OT: Props to two female soldiers who earned Ranger. . .

[Kibitzer]

. . .tabs this week at Fort Benning.

Here on the Boneyard - and, to be fair, similar message boards that admire and support women athletes - we are accustomed to seeing and appreciating excellence in (mostly) American women.

Unfortunately, there is an element of our population that doesn't "get it" and some are now denigrating these two soldiers just as they have dissed female firefighters, police officers, airplane pilots and many others who dared to break into male bastions.

Well, I know something about Ranger tabs and I am proud as I can be for these two new Rangers.

 

[JimGunther]

I hadn't seen anyone bad-mouthing them but, anyone who does should do so without attribution<G>.
Go warriors!

 

[Kaizen]

I am so proud for these two new Rangers, Go brave Rangers....

 

[ThisJustIn]

Pretty awesome. Consider the numbers: 400 candidates - 381 men, 19 women.
Successfully passed: 94, 2

It's too bad they aren't allowed to apply to the join the 75th Ranger Regiment, the elite Special Operations force. It's closed to women.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...w&hootPostID=498f799f03379ef6e8db2b20eb37a9b5

 

[Kibitzer]

Pretty awesome. Consider the numbers: 400 candidates - 381 men, 19 women.
Successfully passed: 94, 2

It's too bad they aren't allowed to apply to the join the 75th Ranger Regiment, the elite Special Operations force. It's closed to women.

An SF assignment will come, just as soon as the Army applies the Bill Russell evaluation criterion:

"Can she fight?"​

And the first woman in SF won't need an issue Green Beret - she can just take her old Girl Scout beanie out of mothballs.

 

[willtalk]

It's really a shame that two women passed the course. If only one of them had made it she could have called herself the "Lone Ranger".

 

[vtcwbuff]

The Navy announced today that they will allow females to apply for BUDS. Like the Rangers they will not make any gender allowances in the training regimen.

 

[meyers7]

The Navy announced today that they will allow females to apply for BUDS. Like the Rangers they will not make any gender allowances in the training regimen.

I believe Demi already did that.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Anyone know whether these two are part of the group of 8 who failed to pass Phase 1 in April? See: http://www.military.com/daily-news/...-to-pass-phase-one-of-army-ranger-school.html

These qualification opportunities started in 2013. So far the success rate has been very low. The differences in gender physique / muscle mass/ limb ratios etc being paramount.

 

[veryolddog]

I wonder if the Marine Corps will open Recon to women?

 

[j66kicker]

I believe Demi already did that.

She was a trail blazer

 

[j66kicker]

Pretty awesome. Consider the numbers: 400 candidates - 381 men, 19 women.
Successfully passed: 94, 2

It's too bad they aren't allowed to apply to the join the 75th Ranger Regiment, the elite Special Operations force. It's closed to women.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...w&hootPostID=498f799f03379ef6e8db2b20eb37a9b5

So the 2 women beat out 287 men - impressive!

 

[johnnyc]

I wonder if the Marine Corps will open Recon to women?

Trouble in the ranks.....

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/13/u...te-on-integration-of-women-in-corps.html?_r=0

 

[JimGunther]

The bad news: she probably pissed-off some people. Some for - perhaps - legit reasons - others because she was a trailblazer.

The good news: they weren't afraid to fire a woman. THAT may be progress.

Trouble in the ranks.....

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/13/u...te-on-integration-of-women-in-corps.html?_r=0

 

[vtcwbuff]

So the 2 women beat out 287 men - impressive!

A different way to look at it is that 60% of the men and 90% of the women were unable to complete the course. That's a measure of how difficult the course is and what an extraordinary accomplishment it is for anyone that passes.

 

[NVUConnFan]

My step son is a West Point grad ('97), Airborne and Ranger grad. It took him 2 tries to pass Ranger which was the maximum number of tries at that time. I understand that these women took 3 tries, so SOMEBODY changed the rules for them.

 

[meyers7]

My step son is a West Point grad ('97), Airborne and Ranger grad. It took him 2 tries to pass Ranger which was the maximum number of tries at that time. I understand that these women took 3 tries, so SOMEBODY changed the rules for them.

The thing is this isn't women's athletics, it real world, people get killed . Want best man or woman or whatever, for the job.

 

[vtcwbuff]

My step son is a West Point grad ('97), Airborne and Ranger grad. It took him 2 tries to pass Ranger which was the maximum number of tries at that time. I understand that these women took 3 tries, so SOMEBODY changed the rules for them.

According to this excerpt from a Washington post article the 3rd retry is an option available to both men and women.

"All eight women then failed the first Darby Phase twice, and only three — Griest, Haver and the third remaining soldier still in the mountaineering phase — were allowed to try Ranger School again. They do so as a “Day 1 recycle,” an option that is offered on occasion to both men and women who excel in some aspects of Ranger School but fall short in something specific that can be improved."

If I'm reading this correctly, there is another female soldier still in the pipeline.

 

[Kibitzer]

A little history about the Florida phase of Ranger School. I read a recent caption to a photo (Florida) that made reference to Camp Rudder, which was new to me. Perhaps it was located at the long-time base camp for Florida Ranger training: Eppler Field #7. an isolated runway with a few barracks, mess hall, etc., on a remote spot in the boondocks of Eglin AFB. It was so isolated that it was the site where Doolittle's B-25 crews first learned how to take off from a runway as short as an aircraft carrier. I wonder if our young Rangers go there for that very wet phase of Ranger School.

 

[BroadwayVa]

. . .tabs this week at Fort Benning.

