David Lerman Women In Combat Summary

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

“In the Combat Zone” written by Leslie Marmon, is about how the roles of women have been taught for generations. Women are smaller and weaker, and that we are sitting ducks waiting to be victims by our prey. Women are taught to be easy targets by their mothers, aunts, and grandmothers. They were told that women should not kill, or use weapons. In this essay Leslie Marmon, explains that we can put a stop to the crimes done against women by strangers. Females must learn how to take aggressive action individually. In the 20th century woman no longer have to fit in the box that they have been put in. We can defend and protect ourselves.

Women have indeed served alongside men in the military since war began. One such historical female warrior of note is the Chiricahua Apache warrior Lozen. She was born in the 1840’s, and was the sister of the famed Apache warrior leader Victorio (Black Powder/ Red Power Midia, n.d.). She was celebrated as not only a warrior, but also as a medicine women; it is said that she could hold her hand in the air and tell the location and number of enemy troops. She is also remembered as a great hero to her people often noted for helping the women and children as the Apache retreated from the US Calvary in the 1870’s. Lozen embodied many traits that westerners would identify as masculine, but this was actually common in Apaches culture as taught

Women have served the military in one fashion or another since the Revolutionary War, in recent years the status of women serving in the military has changed dramatically. Traditionally women have always served in administrative or medical roles. With the advancement of views and the sheer determination of many women, we are seeing women serving in combat and fighting alongside their male counterparts. Training schools such as the Army Ranger school, Marine Infantry training, and pilot training within the Navy and Air Force have opened and began training women to fight. The history of some accomplishments women have made while serving in the military has paved the way for the future of women soldiers to follow.

Women in the Armed Force have come a long way from their small involvement in 1775 during The American Revolutionary War. The American Revolutionary War was the first time American women played a role in the military. Women in this time were only allowed to serve in the battlefield as water bearers, nurses, cooks, saboteurs and laundresses. In 1861 The United States broke out into a civil war over the abolishing of slavery, this particular war plays a major importance in the women’s military history. This war plays a major importance because it shows that women still served in war despite not actually being a part of The Army.

In Ashley’s War, Lemmon exposes the reader to the little known story of female volunteers on teams with Special Operations Forces in combat. She gives a largely balanced look at the experiences of CSTs, which is limited by the lack of citations. Despite this weakness, she writes a moving narrative that informs and addresses some of the concerns regarding women in combat roles. I recommend this book because it meets the goal of informing the general public, and is possibly the most balanced view Soldiers and leaders can get with regard to the benefits and risks of women in

Women in the military have changed drastically over the last few decades from a strict roles often as nurses, they are now moving into pilot fighting and working on aircraft carriers. In the military the roles of women are questioned on a

     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.

Women have been participating in the United States military since the Revolutionary War, where they were nurses, maids, cooks and even spies. They played vital roles in order to keep those fighting on the front lines healthier, and even a more important role in keeping commanding officers informed with private information stolen from the other side. Although the Revolutionary War took play in 1776, the first law to be passed that permanently stated that women have an official place in the military was in 1948, almost one hundred and seventy-two years later. Since that time there has been a lack of true growth when it comes to integration of females in the military. In 1994, a law was passed that tried to prohibit women from being assigned to ground combat units below the brigade level. Women are excluded from more then 25% of active combat roles within the military and only in 2013 was the ban lifted which was the final barrier to allowing women into all active roles. This has been a huge step in the direction for women being considered as being equal but there are still challenges that women face within the military. Ranging from sexual assault, discrimination, bullying, and other tactics, it is clear that for many, the military is still a “boys club.”

A great leader knows how and what to do in any given situation. Great leaders know how to adapt, and find a way to conquer a specific task or obstacle. There has been an ongoing debate about whether women should have access to combat roles. Many argue that women are not physically build to match the strength of a man. A young lady by the name of “Joan of Arc” or commonly known as “The Maid of Orleans” was a young leader of the 15th century who changed the course of the hundred years war. Joan became an unlikely heroine leader who led a revolt against the British which ultimately ended in a victory. Joan embodies the definition of what a women in the military should be. She debunks the 21st century modern critics that say women do not fit the standards to survive and thrive in combat roles. The objective of this paper is to identify key arguments that are in favor of women fighting in combat. Gender equality among women has been a longstanding battle. Many are for gender neutral roles in the military, and many are against it. The people that are against it believe that “women will endanger their units”. While the “Army and the Navy believes that it will enlarge the talent pool, and that opening combat roles to women will enhance the readiness of the military.

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.

Cultural changes require a directed effort to address current beliefs about women and men in combat. Integrating women into situations where only men were previously allowed requires a steadfast and consistent approach of advocacy. There is a long history on the debate for women in military combat positions and there is no fully accepted argument completely for or against the notion of permitting women in such capacities (Farnell, 2009). Bringing attention and advocacy to supporting women in positions of combat is one strategy that has proven effective in other situations such as women in pastoral positions in the church that were historically maintained by males.

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.

Women have fought alongside men in the United States Military in every major battle since the American Revolution. The roles of women in the military have evolved over time to allow the incorporation of women in expanding military career fields. Women have proven themselves to be an asset to the military despite some of society believing women would weaken America’s military effectiveness. Today more than 200,000 women are active-duty military, this is about 14.5% of all military. Currently, women are involved in all branches of the Armed Forces; there are around 74,000 women in the Army, 62,000 in the Air Force, 53,000 in the Navy, and 14,000 in the Marine Corps (By the numbers: Women in the U.S. Military). Military women continue to