Previously, we focused on the sheer physicality required of close-combat unit members, in this particular case, tank crewmen. Today, we will focus on two competing issues. First, we can recognize that it is indeed possible to find women who can meet minimum standards for just about any given position. Second, the effort required to do so, must be an analysis of the costs, versus any expected benefits of doing so…especially when finding men to exceed the standard is so much easier than finding women to can barely meet it. We’ll get into that particular discussion in a follow-on piece.

Here’s why the discussion. It’s just biology. Let’s look at one physical act in detail to explain the point. These two extracts show the “military/shoulder press” capability of both men and women, aged 25, at varying levels of weight lifting experience/ability. The source is from Strength Level website, where you can compare and contrast various factors in physical fitness. I chose this particular exercise as experience shows it’s closest to the movement required to lift a main gun round overhead and hand it to another crewman on the tank deck. //

At this point, we have determined that for this particular requirement (and there are a host of others in this category) it takes extra effort to bring females up to the physical standard of the average male. When we begin to consider national-level personnel policy for our armed forces, we need to consider this and a number of other factors as we weigh the cost versus benefit of deciding to put/keep women in close combat units.