...there already women going to combat in Iraq and Afghanistan?” Well, the answer to that question was one of the driving forces behind wanting to write a paper on the subject. The short answer is “Yes”. The long answer is no, there have been no women who have gone to combat in a direct Combat Military Occupational Specialty in the history of the American Soldier. “Well how can the answer be both yes and no at the same time”? The answer comes in the forms of rules and regulations that once prohibited women from even training to take on the jobs that are considered the Combat Arms of the military. Sometimes non-military members don’t have the luxury of seeing how the military operates from the inside. The military is like a small microcosm of the world and the citizens that they protect. There is a specific job for every task, no matter how menial or prominent, that must be trained for before being allowed to officially have it as a job title. This is especially true when it comes to Combat Arms; these are jobs that will intentionally put the Soldier in the direct line of fire. The training is intense and grueling and requires a lot of very physical strength and stamina to complete the courses to become members of their ranks. Women are currently allowed to serve in Combat support roles, but the fight has been for women to be able to serve in combat positions such as Infantry, Field Artillery and Engineers. Women and men have served along side one another in combat in every war...
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...Women and Combat Women should not be allowed in combat situations. As a woman I know all the arguments of equality in the work force. Also being in a family with former and current military persons I see the arguments and effects of military life. The pentagon has changed some of its rules but not many. Physical limitations, psychological effects, maternal instinct with the possibility of becoming a target are still all reasons women should not be in combat situations. The pentagon has recently changed rules about women in combat. “The new rules will continue the long-held prohibition that prevents women from serving as infantry, armor and special operations forces. But they will formally allow women to serve in other jobs at the battalion level, which until now had been considered too close to combat (2012, The Associated Press.)” These changes will allow women to help combat units without the risks that are associated with combat. Women have always had physical limitations. A lot of combat positions offered to military personal require a level of physical fitness that is uncommon in women. It is known that women are smaller and weaker than men. For example all Special Forces training are hard, grueling, exercises to bring a person to their lowest levels and rebuild them. Even if a woman did go through the training it is most likely that the said person would quit. Many train for months even years and still withdraw them self from the training. The psychological effects...
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...English 043 Persuasive December 11, 2010 Women in Combat Should women be allowed in combat? Can women perform and function as effectively as men in combat? Some would agree and some conservative people would usually argue that they shouldn't. Many would debate the physical capabilities and mental differences of the two sexes, or even the effect of the presence of the opposite sex on the battlefield. But we should also be reminded, women have been serving in the armies and for centuries have fought many successful battles. Policies that prohibit women to join the combat must be abolished. Capable women should be allowed in combat, and not be denied the ability to function in the army on an equal basis. Buried in the history of books, women have played many roles in combat for many centuries. In 600 BC, there is a legend about fearsome female warriors from ancient Greece. These stories speak of women who were trained in the art of war, how to use weapons, and how to cope with physical hardships. The stories tell us that they conquered men on the field of battle. These women are called the Amazons. Who would forget the story of Joan of Arc, who in 1429 successfully led French Troops into battle against the English. During the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, hundreds of women disguised themselves as men to fight. These are just a few examples of what a woman can be, they have proved themselves able to handle difficult situation well when they are thrown into one...
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...Women in Combat “Your Momma wears combat boots,” this phrase will soon become true. In May 2012, the United States Marine Corps decided to start opening combat related Military Occupational Skills (MOS) for women. A MOS a specific job a Marine is trained to specialize in, and only preforms this specific job while in the Marine Corps. Is America ready to send their willing service women into combat? There is still a wide controversy on this topic, but I believe the majority of America is ready. This new development with the merge of women into combat could have been supported a lot sooner than May2012, in my opinion. Women were serving in combat related situation, well before America was aware of it. There are many benefits to allow women to go into combat, such as; the boost in moral, the lowering of disciplinary actions among male Marines, the improvement of physical hygiene, and the lowered stress levels among Marines. As a female marine my MOS was combat engineer. I chose this for the simple facts that that was one of the only MOS allowing women close to combat. I did this, because I wanted my time serving to actually make a difference, although paper pushing is important, I wanted to accomplish something much bigger. I served in Iraq during 2008-2009. Even though it was just a few years ago, women still weren’t aloud to be on the front lines. I was aloud to go on patrols in the MRAPS, and HUMVEES. The MRAP is a larger up armored combat vehicle, which seats six people...
