First 10 Women Graduate From Infantry Officer Course

[rangerrebew]

First 10 Women Graduate From Infantry Officer Course

Military.com | Oct 26, 2016 | by Matthew Cox

Ten female lieutenants completed the first step in becoming U.S. Army infantry platoon leaders on Wednesday by graduating from the first gender-integrated class of Infantry Officer Basic Leader Course.

Twelve women started the 17-week course at Fort Benning, Georgia, and 10 met the standards to graduate alongside 156 male classmates.

"The training of an infantry lieutenant is a process until they step in front of that rifle platoon, and this is but the very first step in that process," Lt. Col. Matthew Weber, battalion commander of the course, told reporters Wednesday at Fort Benning. "It's a critical one because we are very much focused on training and preparing the soldiers, the lieutenants, to ultimately lead a rifle platoon."

http://www.military.com/daily-news/2016/10/26/first-10-women-graduate-infantry-officer-course.html

[Maj. Bill Martin]

Yikes.

Normally, I'd engaged in some friendly inter-service banter, but this is too serious for that.

[Taxcontrol]

As a former Infantryman, I can see all kinds of problems with this. 

[Maj. Bill Martin]

As a former Infantryman, I can see all kinds of problems with this.

No kidding.  Troops expect their junior officers to be in at least as good a shape as they are.  Having a bunch of women who just barely passed the course is going to be something that grunts will spot in a heartbeat.  And that's just for starters.

[bolobaby]

Former 11B here myself.

What a disaster.

Women should only be admitted into combat arms when it is a matter of national survival, like in Israel. Beyond that, if you have the option for an all-male infantry, TAKE IT.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

Women should only be admitted into combat arms when it is a matter of national survival....

Of course, the converse clearly is not true.  Combat arms should be admitted into women with much greater frequency.  Just saying.

Ooo-rah.

[rangerrebew]

Former 11B here myself.

What a disaster.

Women should only be admitted into combat arms when it is a matter of national survival, like in Israel. Beyond that, if you have the option for an all-male infantry, TAKE IT.

Maybe Lurch or Putin or Imam Obama can arrange for a kinder and gentler war, as Lurch would say, so the weapons won't need to be quite as heavy and cumbersome.