jeff-10
Member
I guess I will weigh in here with my 2 cents. I served 3 years as a 11 Bravo. 2 years as a SAW gunner and 1 year as a fire team leader, from age 18-21 in both the 101st and 2nd Inf division. In both of those I served in air assault infantry battlions which is essentially light infantry. The majority of my peers were my age and my squad leaders were maybe 25 at the most. PL was maybe 23 and the PSGT was probably 29 to 32. The reason they use young men for line infantry is not for judgement or decision making abilities it is because they treat you like a pack mule. Between armor, weapons, LBV and rucksack the loads would easily exceed 100 lbs and our movements were routinely over 20k at a time. Not something your average young woman could handle easily, but it was something you average 19 year old male 11B had no problem with most of the time, other than some griping.
As a side note at Ft Campbell my unit would often be assigned to be OPFOR for PDLC. The PDLC candidates had to do a 12 mile road march out the training area and back to the barracks. We would march out with the students, many of whom were female. A lot of the female soldiers were unable to carry there basic load the 12 miles and we would often help them with it.
Now all that being said I believe that woman could basically do every job in the military except infantry and special operations. If it wasn't for women it the military I am sure we would have had a draft already.
As a side note at Ft Campbell my unit would often be assigned to be OPFOR for PDLC. The PDLC candidates had to do a 12 mile road march out the training area and back to the barracks. We would march out with the students, many of whom were female. A lot of the female soldiers were unable to carry there basic load the 12 miles and we would often help them with it.
Now all that being said I believe that woman could basically do every job in the military except infantry and special operations. If it wasn't for women it the military I am sure we would have had a draft already.