As the Army turns to functional fitness testing, is the end of gender standards near?

I have a few concerns. I like the idea of a test where men and women are scored the same and that score determines what MOS you can do in the military. BUT, will that test have to be passed prior to a contract being signed? Can a recruiter no loner guarantee someone Infantry on the basis that they may not score high enough on the test at basic? And what happens when an Infantryman or woman scores high enough at first but fails when tested later (while still scoring high enough for other MOS')? Do they get processed out of the Army or are they forced to change MOS's?

I also think that while changing the types of events is fine, we're never going to actually simulate combat. I look at the APFT like the NFL combine, where just because a guy can bench press 225 pounds thirty times does not mean he'll make it in the NFL. But it is a pretty good indicator. Likewise, if a man or woman can max the APFT, I'd feel confident taking them into combat based on that indicator. So maybe a better idea is to keep the APFT and change the scoring standards. You want Infantry? Score here. You want engineer? Score here. Etc. Just a thought.

This issue will never go away imo. No easy answer.

Yes, sir. COL Charles Williams It is more of the case that women who join are more likely to start healthy with good habits and motivation. Men are more likely to start motivated but may need more time to learn the good habits. After all, most men have a different body image framework to work off of. It is only faced with the rigours of military training that most men come face to face with the possibility that their body may not belong to just them. This is purely ego at work. Over time, when your safety/success/self-esteem are determined by your body you will see a shift in attitude where men begin to become more selfless. Of course, being Team America and Also Team male, perhaps with more teamwork, more men will turn to each other to keep ourselves honest and focused on fitness and excellence in all we do.