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...WOMEN IN COMBAT Abstract As the band is lifted on women serving in combat, some would say it will affect our military readiness as a whole. Through research this paper will show that all these misconceptions of women not being cut out to serve in combat zones are just that a misconceptions. This paper will also discuss physical standards, the fact that women have already seen combat, and whether women are able to make the same decisions as men in stressful combat situations. WOMEN IN COMBAT Defense Secretary Leon Panetta will lift a longstanding ban on women serving in combat, according to senior defense officials. The services have until this May to come up with a plan to implement the change, according to a Defense Department official. "To implement these initiatives successfully and without sacrificing our war- fighting capability or the trust of the American people, we will need time to get it right," he said in the memo, referring to the 2016 horizon (Martinez, 2013). The new order, signed Thursday by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, will open as many as 237,000 new jobs to women. Women comprise about 14% of the 1.4 million active military personnel (Michaels, Vanden Brook, 2013). (See Appendix A, photo 1.) During the Iraq War, 4,475 U.S. service members were killed and 32,220 were wounded; in Afghanistan, 2,165 have been killed and 18,230 wounded through Feb. 5, 2013. Among service members deployed in these conflicts, 103,792 were diagnosed with post-traumatic...
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...For as long as our country has been founded, males were usually thought up as to be physically stronger and have more stamina and endurance then women; and this was proven true in most cases. For many years, America’s military was comprised of 100% men. However with the changing times of our country this was amended to allow females to enlist in the ranks of the military. They were given much easier physical entrance tests, tests more adapted to women. As of this very day, women are currently “barred” (banned) from combat. Congress has attempted to lift this bar multiple times, however it has never passed vote. In some cases, females are just as strong as males if not stronger and I believe it is unjust to bar all females from combat based solely off an outdated stereotype. If a female can pass the same physical requirements as a male infantry solider, then there is no just means as to why she can not pick up a rifle and serve next to a male on the front lines of defense. The female body is far different then the male body. The Department of Defense (DOD) knows that women aren’t suited for combat — even if it won’t outright admit it. The easiest way to demonstrate this is by considering the differences in Army standards for physical fitness for men and women . . . and how the Army skews those differences to the advantage of women. For instance, if a 33-year-old male were to do 43 push-ups, 55 sit-ups, and run two miles in 15:18 for his Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT), he...
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...WOMEN IN COMBAT AN INDISPENSIBLE ARMY 21 COMPONENT OR A SIMPLE CASE OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITY? Your mission remains fixed, determined, inviolable – it is to win our wars. Everything else in your professional career is but corollary to this vital dedication. All other public purposes … will find others for their accomplishment; but you are the ones who are trained to fight; yours is the profession to arms. General Douglas A. MacArthur to the West Point Graduating Class of 1962 INTRODUCTION Like the United States military, the infusion of women into the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) was announced with great fanfare and the proclamation of the politically-correct notion that “women have as much a role to play in the Nation’s defence as the men”. Thankfully, unlike the US military, the inclusion of women into SAF did not result in controversies and scandals that the US military faced in recent years as exemplified in the Tailhook[1] and Aberdeen[2] scandals. Amidst continued declining birth rates and greater economic opportunities, the participation of women in the SAF has been generally accepted as an inexorable development within the organisation without much ado, trusting that the authorities have performed the necessary analysis. Is this naturally the case? Are there larger issues that we need to grapple with, given our unique circumstances, noting that up till today, the US military is still debating on the wisdom of opening up military career opportunities...
