Doesn't bother me at all. I know quite a few Rangers that are ticked off about that because the standards were lowered. And they were lowered no matter what you hear, the question is, do the old standards REALLY matter, when it comes to training. IMO no.
The first phase, as it was when I went through, would have been almost impossible for even women in excellent shape could get though, there was a LOT of upper body strength needed that because of biology, women just don't have. Hand to hand combat training would have been rough on a woman if they were paired against a man. The obstacle course would have been horrible for women. When I went through I was in the best shape of my life, and three of those obstacles I barely completed. If you don't have very good upper body strength it would be impossible. It is possible that Amazon fitness freak women could do it, but from what I was told, they no longer make the completion of the obstacle course a requirement, you just have to make it over most of them, and it's no longer timed. The forced march is no longer with 120 lbs of equipment.
Once you get past the first phase it was pretty much just putting up with little sleep and little food, women can do that. Lower the basic load you have to carry, and they can get through the later phases as long as you don't get hurt and don't quit. It used to be 4 phases, now it is shorter with only 3 phases. The women that make it though that achieved something exceptional, the men that graduate now... well it's really not that special anymore, but whose to say the old standards were needed? It all depends on the purpose of Ranger School... it used to be a requirement to serve as a NCO or Officer in a Ranger Battalion, you really can't say that anymore, now it's a leadership school I suppose, and that's fine.
It's the getting hurt part that that washes out most women. Again, it's biology. I think women have just as much mental toughness to get through, but the female body is just not designed to put up with the physical abuse. Don't blame me, blame evolution.
