Posted on Jun 25, 2016
Should PT standards be neutral across the board?
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With the integration of transgendered personnel into the military, should PT standards be redesigned, possibly even in a job specific sense, to have set standards across the board regardless of gender, and graded as pass/fail?
Fitness
Gender
Policy
Equality
Advancement
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 47
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Are men and women physically different? Yes. Are the mission requirements between servicemen and women different? No. I'm supportive of it, especially if are the physical requirements are based on the mission. We want our servicemen and women held to the same standards, so we know without a doubt that they can perform accordingly. I don't necessarily believe that raising the bar to the males standard is the right answer. The MOS fitness test sounds like a good start to finding the right balance.
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SGT Kristin Wiley
MSG Donald Johnson I understand your concerns with the MOS specific testing, which is why I said it would need to be a two tiered test so what you described doesn't happen. I have yet to hear of a better option. I've already stated the female standard is too low, and that the current APFT isn't efficient. I believe a new test should be developed that's not scored passed on gender, age, or any other demographic. You're welcome to disagree with me, but I've seen to many soldiers who are clearly out of shape scrape by on the current test. It is still a liability when they can pass the APFT, but can't get themselves over obstacles with their gear in a real life scenario.
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SSgt Paul Esquibel
SGT Kristin Wiley - Here's the issue you have with standards associated with a specific career field. If there is no incentive that accompanies that field to off set the higher standard then people will cross-train or get out. All branches already have the elite fitness category that's within the SPEC OPS community.
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To do that we will either have to loosen the requirements for the women or keep the standards high and have fewer women in the ranks. One cannot ignore the differences between men's and women's physical capabilities for political or ideological reasons.
Reality will quickly raise its ugly head and force choices to be made.
Reality will quickly raise its ugly head and force choices to be made.
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SSG (Join to see)
There are some the can hang and there are some that cant both male and female. I just want everyone in to be able to hang. The military is not for everyone.
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Capt Seid Waddell
SSG (Join to see), agreed, but the proportions of men/women that can pass the current men's physical standards are vastly different. If women are expected to meet men's standards there will be far fewer women in the military.
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SSG (Join to see)
Capt Seid Waddell - you are right Sir and well I am ok with that there are men that could not make the lower age standards and well I think that they need to look at that as well some will rise to the occasion and well some will not.
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There should be a universal PT standard for military members and a more restrictive PT standard for combat arms. Since gender (along with gender fluidity) is no longer a held belief, standards must be applied uniformly to comply with the need to treat every equally.
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