The U.S. Army1 needs cyber warriors2 to defend against3 attacks on the nation’s computer systems. But it is having a hard time finding4 young Americans who meet all of the requirements5 for the job. Cyber warrior candidates must have6 advanced computer skills7, want to join8 the service and meet the Army’s current9 physical fitness10 standards11.
So the Army is studying whether it should have12
different height13 and weight14 standards for soldiers
depending on what job they will do.
The possible change15 could permit cyber warriors -- soldiers who fight the enemy16 in cyberspace --
to have more body fat17 than
soldiers who fight on the battlefield18.
Now, all soldiers must meet the same19 physical
standards whether they are20 cooks21, clerks22 or
infantrymen23. To remain24 in the Army, male25 soldiers between the ages of
17 and 21 must be able to do 35 pushups26 and
47 sit-ups27. They must also run two milesin fewer than28 17 minutes. Female29 soldiers of
the same age must reach30 similar31 timed targets32 for pushups, sit-ups and
a two-mile run33.
Major General34 Allen Batschelet leads35 the
U.S. Army Recruiting Command. The Florida Times Union
newspaper reported his comments about possible changes to
the Army’s standards36 for some new
soldiers.
The newspaper said Gen. Batschelet believes people who are fighting a war
in cyberspace may not need37 to meet38 the same39 physical standards as
infantrymen. They must still be40 physically fit41, healthy and have a professionalappearance, however42.
But many young Americans are obese and do not exercise much. Many of
them are likely43 to struggle44 or fail to pass the Army’s physical fitness test45 without training. Gen. Batschelet did not say how the test might be changed to
permit those who cannot pass46 it
-- but who have the computer skills the Army
needs -- to join the military.
D. Allen Youngman is a retired47 U.S. Army major general.
He says he knows the Army has a difficult job finding48 new soldiers at
a time when young people are fatter than ever before49. But
he told VOA he does not think the Army should50 change its weight standards to attract soldiers with computer skills.
“But I, I, I think a lot of us
are really concerned about51 the idea of having two
armies -- you know, one that’s physically fit and trained and disciplined and,
and the ones we send into52 harm’s way53.
And the others that, you know, have a somewhat54 different image, who work from air-conditioned control centers
somewhere in the United States that, that
don’t have to meet those same standards. I
don’t think we want to do that. And hopefully55 we
won’t have to.
But one way or another56 the Army’s going to have to “fill the boots”57 that
it’s, you know, of its assigned forces59.
And,
and if we reach that point then I think we
will have lost something in society.”
Beth Asch is
a senior economist at the RAND Corporation,
a research group. She studies military recruiting activities.
She told VOA that new missions have always forced the Army to study different recruiting methods.
“A few years ago this issue59 came up in the context60 of language capability -- that people who had language capability wouldn’t necessarily meet other
requirements61.
And the issue there was
that62 people who have language capabilities in
the languages we really needed weren’t necessarily U.S.citizens63 or would have passed, you know security
clearance-related issues64.So these are smaller-scale programs that were very targeted to65
a specific need and
the idea was these people would help meet that need.”
The Army told VOA
that officials have only talked about possible policy66 changes. They have not made a decision about changing standards for
possible new cyber warriors. A spokesman67 said,
“the Army works in deliberate, careful ways on issues like this68, so we
don’t” believe a change will be made soon69.
Vocabulary
1. U.S. Army = exército Americano
2. cyber warriors = guerreiros cibernéticos
3. against = contra
4.
having a hard time finding =
tendo dificuldades em encontrar
5. meet all of the requirements =
atendam todas as exigencias
6. must have = devem ter
7. skills = habilidades
8.
join = juntar-se a, entrar para
9.
current = atual
10.
physical fitness = aptidão
física
11.
standards =
padrões
12. whether it should have = se ou não
deveria ter
13. height = altura
14. weight = peso
15. change = alterações
16. who fight the enemy = que combatem o
inimigo
17. fat = gordura
18. battlefield = campo de batalha
19. the same = o(a) mesmo(a)
20. whether they are = quer eles sejam
21. cooks = cozinheiros
22. clerks = empregado de escritório
23. infantrymen = homens de
infantaria
24. remain = permanecer
25. male = do sexo masculine
26. pushups = flexões
27. sit-ups = abdominais
28. fewer than = menos que
29. Female = do sexo feminino
30. reach = atingir
31. similar = semelhante
32. timed targets = objetivos cronometrados
33.
two-mile run = corrida de duas
milhas
34.
Major General
= Major general
35.
leads =
lidera
36.
standards =
padrões
37. may not need = podem não precisar
38. meet = atender
39. same = mesmo(a)
40. must still be = devem ainda estar
41. physically fit = fisicamente apto
42. however = no entanto
43. likely = provável
44. struggle = esforçar-se
45.
fitness test = teste de aptidão
física
46.
those who cannot pass =
aqueles que não conseguem passer
47.
retired =
aposentado
48.
difficult job finding =
trabalho difícil para encontrar
49.
fatter than ever before
= mais gordos do que nunca
50.
should =
deveria
51.
concerned about
= preocupados com
52.
the ones we send into =
aqueles que enviamos para
53.
harm’s way
= caminho do perigo
54.
somewhat
= um tanto
55.
hopefully =
esperançosamente (esperamos que)
56.
one way or another
= de uma forma ou de outra
57.
fill the boots =
preencher suas fileiras
58.
assigned forces
= forças designadas
59.
issue =
questão
60. came up in the context = surgiu no context
61. requirements = exigências
62. the issue there was that = a questão
lá era que…
63. U.S.citizens = cidadãos Americanos
64.
security
clearance-related issues = questões relacionadas ao
credenciamento de segurança
65.
targeted to
= direcionado a
66.
policy =
diretriz
67.
spokesman
= porta-voz
68.
like this
= como estes(as)
