Directive opens 4,100 special ops positions to women

[jakeXT]

WASHINGTON (March 13, 2015) -- A directive signed by Army Secretary John M. McHugh, Feb. 25, opened more than 4,100 positions to women in the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, or USASOC.

Directive 2015-08 opened positions in the U.S. Army Special Forces Command, National Guard airborne battalions and tactical psychological teams. Although recent news has focused on female Soldiers attending the pre-Ranger course, USASOC officials said the directive is significant because it opens unit positions in direct operational roles.

"In the aggregate, there have been approximately 5,000 positions opened within the command since 2013," according to a USASOC statement.

About 1,000 positions were opened to women following the 2013 rescinding of the Direct Ground Combat Rule by the defense secretary. This paved the way for more women to serve in direct combat roles and in military occupational specialties that were previously open only to males.

http://www.army.mil/article/144515/Directive_opens_4_100_special_ops_positions_to_women/

[bemildred]

1. SecNav announces sweeping career and fitness changes

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/story/military/careers/marine-corps/2015/05/13/secnav-announces-sweeping-manpower-career-uniform-changes/27241869/

May I infer we are not getting as many recruits as we'd like?

[jakeXT]

2. Not being able to roll my sleeves would've probably pissed me off

Amos and uniforms

Since becoming commandant in 2010, Amos has implemented some significant changes to the Corps’ uniform regulations, most aimed at making troops appear more fit and professional.

In 2011, for instance, Amos made waves by ending the practice of rolling the sleeves on Marines’ desert camouflage utility uniforms. More than 60 percent of troops surveyed voted against making the change, but the Marine Corps Uniform Board overrode their feedback and approved it anyway.

This year, as part of a continued effort to evaluate professional appearance and root out overweight Marines, Amos made the “bravo” or “charlie” service dress Friday’s uniform of the day for stateside troops not in the field.

Not all of Amos’ uniform updates have been more restrictive, however. In late 2011, he reversed a controversial ban on so-called KIA bracelets that honor fallen service members. At the time, commands had started cracking down on Marines who wore them in breach of the service’s uniform regulations. When troops complained, Amos stepped in, acknowledging the “strong bonds of fidelity that Marines have for one another, especially for those Marines who we have lost.

http://archive.marinecorpstimes.com/article/20130715/NEWS07/307150018/Uniform-uniformity-Dress-blues-wear-test-could-bring-servicewide-changes

[bemildred]

3. I really just don't know where to start with this stuff,

other than that they really don't seem to understand what matters.

I really do like that Thucydides quote in the one I posted though:

Quoting ancient Greek strategist Thucydides, who famously said a nation that separates its warriors from its thinkers is doomed to fail as its fighting is done by fools and its thinking by cowards, Mabus announced plans to increase the availability of private sector and academic billets.