In all the hubbub around the women soldiers who recently completed Army Ranger training, one of the most important statements surrounding this issue was made by recent graduate Capt. Kristen Griest:
Captain Griest was blunt about what should never happen: “No woman that I know wants to go to Ranger School if they change the standards, because then it degrades” the designation, she said.
What Capt. Griest is referring to are the recent talks at The Pentagon to lower the standards to make it easier for women (and minorities) to complete elite training in all branches of the military, all in the name of “equality.”
Capt. Griest is well aware (as I’m sure are others) that the standards are in place to ensure safety, not exclude any particular population. She wants the Rangers to be the best of the best too, without question. It’s not about equality… it’s about training up the best fighting machine in the world. Soldiers get it.
The Pentagon needs to stop bowing to politically correct pressures and protect those they send into harms way. Lowering standards does just the opposite.
H/T NYTimes
Photo credit US National Guard
