Marines Delay Female Fitness Plan After Half Fail

[happyslug]

111. I was in the Field Artillery

Being in the National Guard When I Moved I had to find a new unit to be a member of and ended up a member of a 4.2 inch Mortar crew. Handling those rounds was rough after firing several rounds. I am NOT familiar with the operation of the inside of a tank, but I have dealt with women who could handle 50 pounds at a time, but how often was questionable. i.e. once or twice but not round after round for a long period of time. Your report shows the limits most women have when it comes to repeat use of upper body strength, that the women do not have.

Thus the French, Russians and other users of high weight rounds in tanks have converted to auto loaders. From what I have read, the auto loaders are SLOWER then manual loading for the first few rounds, but then come into their own after the first few rounds.

My comment as to the 42 rounds, is given that is all the rounds in the Tank, that is all that can be fired at one time. Once fired the rounds have to be replaced (or fired from the tank but loaded by hand via the hatch, rarely done since the M4 Sherman was replaced but possible.

My problem can women manhandle these rounds? Rounds designed to be manhandled by men and their superior upper body strength? I had doubts, but women can handle 50 pounds, just like men can handle 75 to 100 pounds, once in a while when called for but not round after round.

Power steering and auto loaders removed much of the weight requirements of modern combat, but in many roles the need to manhandle heavy weight remain. That was the point I was trying to make, certain roles women can do but men can do better (and the reverse is also true, women can do certain roles, that men can do, women do it better, the classic example is endurance, women with a full pack can go further then men, given the same level of training for example).

Thus my point was to show some jobs require weights to be lifted in certain combat situation that exceed what most women can do on a constant basis. That is all, but I also wanted to point out and your comment as to M1 Tank Ammunition handle the one area I admit was I weak on. Short term. women can handle the weight mentioned for M1 Ammunition, but how long is a different question, and you answered it.