Top Marine: Women Too Weak For Battlefield

The new commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Charles Krulak, says women are important to the success of his force but have no place in ground combat.

“Why? Because I don’t think they can do it,” the four-star general said in an interview Friday.

Krulak, who took over as the Marine Corps’ top officer on July 1, said he does not doubt women have the intelligence and courage it takes to fight on the battlefield.

He believes, as do most other U.S. military leaders, that the physical challenge is too great. Carrying a lot of gear for a long distance and then shooting accurately is too much to ask of female Marines, Krulak said.