MEDAL: Female Marines are rocking pullups on the Corps’ new fitness test

For years, the Marine Corps gave women the option of doing an embarrassingly easy “flexed-arm hang” rather than the traditional pullups expected of men on the force-wide physical fitness test.

That ended in January when the Corps changed the PFT rules.

And the results? Women are doing a lot of pullups. More than half of the women who did pullups maxed out their PFT test score (meaning they did at least seven pullups).

After all the hand wringing over the past several years about the role of women in the military, it’s worth taking a moment to applaud what the Marines have done with their fitness test — and how female Marines are performing.

It‘s only going to add momentum to the argument that women’s fitness standards should be identical to men’s.

Many women are the strongest advocates for that, saying that meeting the same standards as men will lead to equal treatment.

More In Medals & Misfires

MEDAL: Underwater discoveries help us remember history, honor the fallen

The crew of the Research Vessel Petrel, led by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, is on a roll.

MISFIRE: DoD shouldn’t have waited so long to approve danger pay for troops in Niger

The Defense Department on March 8 announced that troops deployed to Niger, Mali and northern Cameroon qualify to receive imminent danger pay/hostile fire pay, retroactive to June 7, 2017.

MEDAL: Marine Corps fitness test offers smart alternative to running

The other services should pay attention.

MISFIRE: California teacher’s military tirade is just plain vile

The daggers flew this weekend when a disparaging military rant by a California high school teacher went viral.

MISFIRE: Airman’s trumpet-sounding ignorance on Facebook makes everyone look bad

A technical sergeant from Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada came under fire recently after she shared a racially-charged, expletive-laced rant to Facebook.

In Other News

House wants troops to chow down bison meat bought from native tribes

The House version of the annual defense bill would have DOD purchase two million pounds of bison meat annually.

Sailors, Marines reporting sexual assault will not be punished for related ‘minor misconduct’

Collateral misconduct by the victim is one of the most significant barriers to reporting a sexual assault, said Andrea Goldstein, the Navy Department’s assistant director for force resiliency.

Little guidance for troops, dependents who may need to end a pregnancy post-Roe

The Pentagon's current message is "business as usual."

The Marine Corps is looking to its Reserve for new support

Historically a mirror version of the active-duty side, reservists are taking the lead in some areas

How volunteers can help defeat great powers

"It was clear from the onset and confirmed throughout our visit that volunteers played a critical role in the defense of Kyiv, yet their role has not been systematically studied."

Load More