It places them at risk : Army s first female infantry officer, 32, says new and easier gender-neutral fitness tests put lives of soldiers in danger on battlefield
Capt Kristen Griest, 32, pushed against Army s plan to consider test scores of men and women separately after branch received complaints about gender gap To not require women to meet equal standards in combat arms. will place those women, their teammates, and the mission at risk, Griest said
Griest, who in 2016 became the Army s first infantry officer added: I m here saying, Women can do more than we think
Last year, the Army rolled out a gender-neutral fitness test. It came after 54 percent of women failed the test last year, as compared to seven percent of men. The latest version of the fitness test, which went into effect on April 1, reportedly includes several modifications for women, according to a report by the Washington Post. For example, female soldiers are now allowed to replace a leg tuck with a plank to test their core strength.
According to the Post, the army also introduced plans to rank scores for men and women separately as they compete for promotions. 32-year-old Griest, who was one of the first two women to graduate from the Army s Ranger School, had warned in 2015, said that such a move was dangerous. I m here saying, Women can do more than we think, she wrote. I have learned this. Your gender is not as much of a limitation as you think it is.
For as casually as we often toss around the word hero, sometimes no lesser term applies. Tonight we ll introduce you to members of a secret American intelligence unit who fought in World War II. What s most extraordinary about this group: many of them were German-born Jews who fled their homeland, came to America, and then joined the U.S. Army. Their mission: to use their knowledge of the German language and culture to return to Europe and fight Nazism. The Ritchie Boys, as they were known, trained in espionage and frontline interrogation. And incredibly, they were responsible for most of the combat intelligence gathered on the Western Front. For decades, they didn t discuss their work. Fortunately, some of the Ritchie Boys are still around to tell their tales, and that includes the life force that is Guy Stern, age 99.
Medford veteran to be honored with trip to National Purple Heart Hall of Honor
Local veteran Larry Rupp will visit the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor in West Point, New York.
Posted: May 10, 2021 11:16 AM
Posted By: Jamie Parfitt
MEDFORD, Ore. A Rogue Valley veteran and Purple Heart recipient has been chosen as one of the nation s 2021 Purple Heart Patriot Project honorees, which includes a pilgrimage to the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor in West Point, New York.
U.S. Army Captain Lawrence Larry Rupp served two tours in Vietnam, receiving shrapnel wounds in January 1969 during a pair of attacks just two days apart. In May of that year, Rupp also suffered a gunshot wound while he was pursuing a Vietcong carrier.
Where did he go?: Among Braithwaite’s trips was a $232,000 excursion in January to the South Pacific s Wake Island to record a farewell message to the Navy and Marine Corps.
The island is essentially a refueling stop and emergency landing strip thousands of miles from Hawaii where no sailors or Marines are stationed, Navy spokesman Capt. Jereal Dorsey told the outlet.
Braithwaite also flew to Norway, Italy, Greece, Japan and India, as well as several trips to Hawaii and a more than $24,000 flight to attend the Army-Navy football game with his family.
Braithwaite’s response: Braithwaite defended his travels in a statement to USA Today, claiming they were necessary to strengthen the Navy after recent crises, likely alluding to the scandal surrounding the coronavirus outbreak aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier.