Women in combat?

Not my first choice. Here's the deal, folks. When women have to perform the same Army Physical Fitness Test as the men, then we'll talk. But so long as a woman can pass with 19 push-ups while I have to do 40, then we simply need to admit that women as a rule are not as strong as men. They cannot perform the very physical tasks up to the same standards as men.

And combat is a very physical activity.

It has nothing to do with courage, with valor, with "heart", or anything of that nature. It's the fact that you're walking around in 40-70 pounds of equipment and weapons to begin with, and then are forced to sprint, duck for cover, and fire you're weapon with accuracy. It's hard. Any mall ninjas that are reading this and going "Aw whatever, I could do that", well, give it a try. Load fifty pounds into a backpack. Go on a quick two-mile walk. Then sprint 100 yards, dive behind an object and try to fire three rounds into a three-inch circle at 150 yards.

Most women would not be able to keep up with me on the march. It's a simple statement of fact. So either I have to slow down, which slows down the mission, or I have to go ahead and leave them behind, which means if I get ambushed I don't have the help I need.

I'm sorry, but women should not be in combat. Period, end of story.