The New Marine?

I truly respect the Marine Corps, many have kept me out of serious trouble from time to time, and many have come to my rescue. I could never be a Marine, not the physical part, but the team thing, because there are true team players like Marines and then there are single players, and I seem to have fallen in the later. But often that is what makes an entrepreneur. Yet again and again I am impressed with current and former Marines, somehow to become a Marine is truly transformative. Also they are in my opinion and experience the true backbone of our Armed Forces. When you are in a stressed situation, it is always good to have a Marine around.

Now in today's NY Times is a piece on the expansion of the Corps to women in combat. Again I have no problem here, Israel has had it for years, and it works well. But what was somewhat disappointing was the picture of so many obese individuals which I assume was at a marine boot camp, Paris or Pendleton. This is not what I ever remember, but I gather it is becoming pandemic. In WW II the weight of the average inductee was about 135 pounds, now the weight of the average Midshipman male is near 195 pounds. And it tends just to get higher, except in the Corps, but not in the picture.

The challenge is to get them fit, make them fitter, and keep them the fittest. It will be interesting to see how this evolves.