<font size="2">I'm put off by the games they are playing to get women into combat roles. It is just so stupid to keep fiddling around with chin-up requirements that your grandfather could pass. Just put them (men<u> and</u> women) in full gear and make them do their training in it.
</font><div><font size="2">Let them spend their 8 weeks basic in what they are supposed to spend their career in. That is what it is going to come down to eventually. Don't pretend they can handle it, just load them up and see what happens
</font></div><font size="2">
</font><font size="2">I'm sure it is all different gear now but here is an accurate list of stuff I carried thru two tours of search and destroy missions in Vietnam with the 101st Airborne in 1966-67 and 68.
For you military guys; I had 17 months time-in-grade on E5 at the end of a 36 month enlistment. Do the math.
</font><div><font size="2">
</font><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt" dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">1 M16 Rifle with Starlight scope and XM148 Grenade Launcher attachment</span></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt" dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">480 rounds for M16 (12 20 round cilps plus enough for a full refill)
</span></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt" dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">6 grenade rounds for XM148</span></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt" dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">6 shotgun rounds for XM148</span></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt" dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">200 rounds of 7.62 Belted for the M26 machine gunner</span></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt" dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">1 Battery for radio operator</span></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt" dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">1 Bundle of Extra supplies for Medic (usually Saline because that weighed the most for him)</span></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt" dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">2 pounds of C4 for blasting out landing zones (mostly used for cooking)</span></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">1 claymore mine
</span></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt" dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">6 M26 hand grenades (3 fit perfectly in a canteen cover)
</span></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt" dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">4 Smoke Grenades of all different colors</span></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt" dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">2 White phosphorous grenades (for burning downed helicopters)</span></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt" dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">4 parachute flares</span></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt" dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">1 Steel Helmet </span></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt" dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">1 poncho</span></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">1 entrenching tool (shovel)
</span></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt" dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">1 small ammo box for cigarettes, socks,toilet paper, stationary, pictures etc</span></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt" dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">
</span></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">Stuff, stuff stuff: Trip, wire assemblies for Claymores for night perimeter protection, squeeze generator for claymore for manned night ambushes, soap, cigarette lighter, Lighter fluid, knives, toothbrush, toothpaste, gun oil, can openers, lucky charms, compass, maps, empty sandbags, Towel (sweat rag), insect repellant, canteen cup, a sock full of rice to supplement the C-rations,
</span></font></p><font size="2">
<span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline" /></font><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt" dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">And Last but not least:</span></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt" dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">
</span></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt" dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline"><u>Two</u> <u>weeks</u> supply of canned food (left over C-Rations from Korea)
</span></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">10 (minimum) canteens </span>
</font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt" dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline" /></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt"><span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline"><font size="2">
</font></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt"><span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline"><font size="2">I don't know what all this weighed but they ran me through a quick flamethrower school once and the 65 pound flamethrower assembly <u>weighed a lot less </u>than my rucksack in the field.</font></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt">
</p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt"><span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline" /></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt"><span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">ps:</span> "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien is ridiculous beyond belief. I don't understand how something like that got printed. I can show anyone dozens of examples of absolute nonsense in that book. </p></div>
</font><div><font size="2">Let them spend their 8 weeks basic in what they are supposed to spend their career in. That is what it is going to come down to eventually. Don't pretend they can handle it, just load them up and see what happens
</font></div><font size="2">
</font><font size="2">I'm sure it is all different gear now but here is an accurate list of stuff I carried thru two tours of search and destroy missions in Vietnam with the 101st Airborne in 1966-67 and 68.
For you military guys; I had 17 months time-in-grade on E5 at the end of a 36 month enlistment. Do the math.
</font><div><font size="2">
</font><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt" dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">1 M16 Rifle with Starlight scope and XM148 Grenade Launcher attachment</span></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt" dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">480 rounds for M16 (12 20 round cilps plus enough for a full refill)
</span></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt" dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">6 grenade rounds for XM148</span></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt" dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">6 shotgun rounds for XM148</span></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt" dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">200 rounds of 7.62 Belted for the M26 machine gunner</span></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt" dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">1 Battery for radio operator</span></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt" dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">1 Bundle of Extra supplies for Medic (usually Saline because that weighed the most for him)</span></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt" dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">2 pounds of C4 for blasting out landing zones (mostly used for cooking)</span></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">1 claymore mine
</span></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt" dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">6 M26 hand grenades (3 fit perfectly in a canteen cover)
</span></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt" dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">4 Smoke Grenades of all different colors</span></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt" dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">2 White phosphorous grenades (for burning downed helicopters)</span></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt" dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">4 parachute flares</span></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt" dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">1 Steel Helmet </span></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt" dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">1 poncho</span></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">1 entrenching tool (shovel)
</span></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt" dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">1 small ammo box for cigarettes, socks,toilet paper, stationary, pictures etc</span></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt" dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">
</span></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">Stuff, stuff stuff: Trip, wire assemblies for Claymores for night perimeter protection, squeeze generator for claymore for manned night ambushes, soap, cigarette lighter, Lighter fluid, knives, toothbrush, toothpaste, gun oil, can openers, lucky charms, compass, maps, empty sandbags, Towel (sweat rag), insect repellant, canteen cup, a sock full of rice to supplement the C-rations,
</span></font></p><font size="2">
<span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline" /></font><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt" dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">And Last but not least:</span></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt" dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">
</span></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt" dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline"><u>Two</u> <u>weeks</u> supply of canned food (left over C-Rations from Korea)
</span></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">10 (minimum) canteens </span>
</font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt" dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline" /></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt"><span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline"><font size="2">
</font></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt"><span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline"><font size="2">I don't know what all this weighed but they ran me through a quick flamethrower school once and the 65 pound flamethrower assembly <u>weighed a lot less </u>than my rucksack in the field.</font></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt">
</p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt"><span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline" /></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt"><span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline">ps:</span> "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien is ridiculous beyond belief. I don't understand how something like that got printed. I can show anyone dozens of examples of absolute nonsense in that book. </p></div>