Combat Engineering Research Paper

For years women have been trying to gain gender equality throughout the working world, along with in the military. Since the beginning of a uniformed military, women could not serve in military occupational specialty (MOS) positions that put them in direct combat roles. Although many women have contributed in significant ways, they have not been authorized to serve in MOS such as infantry, artillery, or armor. As the war on terrorism has developed since 9/11, women have slowly worked their way farther into the military and its many roles. This resulted in women being placed into direct combat roles. Though women have been allowed into many different roles, there is still one battle that they have yet to win and this time the majority is not backing them. Women are trying to gain access to United States Special Operations units in every branch of the military and the majority of these operators are not happy about it. While some people believe women deserve equality and the chance to do what men can do in the military, that is why women should not be

Women now make up 14 percent of the active-duty military in the United States, which is up from 1.6 percent, 25 years prior. (Christian Science Monitor, 1). In 1948, President Truman signed the Women 's Armed Services Integration Act which created the role of women in the military. This law meant that each branch of the service was allowed to have one female Colonel (Byfield, 12). As of 2015, there are many women who serve as Generals and Admirals. All of these roles are non-combative. Even though some women can do anything a man can do, the vast majority can not, therefore making it an unsafe idea to place these women into combat positions.

ecretary Panetta 's decision to repeal the Department of Defense policy preventing women from serving in direct ground combat units opened Pandora 's box. We have since witnessed a fierce debate over whether women should be allowed to serve in specialties previously opened to males only. The media promptly rushed to side with those contending that all direct ground combat jobs should be open to women, suggesting that women proven had themselves on a "nonlinear" battlefield, where there were no distinguishable front and rear lines. Furthermore, many have rallied behind those women who have been able to demonstrate superior physical abilities, such as the two women soldiers that recently completed Ranger School. I would submit in line with the 1992 Presidential Commission on the Assignment of Women in the Armed Forces that neither accomplishment demonstrates that these women or women in general are the "best-qualified and most capable" to serve in direct ground combat arms specialties. This issue is not about what women should be allowed to do, it 's really about what are they capable of doing. The bias is not institutional, the bias is physiological.

This paper will discuss the U.S. Army’s decision to allow women into combat Military Occupational Specialty (MOS), specifically into MOS 12B known as a Combat Engineer which for years has been closed to women. I will speak briefly on the history of and mindset of the Army and how it has pretty much forced the women that currently serve to prove themselves. We will also discuss the certification process from Basic Combat Training (BCT), AIT (Advanced Individual Training), and Combat Engineer Advanced Leaders Course (ALC). This paper will also examine the specialized programs soldiers must receive such as Sexual

The United States Army was founded on June 14, 1775, and since this day women have helped nurture this great branch into what is known today as the largest and oldest United States Military service. (“Women”) The US Army is consisted of about 452,064 enlisted soldiers and 87,610 officers. This total of 539,675 makes up 37.8% of all of the military branches. ("Demographics”) As time has carried on more and more women are looking to serve the country in the Army. While women have many skills and abilities to offer, there is still a major issue that needs to be addressed. Double standards for women in the Army has created a disservice to not only the females but the entire Army. In order to have a more efficient armed force, standards for men and women should be equivalent.

Several women have also recently been allowed to attend advanced combat training, such as the U.S. Army Ranger School. Additionally, with much opposition to women serving in combat units, the Department of Defense has recently opened all combat related positions including

No job should be classed as gender specific even in the military, only some’s personal preferences causes the main decision on if they can or cannot do that job. With this said I do agree with the act of women participating in military combat.

There are definitely women that are stronger and more capable than some men. To be in a combat role you have to be physically and mentally prepared; there are people who are either one or the other, but not both. Soldiers who are both physically and mentally prepared are usually the ones put in combat roles. Most combat soldiers end up being men because there are some women in the military that are constantly being put down for being a woman who wants to be in combat. I think that if a woman has the quality of a combat soldier then she should be put in that combat

Going back all the way to the American Revolution women served in the military. They were only allowed to serve as nurses until World War I. Then they were trained to be stenographers and combat phone operators (“Highlights in the History of Military Women”). In World War I there were roughly 23,000 women that served in the military as well as during World War II roughly about 350,000 served, but not in combat. (“Women in the Military.” Issues & Controversies. Infobase Learning, 29 May 2007.). Women are allowed to serve in combat now, but not in a combat military occupational specialty (MOS). Even to this day the question still remains “Should women be able to serve in combat military occupational specialties?” Combat military occupational

     Women have played a tremendous role in many countries' armed forces from the past to the present. Women have thoroughly integrated into the armed forces; all positions in the armed forces should be fully accessible to women who can compete with men intellectually and physically.

When it comes to combat assignments and the needs of the military, men take precedence over all other considerations, including career prospects of female service members. Female military members have been encouraged to pursue opportunities and career enhancement within the armed forces, which limit them only to the needs and good of the service due to women being not as “similarly situated” as their male counterparts when it comes to strength or aggressiveness, and are not able to handle combat situations.

The ministry of defence are making a historic adjustment to see if women should be able to serve in the infantry and also in the tank regiments, female fighters should be in combat roles at the end of 2016,if this does happen then women will be expected to take the same physical tests as men.

After years of discussion and debate it appears that soon women will be sent into combat operations in the United States military. This is the way it should be because women are ready and competent to be put into combat roles in the U.S. military. Indeed, slowly but surely, the Defense Department and Congress have been inching towards a decision that will formalize the policy; in fact the National Defense Authorization Act, put before Congress in May, 2012 by U.S. Senators John McCain and Carl Levin will in effect order the military "…to come up with a plan to send women into battle" (McAuliff, 2012). Hopes are high that this will be approved by Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama.

I realized that although in theory women in the armed forces seemed like a good idea, there are many obstacles that make that reality very difficult to achieve. In writing this paper I am not proposing that either position is more valid or right than the other. I only hope to present each side in an equal light to help others to understand the issues involved.

I am in favor of equality for women, just not when it comes to women in combat. There have been women in society doing heroic things since the Revolutionary war. There have been brave women in war posing as men so they could fight. There are a select few women who could handle war and combat. The negative aspects of women in combat outweigh the positive. Women should not participate in military combat. However they may join the military and served in traditional roles such as nurses and office staff. The difference between men and women is women are physically weaker, they have vital personal needs, and they attract male troops.