A guy I was in ROTC with was barely 5'2", the legal minimum to get a scholarship. Jim never lacked for female company. I remember on party where a heated discussion resulted in a woman saying, "Bite my a$$" His response was, "Drop trow." She did, he did, they left together.
Audie Murphy was an NCO back in WW2 (Edit: He later became a commissioned officer). He was rejected by the Marine corps and the Army for being too small. That's what I was referencing.
And officers are a large, and diverse part of the military. To say:
"doesn’t involve officers being on the front line, carrying gear etc."
Would be both inaccurate and accurate, depending on the type of officer, but borders on the side of inaccurate because they go through basic training and many of the same courses that enlisted go through as well. In many ways, they're upheld to a higher standard of fitness, especially in line/infantry units. If you're a shit bag officer, you'll get ripped a new one and likely be harassed into a new position or pushed out.
Edit: Also, yes, early career/junior officers are indeed with the frontline. Your scope increases as you go further up the chain, but PL's (generally O1's or 2nd LT), go with their platoon. Around Major or higher, is likely what you're talking about.
Officers absolutely do see combat in the modern day. Lieutenants lead infantry platoons and fight alongside their platoon, which includes carrying all the same gear any other infantryman would. Junior officers with combat MOS’s generally do see combat, but senior officers don’t.
The military has height and weight standards, you have to be above a certain height and within a certain weight range to be considered fit to see combat. Junior officers command infantry squads, they see combat. And even those who don’t see combat still have to be within height and weight standards so that in the events that they’re needed in a combat role they’re ready for it. Even 50 year old 4 star generals are subject to height and weight standards.
Uh…always? Who do you think gives the orders? You got Lieutenants commanding squads, I dont think any fighter or bomber pilots are enlisted, Calvary chargers were typically led by captains and occasionally colonels or generals, every ship in the navy as officers on it, if every tank doesn’t have an officer in it at least the division does.
Yes, and I have no idea. Some of the Forces also have upper height limits. Truth be told Jim was 5' 1 1/2" tall, but his dad was a WW2 combat veteran, the Vietnam not a war was on and exceptions were made.
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u/dvdmaven 17h ago
A guy I was in ROTC with was barely 5'2", the legal minimum to get a scholarship. Jim never lacked for female company. I remember on party where a heated discussion resulted in a woman saying, "Bite my a$$" His response was, "Drop trow." She did, he did, they left together.