In Reply.—
We anticipated the controversy our article might engender. The army's medical mission is "to preserve the fighting strength." We object to Dr Finney's suggestion that we made a "giant leap" to question boxing. Our concern is the health of the soldiers we are sworn to protect.
We do possess the "special competence" Dr Finney describes to assess boxing as military training. Two of us graduated from service academies (R.W.E., USMA; R.J.E., USNA) and experienced boxing's "training benefits" first hand. Our opinions come from more than merely a "medical background."1,2
A military boxing ban would withstand Dr Finney's "scrutiny of logic." Medical criteria should be tempered by training considerations when evaluating any activity. However, that military boxing injuries can be disabling or fatal is indisputable.
War is a dangerous encounter; preparing for war is a dangerous occupation. Military training is often dangerous. However, valuable training does not have
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