[craigepo]

I think that we are analyzing this incorrectly.

Initially, it is never a bad idea to get guys into SF that have a good foundation of soldiering skills. Joining the ranger regiment at 18 years of age is a good way to acquire those skills in a short amount of time.

Second, because of my present occupation, I realize that the older a man gets, the less testosterone he carries. In my observations, I note that large amounts of testosterone lead to small amounts of forethought. Parachuting onto an airfield in the face of ZSU-4 fire is a mission best done without thinking much about the mission beforehand. Ergo, this author at 19 years old bailing out of a C-130 in Panama.

Conversely, SF missions require a ton of complex forethought. That same 19 year old that would gladly invade a jungle island armed with only a knife will have a little tougher time planning and conducting a year-long mission to conquer and pacify that same jungle island. He's 19 for Pete's sake!! If the wind blows in the right direction, all of his blood drains from his brain to his genitalia!

I'm not saying that SF is a low-testosterone sport; far from it. But, SF does require a definite maturity level and skill set that is generally unheard of with young guys. Ranger missions, on the other hand, often require some good old, en masse, well-rehearsed ass-whooping that is tailor-made for young dudes.