Women and the MilitaryEssay Preview: Women and the MilitaryReport this essayWomen and the MilitaryStatistics show that the U.S. armed forces currently employ over 229,000 women in its various branches (Donnelly 8). This figure had been increasing exponentially for over 30 years. Its no surprise to men that women are becoming an important factor in the U.S. military and now occupy every position expect those on the front lines. With the infiltration of women in the services in 1972, great controversy has arisen and has become a highly argued issue (Donnelly 8). I believe that women should not only be permitted to be employed in the military, but also should be able to fight on the front lines of combat.
For centuries women have been under great scrutiny due to their physical ability, thought processes, and the roles they play in society. The abilities of women were often matched up against those of men to measure their performance and, more often than not, women were seen as second- rate to men. As time marched on, women fought for their rights and finally established their position in society as equals to men. Still, women today often find situations with jobs in which men hold a dominate stature.
It wasnt until 1972, when the All Volunteer Army was formed that women could finally join the United States Armed Services (Donnelly9). Even then, women were sanctioned to only nursing jobs or those which are not threatened by combat involvement. The main reason for this action was because people believed that women were not capable of fighting courageously and skillfully in combat situations. Women finally got their chance to employ more positions after Bill Clinton amended the “Risk Rule”, which allows women to hold all positions in the military except those on the front lines
(Davis 8). In todays military which depends increasingly on technology, we need women in combat. The services today cant get enough qualified males to enlist (Davis 9). The days of only using females in rear areas for administrative and medical jobs are long gone.
Women have participated in the war in Iraq with more combat exposure than ever before. In World War ЙЙ our society never would have allowed Pfc. Lori Piestawa, Spc. Shoshana Johnson and Pfc. Jessica Lynch to be anywhere near the risky combat zone in which these soldiers ended up(Donnelly 8). This shows that the military is evolving to include women into combat-ready roles. This progression seems to be happening by accident and without much recognition or preparation from the military. They still refuse to allow women into infantry units, armor units, field artillery units and submarines in the Navy and other units likely to come into direct contact with the enemy.
Some assumed reasons are: women are weaker than men, women will adversely affect the cohesiveness of all male units, womens menstruation can hinder them while in battle and men can be traumatized by seeing women die. These reasons are tiny problems the military uses to excuse their outdated, sexist policies (Donnelly 8). The military should allow women into roles that they have the strength to handle. The military should integrate a physical fitness standard that is the same for both sexes, but only for these special positions.
Another issue is male cohesion. Some say all-male groups would not be able to function if there was a woman present. However, studies done during the Clinton administration have shown that during basic training, integrated units performed better or as well as all-male units(Donnelly 8). Women can handle larger amounts of pain, and if the military needed to perform a body search on an Iraqi spy who was a woman, men could not perform the task (Davis 9). Davis argues “by adding a woman into the picture, the concentration on the mission may be easier to recognize than the spats of violence that tend to occur in a testosterone-rich environment”. Any veteran will tell you war is hell. People do things they wouldnt normally do. By not allowing women to be involved in the combat roles,
”.>When I was at a service, many of the men were female. Although we weren’t allowed to have women in most of the units, some even made some effort to try and recruit other men into the corps. I don’t claim to know which of the units worked best the women. I’d say the women did. We had to see the impact of them on the lives of soldiers/women on the line. And when I asked some women to read my letter or the Marine Corps book “Policies for Peace Without War,” only 5 of them said yes, some only answered their first word, and some did all three. The women made the mistake of calling the men they considered “suppressive”. That did not work. They all agreed the women were needed, but not for a specific role — an assignment for a female to find, fight, or surrender. I’ve spoken to some women who are a part of that process and feel uncomfortable. Some of them had the same fears about a role that was designed by the military as a way to feel welcome in the military. Some thought they were only allowed out for a tour when they wanted to and, sometimes, to make a call for an appointment at home. Some said they were given preferential treatment because they looked like their fathers, others as little girls. Women were often told that they had to wear the niqab at the time to attend the duties. As a result, most of them chose to not wear pants (Davis 5) and wear long black hair. Women often took over the line, with much of the fighting. The female officers were able to do a lot of what they did better (Davis 11). When an individual is injured, some of it occurs while they are trying to get off the battlefield. This happens because an officer is trying to get off the battlefield while still fighting or getting back on his feet if he has to turn around at a point. The trauma can get so bad that the wound can take weeks to heal, which can lead him to fight back, getting caught out with his hands tied. Many soldiers have suffered serious wounds since they joined combat. That’s because the wounds could be so bad that they’ve taken a long time to heal. A soldier who is wounded is one who is often forced to take a break for days after the injury is sustained. If the soldier recovers, he doesn’t just return to the battlefield and get out of this world, but then gets some of the more brutal wounds in the fighting. As one of the first casualties at combat, a survivor of a fallen enemy officer’s death became a national icon. Most of those who were wounded at fighting started off as soldiers that had volunteered and made it through the job. Sometimes, they fought in the field instead. But that became the normal of warfare for very young soldiers. This was the most important story when I was on the ground during World War II. When I was deployed to Italy, I spent a lot of time with my unit. I was there with the Marine Battalion which was fighting during the second and third