Former Ranger And Professor Gives Take On Female Rangers

[randy]

Imagine what would have happened in WWII if an SS unit had captured US female combat troops.

I think there have been several books and movies made to that theme, but I ain't going to be the one to click on the links to those titles.

[g-man]

Had a good day in the gym today, and noticed something on the record boards on the wall which is apropos here. I am a slightly taller than average, but otherwise nearly completely physically average male. I started my lifting program on 2 June, or some 14 weeks ago. At the time, my combined Deadlift/Squat/Bench (workout weights, not 1RM) were 225/215/135, for a total of 575lbs. This is not even close to the men's "1000-lb Club", but already past the threshold for the women's "500-lb Club". In less than 4 months, even with an injury which sidelined me for a couple of weeks, I have managed to get my workout set weights to 315/305/225, which puts me at a combined 845lbs. Still not enough to get into the 1000-lb Club (much less in the top 16 which are on the board, with the minimum being ~1250#). However, I have passed all but one female on that board.

Here's the thing: I am not strong yet. I am stronger than I was, but am not anywhere near where I'd like to be, or where some of the real lifters on this board are. It's taken less than 4 months, and I'm already stronger than 99% of females, being completely off the crossfit standards chart for females for the squat and bench, and above all but the heaviest elite female lifters for the deadlift.

Not Ranger qualified, but as I understand it there's still the Strong Ranger / Smart Ranger dichotomy. Once you factor having to pack a M240 or M2 around, or ammo for same, repeatedly, over periods of time where you aren't fed so well, aren't working out, and are therefore constantly detraining from your maximums... you get the point. There are physiological differences, and those were not such that ALL women were screened out (note both were academy grads, and likely in the Smart Ranger category). But take the average female and train her for four months, and she might be approaching where I STARTED, strength-wise, and I'm not special. Will there still be anomalies that can meet whatever unisex standards they finally come up with for FA, IN, etc? Likely. But the failure rates will be as described above: akin to Q-course / BUDs washout rates.

But WTF do I know, I'm just some dude who works in an office without windows inside the puzzle palace, and figures up attrition for the entire Army.

[skb12172]

Reminds me of this. The University of Louisville's women's basketball team was National Runner-Up a couple of years ago. As is usual for these elite teams, they hire male intramural players for scrimmage purposes. These are just average joes from the student body playing against the second best women's team in the nation, with several from that team now in the WNBA. Coach Walz had to request several times that the guys ease up a bit on the Lady Cardinals because the average joes were dominating the game too much for it to be a useful scrimmage for the team.

[MarkD]

Reminds me of this. The University of Louisville's women's basketball team was National Runner-Up a couple of years ago. As is usual for these elite teams, they hire male intramural players for scrimmage purposes. These are just average joes from the student body playing against the second best women's team in the nation, with several from that team now in the WNBA. Coach Walz had to request several times that the guys ease up a bit on the Lady Cardinals because the average joes were dominating the game too much for it to be a useful scrimmage for the team.

Bill Whittle often points out that if you look at the Women's Gold Medal times for track-and-field in the Olympics, most colleges have men on their track teams that can beat those times. So yeah, men and women are different. I always considered that one of God's better ideas.....

[D5CAV]

In some of the future scenarios envisioned by acquaintances, having large parts of the US military combat ineffective may not necessarily be a bad thing for US citizens

[toad]

Imagine what would have happened in WWII if an SS unit had captured US female combat troops.

None of them would be able to piss in a mop bucket by the time they were repatriated. If they survived. If they actually go into combat, the same fate will befall these Rangerettes too.

Pissing wouldn't be their only evacuation problem.

[skb12172]

True...

[Greg]

Imagine what would have happened in WWII if an SS unit had captured US female combat troops.

None of them would be able to piss in a mop bucket by the time they were repatriated. If they survived. If they actually go into combat, the same fate will befall these Rangerettes too.

Pissing wouldn't be their only evacuation problem.

Would have been worse if they were captured by the Japanese.

[Aesop]

In some of the future scenarios envisioned by acquaintances, having large parts of the US military combat ineffective may not necessarily be a bad thing for US citizens

It worked out so well for us in 1941.

[randy]

In some of the future scenarios envisioned by acquaintances, having large parts of the US military combat ineffective may not necessarily be a bad thing for US citizens

It worked out so well for us in 1941.

I'm thinking he had 1861 more in mind,