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Dude, really? 45lbs/3 miles/45 minutes is pretty much nothing. I'm overweight and out of shape and past a red-tag (pack test) in my late 40s without any problem. What the army actually does is MUCH more demanding. The army actually fights battles with bad guys, they don't all sit in an office. Supply is potentially as physically demanding as combat. Loading HMMWVS, HEMTTS and packing ammo to armored vehicles is demanding work.
No really, it isn't all that demanding.
For one, most troops don't fight in battles, and most troops DO sit in offices all day (depending on how you define an office). Even in the Army, Combat Arms is only a portion of the military...about a fifth. Most people are Combat Service and Support troops.
Look, i'm a former 11C..i know what i saw.
We had a saying in the Army that "you could work me long, but you can't work me hard."
And for the most part, that shibboleth is quite true for the overwhelming majority of soldiers.
For one, most troops don't fight in battles, and most troops DO sit in offices all day (depending on how you define an office). Even in the Army, Combat Arms is only a portion of the military...about a fifth. Most people are Combat Service and Support troops.
Look, i'm a former 11C..i know what i saw.
We had a saying in the Army that "you could work me long, but you can't work me hard."
And for the most part, that shibboleth is quite true for the overwhelming majority of soldiers.
As I think I've said before, thank you for your service. I make no claim of having served, but do have a good number of friends and relatives that did.
Let me ask you, as a mortar man, did you have to pack the tube, base and aiming mechanism? Lug ammo? Load and fire mortar rounds? Isn't that stuff all pretty heavy? I was under the impression that a 120mm mortar system alone was upwards of 300 lbs. And that's not counting the ammo, or wearing any body armor. I know a 500 round ammo can of .30 cal alone isn't exactly light. As does my UPS man, but that's another story.
Because women in general don´t do so well on upper body strength and so the mens standards would prevent a lot of women who are otherwise fit from serving.
We all realize that many roles (Combat Arms) may not suit most women but there are a lot of roles where women can be fully capable and probably a few where thay have advantages. A lot of the of the modern military is not grunt stuff.
Throughout history women have fought in armed combat and have done as well as many stronger males anyways.
As I think I've said before, thank you for your service. I make no claim of having served, but do have a good number of friends and relatives that did.
Let me ask you, as a mortar man, did you have to pack the tube, base and aiming mechanism? Lug ammo? Load and fire mortar rounds? Isn't that stuff all pretty heavy? I was under the impression that a 120mm mortar system alone was upwards of 300 lbs. And that's not counting the ammo, or wearing any body armor. I know a 500 round ammo can of .30 cal alone isn't exactly light. As does my UPS man, but that's another story.
You're right....the 120mm is even heavier than 300lbs (i think). Still though, that mortar is hauled around on a trailer or part of that Soltam System...and its pretty easy to deploy.
The systems that we had to lug around were much lighter (the M29 very briefly, and then the M252). I never served in a heavy (mechanized) infantry unit.
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