and then go back to playing more defensive mid than offensive. There were times when, just before she ripped the crap out of the ball at some out of shape 40 year old goalie, she would actually say, "Worth 2! Way to go, assholes." She also recruited a Harvard grad and one of her college club friends and we would win some games by 8 or 9 points. In soccer.

Dubs are dubs, moral of the story.

 

[policemedic]

These are the rare exception not the rule. The problem is the standards are different, selection physically is different, relative to standards. I know a woman who is an amazing SWAT team member, she can do more pull ups then most of the men, run as fast or faster, can fireman carry a full equipped officer on her back, and do everything in exceptional performance levels. She was in fact a honor graduate at her academy. We had kids that were veterans, representing every branch, occupational field and service in that course. She is utterly amazing, beatiful BTW and not homosexual... Our standards for the state of California are gender neutral, men and women have no distinctions. The shooting standards, PT, obstacle course time and all requirements are exactly the same. She is the only female certified team member out of 450 personnel...period. We have had dozens upon dozens try out and fail miserably. Typical they fail the firearms and obstacle course timed run. Or their body begins to break down during training rendering them useless within 4 days. If they make through our phase 1 course, they fail phase 2. These are two, two week courses, and they must qualify as a prospective team member for 12 months prior to being sent to the courses. The problem is the Federal government and DOD in general won't take this approach. The goal is females in the Infantry, not the best most qualified person. Then there's the matter of biological issues and unit readiness and special considerations.

So, women fail your course predominantly based on their shooting skills and the O course. I understand the physical demands of the O course but what does shooting have to do with sex?

 

[BloodStripe]

Let alone one of your AF buddies

 

[medicchick]

So, women fail your course predominantly based on their shooting skills and the O course. I understand the physical demands of the O course but what does shooting have to do with sex?

I sometimes have a problem with getting a rifle in the correct position quickly due to my chest. Granted less endowed woman may not have the same problem but it does exist. They may also be limp wristing pistols and throwing their shot group off. I had one female drop my HK USP .45c because it kicked more than she was expecting (and she got reamed because that was a wedding present).

 

[Ooh-Rah]

I sometimes have a problem with getting a rifle in the correct position quickly due to my chest.

Why don’t you send me a pic of what you are talking about, I’ll see if I can help!

 

[BloodStripe]

This should be enough to share with you all.

 

[DC]

What in the bloody hell is that!?!?! ^^^^The huge grit ball

 

[medicchick]

Why don’t you send me a pic of what you are talking about, I’ll see if I can help!

I'm sure @Ranger Psych has some pictures to share...

 

[Ranger Psych]

Why don’t you send me a pic of what you are talking about, I’ll see if I can help!

If you don't know how to do a J turn, you'd best be youtubing that shit to learn.

This road leads towards chaos and mayhem the likes of which forensic scientists make lifetime careers of, trying to discern the order and process involved in creating the end result.

Beyond you having just asked by-the-by for a pic of the wife's chest....

Simple answer, she's got a rack. Some buttstocks just flat out won't interface properly, allowing her to shoulder said style of buttstock/rifle properly/rapidly. It's part of why she relies more heavily on standard-style stocked rifles. She's also shorter, not like a Troll but close, to the point that even with a collapsible buttstock, some weapon systems just are out of reach for her physically. She's not military, it's not an issued system that she needs to make work... so we just get what works and she has become exceedingly competent with. She does snapcap EJ/FP reloads and pump work with her 870 about daily for shits and grins.

 

[BloodStripe]

What in the bloody hell is that!?!?! ^^^^The huge grit ball

A giant bag of popcorn. I was waiting for @Ranger Psych to show up.

 

[Ooh-Rah]

Yeah @Ranger Psych and @medicchick I publicly apologize for that. Was not my intent to offend or cross a line. It seemed funny at the time, stupid comment.

- Truthfully I was not aware of the relationship until it was pointed out.

 

[Ranger Psych]

Yeah @Ranger Psych and @medicchick I publicly apologize for that. Was not my intent to offend or cross a line. It seemed funny at the time, stupid comment.

- Truthfully I was not aware of the relationship until it was pointed out.

While I'm grinning and totally just chuckling about it.... https://www.shadowspear.com/vb/members/medicchick.2890/#about

Your SA is lacking young padawan... LOL

 

[Ooh-Rah]

Your SA is lacking young padawan... LOL

Yep. Well played Ooh-Rah, way to antagonize the guy who’s signature line says: The last people on the planet you should antagonize, are the ones to whom killing is a viable troubleshooting technique.

 

[CDG]

I dislike the tone of this article. Essentially it says, “your standards are so unreasonable that not enough women are even bothering to try out...”

Talk like that always gets me nervous.

Where are the female Marines?

A total of 92 women are operating in a multitude of combat billets across the Corps, from rifleman to armored reconnaissance to combat engineers.

Yet only 11 enlisted women are serving today in the traditional “03” infantry career fields, Marine Corps officials said. No women have even attempted the Basic Reconnaissance Course or Amphibious Reconnaissance Course, and there are no female snipers.

I read this article this morning and thought the same thing you did. It seems small, but articles like this just continue to advance the eventuality of lowering standards under the guise of "Well, they were too hard to begin with." Women will be allowed to meet lower standards, and by default, weaker men will make it into communities they don't belong in as well. The price will end up being paid in the blood of better men that shouldn't have had to shoulder the extra burden of carrying a bunch of weak-ass teammates who got accepted based on a bullshit feminist agenda.

 

[policemedic]

I sometimes have a problem with getting a rifle in the correct position quickly due to my chest. Granted less endowed woman may not have the same problem but it does exist. They may also be limp wristing pistols and throwing their shot group off. I had one female drop my HK USP .45c because it kicked more than she was expecting (and she got reamed because that was a wedding present).

I’ll give you the snapping-in thing; I’ve seen how that can be an issue for some. I’ve never seen it so bad as to affect the officer’s ability to qualify well, though.

The limp-wristing thing is not exclusive to women. Men do it as well. But to even get to the point where they’re attempting a SWAT qualification course they’ve already proven themselves to be competent with a pistol—and if they haven’t then the screening needs to be looked at.

Honestly, shooting is one area where I’d expect women to be competitive with men.

 

[Chopstick]

Do some of the above posts mean that @medicchick gets to have a #Metoo tattoo? o_O



PS dying laughing over here!

 

[LibraryLady]

... Your SA is lacking young padawan... LOL

But wait. It gets worse...



He PM'd me to apologize...



I think it was a scam to try to get me to post...

LL

 

[AWP]