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...Women in combat Much speculation follows the controversy of women in combat and serving in the frontlines. A recent news release by the Pentagon suggests that soon women may be allowed to enter military career fields that had been open to males only. Not all are so sure about putting our women so close to dangerous situations. Retired British Army Major Judith Webb was the first woman to command an all-male field force in the British Army. She also believes there are several reasons women should not be in the frontlines. In an article Judith Webb argues that women are just different; “It may not be fashionable but it's time that society accepted the simple fact that women are different (Webb, 07 A).” Women as military equals Women in our Armed Forces have served in every war, conflict, and humanitarian mission. Without the brave nurses during the Pearl Harbor attack our total loss of life would have been dramatically larger. Major Judith Webb claims that women are more compassionate, alluding to a long argued question that women are not aggressive enough for combat. In recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, women have proved that they are not only up to taking the dangers head on, but also that they do it with gallantry. I recall a fellow Army Military Police Corps Soldier who as a part of a small group of Soldiers fought thirty-plus insurgents with aggression and courage for more than ninety minutes. Ultimately earning a Silver Star for bravery, the Soldiers involved tell...
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...Women in Combat For the past two hundred and forty-one years of the United States military’s existence, women have not been allowed to serve in combat roles. Recently however the argument to abolish this practice, and to fully integrate women into our fighting forces has gained some traction, with the Secretary of Defense actually setting a timeline for lifting this ban. This is yet another welcome step forward for our country. If done correctly this move will strengthen our nation, but if performed poorly or for the wrong reasons, could further damage an already tenuous relationship between male and female soldiers. Fully integrating women into frontline combat positions would create a more diverse talent pool for the armed forces to pull form. Diversity has always been a strength for the U.S. military, allowing them to quickly adapt to situations by pulling ideas from cultures and experience not available to its adversaries. The potential problem with this integration stems from the fact that Americans tend to be impatient, demanding instant change. Instead of lifting the ban and allowing the number of women in combat positions to grow naturally overtime the military will most likely bow to political pressure and adjust the standards to allow for the quick entrance of women into these positions until the desired quota is met. The military already has different standards for men and women, take the Army Physical Fitness test; for a male and female soldier to get the same...
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...ability. In the debate video: “Resolved: Women in the Military Should be excluded from combat”, two groups argue about whether women should be in combat, or should not. Each individual in their respective groups presented reasons and evidence on why they think their argument is valid. Considering all the challenges men have faced in the military over the years, it is understandable why some people vouch for women not to fight. In the debate video, the side that is for the resolution argues that woman should not be in the military...
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...Can Women Serve In Combat? The Military Leadership Diversity Commission is recommending that the Pentagon do away with a policy that bans women from serving in combat units, breathing new life into a debate that really should never have developed in the first place. Let’s take a look at the reasons for the current ban, and the reasons why some may be trying to lift the ban that keeps women from serving in direct combat roles. First, Let Me Be Clear Let me be clear in efforts to head off any “you hate women” ignorance. This article is not about whether women should be allowed to serve in the military in general. This is specifically about why I personally believe women (female or trans-gendered) should not be allowed to, forced into, pressured, or even given the option to serve in direct combat roles such as Infantry, Sniper, Special Forces, Recon, Ranger, SEAL, Combat Diver, or Delta units. In my opinion, this is a common sense issue… but to no surprise, the “well-educated” people that have done studies and compiled reports commissioned by the government seem to be incapable of utilizing a commodity such as common sense. And trust me, I have seen many women, especially in the Marine Corps, that were highly capable, willing and able to serve in infantry and combat-related roles. There’s more to it than that. Reasons Why Women Should Not Serve In Direct Combat Roles Strength, equality, logistics, safety and emotions are a few main areas that I would like to discuss...
