The pending National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2015 includes elements that are problematic and needlessly disruptive to our military. Provisions of concern to the Center for Military Readiness, which should be reconsidered, are excerpted here: H.R. 4435, Sec. 527 and here: S. 2410, Sec. 523 & Sec. 552
A. Mandate for Feminist Meddling in Military Misconduct Cases
The Senate Armed Services Committee version of the NDAA bill (S. 2410, Sec. 523& Sec. 552) would establish yet another power base in the Pentagon for feminists who believe that a person accused of sexual misconduct is automatically . . . Read MoreThe Center for Military Readiness has released an Interim CMR Special Report that reveals and analyzes ongoing U.S. Marine Corps research on issues surrounding women in direct ground combat (DGC) units.
The Interim CMR Special Report reveals previously-undisclosed findings derived from research done since 2012, when former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta set in motion incremental steps to repeal all of women's exemptions from direct ground combat units by January 2016. These include Marine and Army infantry, armor, artillery, Special Operations Forces and Navy Seals − small fighting teams that engage the enemy with deliberate offensive action. ... Read MoreDuring the marathon session to mark up sections of the annual National Defense Authorization Act for 2015, the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) casually approved a problematic amendment to the massive bill that should have gotten closer scrutiny. Sponsored by California Democrat Loretta Sanchez, the amendment named "SIR" for "She is Ready," is no less bad because it could have been worse.
Sanchez' initial proposal would have mandated that women who have gotten through infantry training as part of current research programs should be allowed to join the infantry, regardless of the physical, operational, and legal consequences for themselves and everyone else. Senior committee members correctly opposed that irresponsible idea, but they still agreed to other ...
Read Moreby Elaine Donnelly
On Saturday, April 12, I was privileged to attend the Military Tribute at the Marine Corps Memorial near Arlington National Cemetery honoring General Carl E. Mundy, Jr., the 30th Commandant, who died on April 2.
General Carl E. Mundy, Jr., the 30th Commandant, was a man of character, a mentor, and a good friend I've known since 1994. On April 2 he died peacefully at home, surrounded by family, having struggled with a rare and aggressive form of cancer, Merkel cell carcinoma. His email updates describing the ups and downs of what was happening since his diagnosis last June reflected serenity and even a bit of humor as "Team Mundy" closed ranks.
Many memories come to mind. In the millennium year, we were the guests of the 32nd Commandant, General Jim Jones, at the International Naval Review 2000 in New York Harbor. My photos of the splendid flotilla of tall ships sailing by our observation post aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Nassau, anchored near the carrier USS Kennedy, included the World Trade Center in the background.
Read MoreMarines "Experimental Task Force" Unlikely to Change Reality
Under orders from the Department of Defense, the Marines have been conducting research on whether it makes sense to assign women to direct ground combat units. Partial findings released so far indicate that this is not a good idea. Enter the "Marine Corps Force Integration Plan," a recently established experiment that some advocates hope will produce something. . .anything. . .that supports the theory that women can "succeed" in the combat arms.
The Center for Military Readiness has produced a concise but comprehensive CMR Policy Analysis presenting the latest information about ongoing "research" on the misguided push for women in direct ground (infantry) combat. After two years of trying, results do not appear to fit the template the Pentagon had in mind:
Defense Department Deliberately Moving to Implement Policies Known to Harm Military Women
In January 2012, outgoing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced the Obama Administration's intent to push for "gender diversity metrics" in aggressive fighting teams such as Marine and Army infantry, armor, artillery, Special Operations Forces, and Navy SEALs. . . . Read MoreNew Rules Greeted With Cautious Optimism
The Department of Defense recently released an Instruction (Number 1300.17) to implement a defense bill "conscience clause" to protect religious liberty in the military. The January 22 directive referenced Section 533 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for 2013, which reaffirmed the constitutional rights of chaplains and people of faith to act in accordance with their beliefs on issues affecting morality and religious beliefs.
The Center for Military Readiness and many groups affiliated with the Military Culture Coalition supported the legislation, which was passed in 2012:
Congress Takes First Steps to Accommodate Religious Liberty in the Military
If carried out as Congress intended, the law and Instruction will be helpful in pushing back against violations of religious liberty that . . . Read MorePentagon civilians and military leaders keep claiming that when women serve in the combat arms, all standards will be "gender-neutral." Now comes reality, revealed in a new physical fitness test with "gender-neutral" minimum requirements.
Owing to well-documented physiological differences, 55 percent of female Marine boot camp trainees, compared to 1 percent of men, were unable to perform a new minimum test: three pull-ups to demonstrate upper body strength. Plans for women in combat, still moving forward, just hit an iceberg that is bigger than boot camp. . . . Read MorePresident Barack Obama is pushing hard for women in direct ground combat units, to include Army and Marine infantry and Special Operations Forces. Under Defense Department mandates for "gender diversity," women will be incrementally ordered (not "allowed") into land combat battalions by January 2016.
Acquiescent military service chiefs keep insisting that training requirements will be "the same," implying standards will be as high as before. However, as the Center for Military Readiness reports in this CMR Policy Analysis, the fine print "catch" is hidden in plain sight:
Double-Think About Double Standards"Gender-Neutral" Training To Include Gender-Normed Scores143 Women Killed in War on Terror
Since the attack on America on September 11, 2001, a total of 143 women deployed to Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait have lost their lives in service to America.
Elaine Donnelly, President