Role Of Women Into Combat Roles During Marine Corps Infantry And Other Ground Combat Schools

Women are without doubt an integral part of the military services. It took the determination of women throughout history to pave the way for the 400,000, women that serve today. From the early years of the military to the present conflict in Afghanistan, women have made continuous progress towards equality. It is through their contributions that the military has evolved, consistently opening more jobs to women in combat. Time has proven that war does not discriminate; a successful military uses the strengths of all members despite their gender.

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 military has always been a predominantly male environment. However, women have been active participants since the first major war, the American Revolution. Historically, women have served as nurses in many wars including Vietnam and both World Wars. As time progressed, females started to expand into different military occupation specialties. In the middle of the 1900s the first women pilots created the WASP. This stood for Women Air Force Service Pilots and their duty was to fly and deliver the planes from the factors to the military bases. During this same time fields like factory worker, national intelligence and security started to fill with female employment. Now women make up 15.7 percent of the

There are many examples that can be cited where women have served in combat roles. World War II in the Pacific. When the Philippines fell to the Japanese, lots of American Soldiers, Airmen, Marines and sailors were captured. Among those Prisoners of War, were also women. These women were Nurses, who were taking care of the wounded. There were treated just as bad as the men and many times even worse. Granted, there not serving on the front lines, but the front lines came to them, when places like Bataan had to surrender. Another example, is an interviews that was conducted by NPR reporter Alex Chadwick, with Army National Guard Specialist Abbie Pickett. The interview was about Specialist Pickett experience while she was in Iraq. She was part of an engineer unit. She was outside the camp on various occasions, just like her male counterparts. She was as much as a target as the male soldiers. She was driving a fuel truck between different camps. All it would take is for one rocket to hit her fuel truck and she would be wounded or killed. She was not in a defined combat military occupational specialty, but she was in combat. This female soldier was one of many thousands of female soldiers that served in various capacities in Iraq, from driving trucks of supplies, to being part of convoys, to pulling guard duty at the various camps through Iraq. There are many examples of women serving in

With the pentagon lifting the ban on women to serve in combat positions the military is struggling with the possibility of being directed to alter existing standards, (Thompson, 2013). The Defense Secretary Ash Carter is spearheading this endeavor by ordering the military to open all combat positions for women, (Baldor, 2015). This new directive is scheduled to be implemented by April 1st, (Baldor, 2015). Women serving in combat positions has been a highly controversial topic and is openly criticized by many. Even though the doors will be open the testing /qualifications are another matter. Women that want to enter into the combat arena will have to pass the same standards as the men, (Lin, 2014). The marines testing requirements are very

The United States Military is the strongest of its kind of this planet. Several countries dream to have the firepower and loyalty that the United States has acquired since its infancy. Although the military is the most powerful, one issue which has been heavily debated as early as the 1920's is, “do women belong in the military?” Women have been fighting, bleeding, and dying for our country since the revolutionary war and have shown how capable they are in several military disputes . Women have turned the tides of history for the greater good. Women deserve to be treated as equals in the military, but should be excluded from groups which need the most effective and physically fit soldiers possible.

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 in Military Combat Women have served various roles in the military over the years. However, their participation in combat role has always been debatable. History has highlighted a number of women who have served in the military either intentionally or unintentionally particularly in combat roles. During the Second World War, women from different countries such as Britain and Germany served in combat roles (Megan, 32). However, this was short lived as many countries continue to bar women participation through adoption of various policies.

Women have long been aggravated about the combat restrictions and have increasingly pressured the Pentagon to catch up with the reality on the battlefield. When Defense Secretary Leon Panetta lifted the ban on women serving in combat roles, it opened up hundreds of thousands of additional front-line jobs to them and cleared the path for military women to serve in direct combat. His groundbreaking decision overturned a 1994 Pentagon rule that restricted women from artillery, armor, infantry and other such combat roles. By removing the ban, it acknowledges the changing realities for women at war. They are often found in the line of fire, regardless of the fact that they are not officially designated as combat troops. Now women can be formally

After a long endured history of only men on the front lines, the ban on women in combat has been removed. However, talk has spread of opposition towards this controversial topic. Questions have exploded on whether women will be beneficial or only a liability. Opposing viewers surrounding this issue believe women are not capable of excelling in combat. Not only is there differences in male and female anatomy, the overall workload is too excessive for women to endure. The popular belief still holds, women belong in the home, not on the battlefield. Yet times are vastly changing. Modern times has moved society towards fixing the wrongs it has created. From the Women’s Rights Movement to today,

Gender equality and stereotypes have been a huge issue and everyday struggle for women in combat for centuries. Women in the military, often times deal with pressure and discrimination to work extra hard in order for their skills to be considered or be as equal as the male soldiers. However, the roles of females have rapidly evolved and have outperformed men many times in the military. Females have the choice just as men to serve their country and should not be held back for wanting to risk their lives in the frontlines. Women have fought and proved to be an important asset in the battlefield, by not only having strong critical mind skills, but also strong fighters and can possess skillful weaponry abilities as men.

As of right now, the U.S. government is trying to intergrade female military members into combat jobs. Originally, they were not able to serve in jobs that were directly related to combat such as tanks, artillery and infantry. “Military women are to be assigned to all positions for which they are qualified except that women shall be excluded from assignment to units below the brigade level whose primary mission is to engage in direct combat on the ground” (Harrell). There are some serious complications when it comes to allowing women to serve in these types of roles. Women will be subjective to sexual assault, Un safe environments for women in particular, and their involvement will cause unwanted changes in the units. Too many life essential properties of the combat role will be sacrifice in order to satisfy gender equality.

Women should have the opportunity to join the military due to personal reasons, while receiving the same benefits as men. The individual, as well as the military itself, gains from the presence and persistence of women that serve in the armed forces. Roles in the military and the way women are treated all refer back to equality and it’s crucial for women to have the same rights as men. It can influence other members of the military as well as those who wish to join them. For years, influential people have worked so hard to gain equal rights for all those who live. Women’s rights have drastically changed over the years, but women’s rights are still not equivalent to men’s rights and roles, especially in the

This mirrors historically in the military population because for over three thousand years women have played many roles from: ancient warrior woman to current combat woman. Women would often aid men during war time rather than serve alongside them. Women would typically be nurses, aides, cooks, seamstresses, menders, secretaries, and/or hold other desk/office positions.

Hey Brian, I do agree that our military is a very current issue regarding feminism and the roles of women.  I think that women should be allowed into our military, and I think men should be able to raise and watch children.  I do realize that there are differences between men and women that would make them more or less capable to perform certain vocations and tasks.  So, I think jobs should be assigned based on capability.  If a woman can perform as well as any man on the physical exams and training she should be allowed to fight for her country on the front lines.  Right now women are offered 14,000 different job opportunities in our military, but there are still 200,000 positions that women are banned from holding.  There are definitely other