Note: There was no mention made, at least in this case, of girl soldiers who wish to become boys, but I feel certain that that "CNN Special Report" can't be far in the future---probably hosted by Anderson Cooper who we may be sure that, unlike Charlie Rose, will not, in the meantime, have been fired from his job for being accused of sexually assaulting any women.
Anyway, when I first heard this story I was gob-smacked trying to understand the rationale, if any, for this policy change. Then it came to me in a flash-----this policy is the result of a War College Staff Study the object of which was to determine how to deal with two of the military's knottiest, but related, problems. To wit:
First, we are in an era where the National Organization of Women (NOW) and the "diversity/inclusion" crowd have succeeded in their effort to insure that women will always be able to serve in the armed forces in any capacity they wish, including combat roles.
Second, the knock on women in combat has always been that, in general, they lack the upper body strength of their male counterparts. (Remember, there STILL ARE TWO Physical Training tests!)
SOLUTION: Create women soldiers who have upper body strength by starting with a man! How clever! Why didn't I think of that?
This policy would also have the probable added benefits of lessening the number of sexual assaults in the military as the "new" soldiers would, since they by definition have upper body strength, just slug their oppressors and it would create a better "Command Climate" by allowing the Chelsea/ Bradley Mannings of the world feel better about themselves.
IT'S A WIN WIN, BOYS AND GIRLS!!!! Happy Thanksgiving!