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It places them at risk : Army s first female infantry officer, 32, says new and easier gender-neutral fitness tests put lives of soldiers in danger on battlefield Capt Kristen Griest, 32, pushed against Army s plan to consider test scores of men and women separately after branch received complaints about gender gap To not require women to meet equal standards in combat arms. will place those women, their teammates, and the mission at risk, Griest said Griest, who in 2016 became the Army s first infantry officer added: I m here saying, Women can do more than we think ....
Last year, the Army rolled out a gender-neutral fitness test. It came after 54 percent of women failed the test last year, as compared to seven percent of men. The latest version of the fitness test, which went into effect on April 1, reportedly includes several modifications for women, according to a report by the Washington Post. For example, female soldiers are now allowed to replace a leg tuck with a plank to test their core strength. According to the Post, the army also introduced plans to rank scores for men and women separately as they compete for promotions. 32-year-old Griest, who was one of the first two women to graduate from the Army s Ranger School, had warned in 2015, said that such a move was dangerous. I m here saying, Women can do more than we think, she wrote. I have learned this. Your gender is not as much of a limitation as you think it is. ....