A further addition to bills passed by the Senate and House prohibiting women from participating in direct ground combat, would make an exception for women provided with special equipment.
Under development for the past four years, the Biological Ultimate Repelling Kill Hub, Army has been nominally accepted by Republican congressmen as a measure that would enable men to feel secure with their female counterparts serving on the front lines.
Inspired by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s observation that “…females have biological problems staying in a ditch for thirty days because they get infections and they don’t have upper body strength…,” the B.U.R.K.H.A provides top-to-bottom protection for its wearer, as well as an exoskeletal strength booster and automated “infections” control.
update
A reader at DailyKos asks: “How heavy is this thing? I’m all for it, but if women are going to be lugging around some space suit to serve that can’t be helpful.”
Most of the details of the B.U.R.K.H.A. are still under wraps, but with the air conditioning unit needed for the expected desert war scenarios, I expect it’ll probably weigh at least 50kg. Of course, that includes the servo-assisted titanium alloy exoskeleton.