Men are better than women in combat

[SmootherPebble]

Sorry for the trigger title (so to speak), but it comes from an argument I made 3 years ago as an opinion columnist when I had just left the Air Force... around the time the ban on women on the frontlines was lifted. That argument can be found here. 

The reason for the post now is because the Marines just released a year long study showing how men outperformed women in combat in every case... just weeks after the big news came out that 2 women had made it through Ranger school. I'd state more of my argument here, but you can just read it in the link above.

My opinion has been strengthened from 3 years ago. I'll fight for equality (literally and figuratively), but in the interest of national security and lives being willfully put on the line, equity supersedes. Women should not be allowed on the front line, and if they must, they must match the minimum expectation of men. 

Ian

[KUSA]

Anyone that wants to perform a job must meet the minimum requirements for it.

[Aroura]

[The Valkyrie]

Anyone that wants to perform a job must meet the minimum requirements for it.

Agreed.

But if they qualify they shouldn't be restricted from it due to gender.

[brewer]

Not the bedroom combat. I always get my ass whipped. HAH

When it comes to physical abilities and there are lives on the line, yes, there needs to be a performance standard. I believe fire fighters have a standard also. Not sure about all police. I've seen some really unfit examples.

Not up on any military combat duties. Do all require the same level of physical abilities? Do they all need the same abilities in case one goes down (not able to perform) the next available can step in?

[Exian]

Anyone that wants to perform a job must meet the minimum requirements for it.

Well that was a quick argument. /thread

[KUSA]

Anyone that wants to perform a job must meet the minimum requirements for it.

Agreed.

But if they qualify they shouldn't be restricted from it due to gender.

I'll agree with that.

[Aroura]

Women have much lighter requirements to meet in the military. And I don't say this lightly, as I'm a woman. It's just a fact.

I think a female firefighter has the SAME requirements as male firefighter. Same with cops. The military let's women do less than men.

I know women can be better shots than men. My understanding is that most women send into combat are shooters, snipers, and so forth. Therefore, in the combat area, they would be in the one area where they can indeed match or even exceed men. I could be wrong about that though.

[SmootherPebble]

Not the bedroom combat. I always get my ass whipped. HAH

When it comes to physical abilities and there are lives on the line, yes, there needs to be a performance standard. I believe fire fighters have a standard also. Not sure about all police. I've seen some really unfit examples.

Not up on any military combat duties. Do all require the same level of physical abilities? Do they all need the same abilities in case one goes down (not able to perform) the next available can step in?

I was a physical fitness officer for about a year when I was in the Air Force. I was one of two people responsible for the fitness standard of about 75 people. This was about 3 years ago. 

When it came to our standards. The maximum allotted points for women on pushups and situps was still not even a passing score for men. And when it came to 1.5 mile run times, men's minimum required times were minutes faster than women's minimum times... for a mile and a half run. In other words, you could have a male fail his fitness test, but if he were a woman with the same results, he'd get a 90+%. 

I don't think the standards have changed much since then, and I know that the situation was similar between the branches. 

When it comes down to it, every member of a unit should be able to perform at least the same tasks physically and lethally. Every member of your unit should be able to fireman carry every single member of the unit, in full gear. Can a woman at those standards carry a 220 lbs man in 100 lbs of gear if he was shot in combat? I don't think so. That's just one example. 

The standards must be set to the performance required for the job, not to the relative ability of the individual.

[CapnAwesome]

As far as I'm aware, the women who passed the Army rangers test went through the same test as the men. It sort of makes your whole argument void.