Here on the Boneyard - and, to be fair, similar message boards that admire and support women athletes - we are accustomed to seeing and appreciating excellence in (mostly) American women.

Unfortunately, there is an element of our population that doesn't "get it" and some are now denigrating these two soldiers just as they have dissed female firefighters, police officers, airplane pilots and many others who dared to break into male bastions.

Well, I know something about Ranger tabs and I am proud as I can be for these two new Rangers.
View attachment 10259

I am pleases that they were allowed to compete. I had no doubt WOMEN could do it. As the father of a passel of Women who have done everything including jumping with the Black Knights in Jacksonville, Nc I am pleased. It is time to take the frilly white gloves off and allow these women to be " ALL THEY CAN BE" and why put training into anyone (men or women) that they are not allowed to use fully?? Other nations have Females in Combat why are we different??

I have a few hundred poorly chosen words for those that "denigrate these two soldiers" Women have been pilots since two days after kittyhalwk (figuratively). It is no longer about Gender--it's about can you meet the criteria of the job. Just don't let them play basketball they may get emotional--he says with a tear in his eye!!!

 

[RockyMTblue2]

The thing is this isn't women's athletics, it real world, people get killed . Don't want or need PC or affirmative action for that. Want best man or woman or whatever, for the job.

Last Presidential election cycle I was on a plane headed west out of Hartford in the middle seat on the right side of a big one and a woman claimed the window seat and a man, a very big man (and I don't mean fat) claimed the aisle. He had Special Forces background, she had something going on too. What the heck was I doing in this row! Romney family claims the row ahead adding clarity to the situation. Both had lap tops running bizzare facial recognition(?) software at warp speed for most of the flight. He was a great young man, she was older( late 30s?) with a great way about her (she was the covert, he was the overt target). I wonder what preflight clearance I passed. What is the point of this ramble? Men and women both have abilities we need in our military, but I don't think special forces assignments are where women should be when it comes to inflatables and Sig Sauer 226s. Give me a big rock of a man every time for that stuff.

PS. Yes, I was totally wigged out!

 

[BroadwayVa]

The thing is this isn't women's athletics, it real world, people get killed . Want best man or woman or whatever, for the job.

I agree---they want the best MAN or WOMAN for the job. Soldiering (Army, Navy, Marines,) is about combat and in combat people get wounded, maimed, or killed. As a father of both men and women if any of that happened to any of them I'd probably never get over it.
But I would not stand in their way to be a leader of a combat team in actual combat--if that was their choice.
In our past "wars" Women Doctors, nurses, even pilots (Transport) got killed and were helpless. Now we can give them the skills and equipment to avoid being helplessly killed. My daughter is a Major in Combat Engineering if that is her choice--I say go for it.
I never believed and still don't that it was proper to tell my "girls" not to be and engineer (that's a man's job ) or Army Engineer, or Lawyer, or IC engineer---in elementary and beyond--my words were --Go for it!! They failed in some, broke ground in some (first girls in HS to take "manual " courses (electronic, wood working, metal working)) even played basketball without any talent.

 

[Kibitzer]

Last Presidential election cycle I was on a plane headed west out of Hartford in the middle seat on the right side of a big one and a woman claimed the window seat and a man, a very big man (and I don't mean fat) claimed the aisle. He had Special Forces background, she had something going on too. What the heck was I doing in this row! Romney family claims the row ahead adding clarity to the situation. Both had lap tops running bizzare facial recognition(?) software at warp speed for most of the flight. He was a great young man, she was older( late 30s?) with a great way about her (she was the covert, he was the overt target). I wonder what preflight clearance I passed. What is the point of this ramble? Men and women both have abilities we need in our military, but I don't think special forces assignments are where women should be when it comes to inflatables and Sig Sauer 226s. Give me a big rock of a man every time for that stuff.

PS. Yes, I was totally wigged out!

Sounds like a memorable flight. I don't completely share your view about what it takes to qualify for Special Forces duty. Having served with the 7th (2x), the 5th (Nam), and 10th SF Groups, I have a pretty good idea of what it takes in SF. And if a female could cut the mustard, I'd add her to the manifest.

And why the hell not?

 

[BroadwayVa]

Last Presidential election cycle I was on a plane headed west out of Hartford in the middle seat on the right side of a big one and a woman claimed the window seat and a man, a very big man (and I don't mean fat) claimed the aisle. He had Special Forces background, she had something going on too. What the heck was I doing in this row! Romney family claims the row ahead adding clarity to the situation. Both had lap tops running bizzare facial recognition(?) software at warp speed for most of the flight. He was a great young man, she was older( late 30s?) with a great way about her (she was the covert, he was the overt target). I wonder what preflight clearance I passed. What is the point of this ramble? Men and women both have abilities we need in our military, but I don't think special forces assignments are where women should be when it comes to inflatables and Sig Sauer 226s. Give me a big rock of a man every time for that stuff.

PS. Yes, I was totally wigged out!

If size was everything most men would be lost. Women are not fragile helpless girls. If they went thru Ranger training and passes recycled as it were) obviously the Army thinks they can do the job. Why restrict them? Ask men who were in combat--were all the small guys (the size of women?) helpless or a burden ? Roger Young in the Solomons five ft 3--turned down by marines, Paratroop-- was awarded the Medal of Honor for saving his company who were trapped by a machine gun--size isn't everything!!

 

[Kibitzer]

size isn't everything!!

Old adage:

"God made men all different sizes, but later Sam Colt made 'em all the same."​