...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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...Bibliography Mackenzie, M. H. (2012). Let Women Fight. Foreign Affairs, 91(6), 32-42. An essay is presented on women serving in direct combat roles in the U.S. military. The author presents a case for changing U.S. law to permit women in all military roles. She notes that many women have served in the U.S. military, including in war zones, and says that the distinction between combat and non-combat roles has eroded in the context of contemporary warfare. She discusses the main arguments against women in combat, including their performance and effect on unit cohesion. Author Megan Mckenzie, in the article, “Let Women Fight,” from the journal Foreign Affairs, discusses the ability of women to serve in full combat units. She is avid about changing the laws to allow women full integration into combat infantry units, due to the history of women serving in combat roles in the U.S. Military (McKenzie 2012). McKenzie, argues that the lines that once existed, dividing combat roles from non-combat roles, in the U.S. Military has become blurred with today’s combat (McKenzie 2012). Due to this phenomenon, women have found themselves in the heat of combat, making them natural candidates for the allowance of women to fulfill these roles on a more permanent basis (McKenzie 2012). Simons, A. (2000). Women Can Never `Belong' in Combat. Orbis, 44(3), 451. Presents views on the debate over the exclusion laws in the United States which preclude women in the military from serving in front-line...
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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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...return to top ]Changing of Roles of Women in the Military Changing of Roles of Women in the Military Combat Exclusion Law Should women serve in combat positions? The Combat Exclusion Law has dealt with this question since the 1940’s. As time continues, the question remains. The military has increased the percentage of females allowed to be enlisted and commissioned in the services as well as increasing the positions allotted to them (Matthews, Ender, Laurence, & Rohall, 2009). Keenan posits “women have served with distinction in … the Revolutionary War…as volunteer nurses and were only occasionally in the direct line of fire…four nurses evacuating 42 patients while the Germans bombed their field hospital…” (the DoD Combat Exclusion Policy) pg. 21. The most recent debate questions a women’s engagement in combat. What distinguishes some positions as being acceptable while others are not? Who has the authority to approve exceptions, and what exceptions have been made? On May 13, 2011, a bill placed before the House of Representatives addressed the issues to “repeal the ground combat exclusion policy for female members” (HR 1928). Political Issues or Influences In 1973, women began to grow in numbers in the All-Volunteer Force implemented under President Nixon. “In February 1988, Department of Defense (DoD) codified the Combat Exclusion Policy by adopting the ‘Risk Rule’”, (the DoD Combat Exclusion Policy) pg. 21, 22. The change of the feminine role in the civilian population...
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...resources needed to complete this project, and an annotated bibliography that will be used as the core sources for the literature review I will write for the final paper. Overview and Purpose of the Research Project The role of women in combat has changed drastically over the years. Their inclusion in the military has increased followed by their involvement. However, the women are still limited in terms of what roles they are allowed to take. The general stigma against women depicts them as homemakers and their place in combat cannot exceed certain levels such as allowing them in the front line. There are other factors that have been linked to their limitation including their capacity to handle emotions, their need for extended leave when they get pregnant and their overall performance as compared to the men. People are constantly advocating for equal rights in men and women. In a bid to achieve that, women should be encouraged to uptake military positions while the policy makers are urged to set room for this. This research project will dwell on the inclusion of women in the military and their capacity to take up more definitive roles in combat. The position of this project is that women, whose gender roles have changed over the years, should be more involved in combat with an emphasis on more definite tasks that contribute to the...
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...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 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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...war it depends on its military to be up for any challenge war has to offer. 50 years ago the thought of a woman joining the ranks were laughable; today it is a reality. Women have proved that they can doubtfully be called the weaker gender, and recently have been able to serve in combat roles. Combat roles are the most dangerous and physically demanding roles the United States military has to offer. When a soldier signs up for this role they understand that they will be put on the frontline and in the line of fire from the enemy. Nature has made women physically weaker and less durable than men. A highly trained woman cannot match a man in physical strength. I served proudly alongside women for ten years in the military, but I strongly believe that they should not be able to serve in combat roles in the United States. Having them serve in such roles can have negative effects on them and the men that they serve with; lower standards, health issues, and possible harassment situations. When women were allowed into the military many of the army standards were either lowered or vanish completely. According to head officials at West Point Academy, Cadets no longer run in boots due to the fact women were suffering from a high rate of injury (Knight, 1991). Physical training test scores were adjusted because women could not meet the basic physical requirements to stay into the military. Due to the decrease in standards today’s soldiers have become lazy and overweight. “According to...