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...allow women in combat is not a new issue. Prior to the 1990’s, women were not even allowed to fly combat missions or allowed onto combat ships. In the United States military the term combat is defined as an armed conflict. The definition of combat is important to know because the argument is that women should not be allowed to serve in combat. Women not being allowed to serve in combat is a much different argument then the argument that women should not be allowed in the military. Women perform many important jobs in the United States armed forces and very few people are against women serving in the military. The United States armed forces consist of five branches, the Airforce, Army, Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard. Currently women are allowed to serve in all five branches and are being integrated into the combat mission of all five branches. In December of 2010...
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...“Should Women Serve in Ground Combat Arms?” The problems of integrating women fully into combat ground roles are continually being addressed by the Department of Defense through studies to try to determine the major concerns and points of resistance among military personnel. Despite the involvement of women in the military since 1901, the medical needs of women in combat have not be properly addressed or reasonably understood. There is ongoing progress in research and treatment efforts, determining the physiological differences between the sexes, medical issues such as susceptibility to stress fractures, pregnancy, menstrual cycles, and breastfeeding as well as leadership and unit factors which must continue as women are fully integrated in to ground combat arms. A greater understanding of these issues will be beneficial to all services as well as genders during wartime. The ability of women to cope on the battlefield is plagued with mixed emotions. Some same women are incapable of handling combat, physically. The service members currently serving in assignments such as Special Forces units have expressed concerns about serving with women. Many feel the presence of women causes a lost to their elite status and of fear from the opposition of their esteemed unit. Other concerns of behavior during menstruation affecting women’s judgment may also cause other problems. Despite the concerns, each individual will have the opportunity to meet the challenge...
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...Why Women Should Not Have Combat Roles in the Military In January of 2013, the ban preventing female soldiers from having combat roles in the military was lifted (Harris). As of today, women are fighting on the front lines of war alongside men during a time when war is more brutal now than ever. As a soldier in the Army, it is my plan to one day go overseas and fight against the enemies of the United States. However, it frightens me to know I will be fighting alongside mothers, sisters and daughters, who are all sacrificing their lives to do a job that men have been doing since the beginning of time. There are many important jobs done by women in our military, and I know that is what makes our country special, but I do not think women should be allowed combat roles. The main reasons behind my argument are women are not physically or mentally suited for combat, the amount of tension and sexual abuse that results from women in combat, and the amount of other jobs that women can have in our military besides combat jobs. Women are simply not as physically equipped as men are for combat. A contributor to studyhealth.com said, "Men are over 30% stronger than women, especially in the upper body. Although many feminists cannot face this fact, females simply do not have the strength or endurance necessary to be, for example, effective combat soldiers." A combat soldier is required on average to wear between 88 to 102 pounds of gear, depending on the weather, on almost every...
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...Are women capable of serving in combat roles in the military psychologically? Kevin Carpenter BCOM/275 July 16th, 2012 Sandra Payne ABSTRACT According to an article in the Huffington Post women handle combat stress as well as men (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/08/women-combat-stress_n_873381.html). It is the purpose of this paper to show that psychologically women do not handle combat stress as well as men. Through research I will show that women have a higher chance of suffering from Military Sexual Trauma (MST) and have increased risk of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The definition of MST used by the VA is given by U.S. Code (1720D of Title 38). It is “psychological trauma, which in the judgment of the VA mental health professional, resulted from a physical assault of a sexual nature, battery of a sexual nature, or sexual harassment which occurred while the Veteran was serving on active duty or active duty for training.” Sexual harassment is further defined as “repeated, unsolicited verbal or physical contact of a sexual nature which is threatening in character.” In more concrete terms, MST includes any sexual activity where you are involved against your will (http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/pages/military-sexual-trauma-general.asp ). PTSD as covered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs can occur after a traumatic event. A traumatic event is something terrible and scary that you see, hear about, or that happens to you like combat exposure...
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