US Marines Test All-Male Squads Against Mixed-Gender Ones – And The Results Are Bleak

[SirLinksALot]

SOURCE: THE FEDERALIST PAPERS

URL: http://thefederalistpapers.org/us/us-marines-test-male-squads-mixed-gender-ones-results

by Britney Soares


In 2013, the US military lifted its ban on women serving in combat. Shortly after, the Marine Corps began what it calls an “unprecedented research effort” to understand the impact of gender integration on its combat forces.

That took the form of a year-long experiment called the Ground Combat Element Integrated Task Force, in which 400 Marines — 100 of them female — trained for combat together and then undertook a simulated deployment, with every aspect of their experience measured and scrutinized.

All branches of the military faced a January 1, 2016 deadline to open all combat roles to women, and the Marine Corps used this experiment to decide whether to request exceptions to that mandate. The Corps’ summary of the experiment concludes that combat teams were less effective when they included women.

Overall, the report says, all-male teams and crews outperformed mixed-gender ones on 69% of tasks evaluated (93 out of 134). All-male teams were universally faster “in each tactical movement.” On “lethality,” the report says:

All-male 0311 (rifleman) infantry squads had better accuracy compared to gender-integrated squads. There was a notable difference between genders for every individual weapons system (i.e. M4, M27, and M203) within the 0311 squads, except for the probability of hit & near miss with the M4.

…

All-male infantry crew-served weapons teams engaged targets quicker and registered more hits on target as compared to gender-integrated infantry crew-served weapons teams, with the exception of M2 accuracy.

All-male squads, teams and crews and gender-integrated squads, teams, and crews had a noticeable difference in their performance of the basic combat tasks of negotiating obstacles and evacuating casualties. For example, when negotiating the wall obstacle, male Marines threw their packs to the top of the wall, whereas female Marines required regular assistance in getting their packs to the top. During casualty evacuation assessments, there were notable differences in execution times between all-male and gender-integrated groups, except in the case where teams conducted a casualty evacuation as a one-Marine fireman’s carry of another (in which case it was most often a male Marine who “evacuated” the casualty)

The report also says that female Marines had higher rates of injury throughout the experiment.

While the conclusions make it look like having women in combat isn’t a good idea, one important caveat of the tests is that many of of the male study participants had previously served in combat units, whereas female participants, by necessity, came directly from infantry schools or from noncombat jobs.

Hopefully, with more training in combat, women will be a strength for the military, but the most important thing to remember is that risking the lives of a military unit in combat to provide career opportunities or accommodate the personal desires of an individual is not only bad, but very dangerous military judgment.

[dfwgator]

They needed a test to figure this out?

[skeeter]

They needed a test to figure this out?

I'm not so sure the writer is convinced the results are as conclusive as they are.

[Wingnut]

I'm not so sure the writer is convinced the results are as conclusive as they are.

  He/she believes The results were skewed. 

[Bigun]

All-male squads, teams and crews and gender-integrated squads, teams, and crews had a noticeable difference in their performance of the basic combat tasks of negotiating obstacles and evacuating casualties. For example, when negotiating the wall obstacle, male Marines threw their packs to the top of the wall, whereas female Marines required regular assistance in getting their packs to the top. During casualty evacuation assessments, there were notable differences in execution times between all-male and gender-integrated groups, except in the case where teams conducted a casualty evacuation as a one-Marine fireman’s carry of another (in which case it was most often a male Marine who “evacuated” the casualty)

And that is just the beginning of the problems!  Call me whatever you like but women serving in combat roles will only serve to get good men, who might otherwise survive, killed!

[Polly Ticks]

In other breaking news, water is wet.

[Bigun]

In other breaking news, water is wet.

 

[raml]

I think women in combat is crazy just another crazy situation put into effect by Obama.

[dfwgator]

I think women in combat is crazy just another crazy situation put into effect by Obama.

Because Obama wanted to weaken the country.

[Bigun]

Because Obama wanted did everything he possibly could to weaken the country.

Fixed it for you!

[austingirl]

Because Obama wanted to weaken the country.

Bammy's only success.

[jmyrlefuller]

The test MUST be sexist. 

[Night Hides Not]

The test MUST be sexist. 

Allow me to propose a solution to the author's concerns: send a mixed gender battalion to Syria or Afghanistan, and let them perform under real world, live fire combat.

I confidently predict that 75% or more of the women will get pregnant prior to deployment date.

If you're waiting for a /sarcasm, it ain't coming. I saw what happened when women were force fed into Nike-Hercules batteries in the late 70s. I thanked my lucky stars I was in a Chaparral/Vulcan battalion. Our usual mission was with Infantry and Armor divisions.

[dfwgator]

Maybe Rush was onto something....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahPwlOOKedg

[LadyLiberty]

If women belong in combat, then why not have all female squads, teams, and crews?  Bet that wouldn't work out too well. 

[Night Hides Not]

If women belong in combat, then why not have all female squads, teams, and crews?  Bet that wouldn't work out too well.

Isn't the Navy training an all female submarine crew?

[Wingnut]

Isn't the Navy training an all female submarine crew?

If so it will add new meaning to the Navy term "Bubbleheads"

[ConstitutionRose]

Isn't the Navy training an all female submarine crew?

My mother-in-law lives with us.  I think an all female sub crew is a very bad idea.  Two females in one house is a bad idea.

[Night Hides Not]

My mother-in-law lives with us.  I think an all female sub crew is a very bad idea.  Two females in one house is a bad idea.

You think that's bad? My wife has six sisters, and there's more drama in her family than several soap operas.

[Wingnut]

You think that's bad? My wife has six sisters, and there's more drama in her family than several soap operas.

I bet it was a real joy when they all cycled up.