Guest post by Victoria Manning  |  Restoration News

It’s imperative to adopt American military policies that create the strongest and most powerful forces in the world.

Fact-based impartial research not biased emotional responses should be the foundation of military decision-making. Women should be included in any military job for which they can meet the same merit-based standards required of men.

In a Defense Department document from 1998, leadership indicated there were no plans to consider ground combat for women. Yet there were experiments underway that same year to test integration of women in Marine Corps combat ranks through training in the Camp LeJeune area.

Restoration News interviewed a retired Marine infantry officer with firsthand knowledge of early experimentation with integrated male-female combat training.

In 1998, the Marine Corps placed females at Camp Geiger, North Carolina for integration in Marine Combat Training. At times, platoon size reached 100 entry-level female Marines—3 times the size of all-male platoons. When the company was in the field, male and female platoons would coordinate training together.

The leadership was thrust into a no-win situation with heaps of problems.

After being in the field for 12 days, many female Marines developed urinary tract infections due to a lack of hygiene.

Leadership also discovered prostitution in the ranks—with female Marines accepting money for sex with male Marines while in the field.

This failed experiment was not widely publicized.

In 2015, the Marine Corps conducted new research to determine how mixed-gender ground combat teams performed against all-male teams.

The mixed teams fell far behind in important tasks such as simulated casualty evacuations—which are a matter of life or death in real-world situations.

Data collected during the experiment showed women falling far behind men in a variety of infantry courses.

The only test women were rated the same as men was the Artillery Cannon Crewman Course.

The Infantry Officer Course graduated 71 percent of male participants, yet no women were able to complete it.

Research also found that women were 2 to 6 times more likely to be injured in training than men on tasks that men could accomplish easily.

Years ago, I completed a 100-kilometer team adventure race with 4 male marines. While I was easily able to keep pace with them on the cardio aspect of the race, there were times I relied on the men to help me through strength events. Fortunately, it was a civilian activity and not a life-or-death combat situation. Even though I was in top physical shape, it was obvious the men were naturally stronger. I would’ve been a liability in combat.

It’s imperative that women stay a valued part of the American military. We bring different talents and strengths than men and contribute to the success of the nation’s national defense.

But standards should not be lowered for anyone (male or female) to qualify for challenging jobs. There should be one standard based on the requirements and skills necessary to excel at the job at hand—no exceptions or waivers.

The Dempsey Rule

Democrats belittled Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth for his concerns about lowering standards in the military for women in combat roles. Hegseth’s focus is on our military capabilities, and he is rightly concerned about gender-based double standards because it’s a threat to combat readiness.

Despite negative research findings, the Quantico Marine Corps Infantry Officer Course opened up to women in 2016.

By 2022, only 12 women had successfully completed the 13-week course, despite standards being lowered in 2018.

The changes included a reduced number of evaluated hikes and the removal of the Combat Endurance Test (CET). The CET included long endurance marches carrying heavy loads and rugged land navigation. It was intended to weed out the weak but was turned into an optional task to increase female recruitment.

This lowering of standards became known as the Dempsey Rule, after Gen. Martin Dempsey, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who advocated for reducing requirements to help women artificially succeed.

In 2016, a Rasmussen survey found only 38 percent of female voters believed women should be required to register for the selective service (draft). Yet, a 2016 poll found 74 percent favorability of women serving in combat roles. That seems to be a double standard. If women have the same duties as men, the draft should be applied equally.

While women should be highly respected for their service and attributes they bring to a successful military, women who weaken combat readiness should not be chosen simply for the sake of diversity.

Military requirements should be job specific with the same requirements for those jobs no matter a person’s sex.

To build and maintain the world’s greatest military, it must be merit based.

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Victoria Manning is a Senior Investigative Researcher for Restoration News specializing in education freedom, abortion, and immigration, and the author of Behind the Wall of Government Schools. Victoria served 8 years as an elected school board member with a master’s degree in law. She also brings the perspective of a military spouse and mother to her reporting.

First published on Restoration News