Marines "Experimental Task Force" Unlikely to Change Reality 

Under orders from the Department of Defense, the Marines have been conducting research on whether it makes sense to assign women to direct ground combat units.  Partial findings released so far indicate that this is not a good idea.  Enter the "Marine Corps Force Integration Plan," a recently established experiment that some advocates hope will produce something. . .anything. . .that supports the theory that women can "succeed" in the combat arms. 

The Center for Military Readiness has produced a concise but comprehensive CMR Policy Analysis presenting the latest information about ongoing "research" on the misguided push for women in direct ground (infantry) combat.  After two years of trying, results do not appear to fit the template the Pentagon had in mind:  

Defense Department Deliberately Moving to Implement Policies Known to Harm Military Women

In January 2012, outgoing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced the Obama Administration's intent to push for "gender diversity metrics" in aggressive fighting teams such as Marine and Army infantry, armor, artillery, Special Operations Forces, and Navy SEALs. . . . Read More

President Barack Obama is pushing hard for women in direct ground combat units, to include Army and Marine infantry and Special Operations Forces.  Under Defense Department mandates for "gender diversity," women will be incrementally ordered (not "allowed") into land combat battalions by January 2016. 

Acquiescent military service chiefs keep insisting that training requirements will be "the same," implying standards will be as high as before.  However, as the Center for Military Readiness reports in this CMR Policy Analysis, the fine print "catch" is hidden in plain sight: 

Double-Think About Double Standards

"Gender-Neutral" Training To Include Gender-Normed Scores

Footnotes in a June Marine Corps report to Congress admitted that "gender-neutral" standards will include fitness tests that use "gender-normed" scores.  For example, to pass . . . Read More

The Obama Administration is moving ahead with incremental plans to force (not "allow") women into direct ground combat fighting teams that currently are all-male.  These include Army/Marine infantry, armor, artillery and − with inevitably-"adjusted" standards − Special Operations Forces, Rangers, and Navy SEALs. There are many good reasons to delay . . .   Read More

"Fox & Friends" personality Anna Kooiman, often featured in sports or entertainment human interest stories, recently traveled to Camp Lejeune, NC, to talk with women who are training for combat duties with Navy Riverine Squadron 2.  These squadrons, which operate from small boats that patrol near shorelines or on rivers in war zones, historically have been designated all-male.  The Obama Administration suspended that policy . . . Read More

During the House Armed Services Committee's markup on the National Defense Authorization bill for 2014, committee members would not even consider legislation to preserve young women's exemption from Selective Service registration and a possible future draft.  CMR has prepared this Policy Analysis to explain why this was a dereliction of duty in Congress, the Pentagon, and in the White House:

• CMR Policy Analysis: Registration of Women for Selective Service and a Possible Draft

 Read More