Physical standards are just as important in SF as they are anywhere else, but are the physical standards the right ones? What the debate over women’s role in combat has ignored to date is the discussion of what is truly physically required for a specific mission to be successful. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter’s interdepartmental memorandum issued to the service chiefs announced the implementation of guidelines to ensure that positions are now offered with the objective of improved force effectiveness while recognizing that the differences in physical ability between men and women must be taken into account.
Army’s Special Forces (also known as SF), and with this development is the concern of whether or not women will be able to meet SF standards. Women are now eligible to apply for positions such as the U.S. The recent decision to open previously male-only jobs in the United States military to women has sparked serious debate over women’s ability to perform in combat. Reframing the Debate: How Rethinking Special Forces Physical Fitness Standards Can Address the Unconventional Warfare Capability Gap
