WASHINGTON — More than half of female Marines in boot camp can’t do three pull-ups, the minimum standard that was supposed to take effect with the new year, prompting the Marine Corps to delay the requirement, part of the process of equalizing physical standards to integrate women into combat jobs.
The delay rekindled debate in the military on the question of whether women have the physical strength for some military jobs, as service branches move toward opening combat roles to them in 2016.
Although no new timetable has been set on the delayed physical requirement, Gen. James Amos, the Marine Corps commandant, wants training officials to “continue to gather data and ensure that female Marines are provided with the best opportunity to succeed,” said Capt. Maureen Krebs, a Marine spokeswoman.
Starting with the new year, all female Marines were supposed to be able to do at least three pull-ups on their annual physical fitness test and eight for a perfect score. The requirement was tested in 2013 on female recruits at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, S.C., and only 45 percent of women met the minimum, Krebs said.