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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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...27-03-2016 Women in Military Combat: Should they be Allowed to Serve or Not? The question of whether women should be allowed to serve in military combat has always been a contentious issue with some of the people claiming that women should be allowed to serve in military combat positions while others insisting that military combat positions are meant for men. This paper is going to give an in-depth analysis of the reasons why people claim women should be allowed to serve in military combat positions or not and come up with a conclusion on the matter. 1. Why Women should be Allowed to Serve in Military Combat Positions The first reason why women should be allowed to serve in combat positions is to promote gender equality. The main reason is, the military gives a clear picture of how the society is and having gender equality improves the military’s public image. Although women have been allowed to support in military operations since 1901, women are still excluded from some combat positions and promoting gender equality would improve the military’s public reputation by promoting gender equality. A perfect example is the ancient structure of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army which allowed women to serve in combat positions as well and in leadership roles as generals (Xiaolin, 1993). Second, women should be allowed to serve in military combat positions due to their physical ability. Although most women do not have the physical ability that men serving in military combat positions...
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...women in the miliWomen In the Military Historical Contributions Revolutionary war: During the American Revolutionary War thousands of women took an active role in both American and British armies. Most were wives or daughters of officers or soldiers. These women were known as “camp followers” because they maintained a constant presence in military camps. Their duties consisted primarily of cooking, sewing, laundry, childcare, and nursing the sick. Many women also disguised themselves as men in order to serve in the military. Civil War: During the Civil War thousands of women volunteered and signed up to work as nurses. Others helped supply food, sewed clothes and blankets, and did laundry. More than 400 women disguised themselves as men and fought in the Union and Confederate armies. Some worked as spies and messengers. W.W.I/W.W.II: Some of the more known roles of women in W.W.I/W.W.II include nurses, munitions factory workers, sewing bandages, selling war bonds, shipyards and spies. Some also worked on planes as mechanics and pilots. Korean Conflict: During the Korean Conflict most women were restricted to clerical and nursing duties. Vietnam: During Vietnam women served as nurses and were close behind fighting troops and were exposed to combat conditions and fighting forces. They were trained on how to fire the M-16 but were not allowed to fire them. Desert Storm/OIF: During Desert Storm over 40,000 US military women served in key combat‐support positions...
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...SHOULD WOMEN BE IN COMBAT? Doris Gantt ENG 102 Research Writing Date: August 27, 2013 For decades, there have been countless debates over the issue of women and their involvement in the United States Armed Forces. One of the hot-button issues involves their participation in combat, an issue which has resulted in extremely divided opinions. To this day, it continues to be a Left-versus-Right, Feminists-versus-Traditionalists debate. As a woman with experience serving in the United States Armed Forces, I am positive women can participate in all facets of military duty. From clerical, technical, medical, supply, and general support to more combative field and rescue scenarios, women can be as reliable as their male counterparts. The current sentiments regarding gender indicate that women are no longer viewed as incapable of taking on responsibilities that have been traditionally dominated by men. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, women started to deviate from the customary homemaker lifestyles and began finding success in furthering their education as well as their professional careers. Women have viewed themselves simply as more successful because of their abilities to manage both their professional and personal lives. However, this does not mean the mindset of women and their inabilities to carry out male-dominated roles has been completely eradicated. As with all things, there is always going to be an opposition. Every opinion has its detractor. In this case women...
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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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...head: WOMEN IN THE MILITARY Women in the Military: Controversy of Direct Combat Strayer University Women in the Military: Controversy of Direct Combat Section I: Introduction Women have been in the military, or associated with combat for decades. “The most famous example of the ability of a woman to not only be involved in combat but to lead forces is that of Joan of Arc's legendary battles leading the French army when she was just a teenager.”(Gerber 1) Women have been involved in espionage and even posed as male soldiers during the Civil War. Conflicts such as, WWI, WWII, Panama, and as recent as our current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan women have served with distinction in many ways. In our most recent conflict, over 100 military women have given the ultimate sacrifice. Today with changes in our society and the global environment in which we live two controversial arguments arise concerning women in combat. Basically the debate whether or not women should be allowed to participate in direct combat or not. As our society and cultural beliefs change so does what we except as social norms. Both sides of this argument bring many reasons for and against allowing women to participate in direct combat. Taking into account both views of this controversy it will show, that not only a social change has occurred, but the dynamics of the battlefield has in fact already placed female service members into direct combat. Section II: Opposition to Direct Combat Roles for...
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