Women Unable to Meet U.S. Marines Physical Requirements

While this seems like common sense, that, women should have the same available career choices as men in the U.S. Armed Forces, the U.S. Marines is finding some choices make this unrealistic unless they lower physical requirements for women. Being equal is a difficult thing to achieve.

All this came to light in a few training situations. In Marine boot camp, there is a 3-pullup requirement and over 60% of women recruits cannot do them. The perfect score for woman is 8-pullups.For men, the perfect score is 20. Men must also meet the 3-pullup minimum. Another test is that women must be able to flex hang for at least 15 seconds, a perfect score is 70 seconds. Men are exempt this test.

In 2012, two women elected to go through the 13-week infantry officers course in the Marines, both failed. A year later, three elected, and all succeeded.

The physical requirements, if met, will women to enter into jobs that are in direct combat such as, infantry, armor, and artillery. Many of these jobs are closed to women because they cannot meet the physical requirements.

So, the U.S. Marines have decided to not require the minimum physical requirements on some tests for women in order to be fair and not lose new recruits. The 3-pullup minimum was created for both sexes as a way to see if the strength is present to carry a weapon or weapons, scale a wall, lifting, climbing a rope.

So, when a recruit is required to do upper-body strength tests to pass, they may now elect to do the 3-pullup or flex-arm hang for at least 15 seconds.

These types of tests first began in 1956 and in 1969, if a woman entered into the U.S. Marines, they only had to do a 120-yd run, vertical jump, knee pushups, situps and a 600-yard run.

Baby, you've come a long way!