Women in Combat Essay

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.

A woman in combat was a trending topic for the armed forces for years. The year 2016 is when officially women have been granted the right to join the armed forces in a combat field of the job. Others, particularly in the military, are against this act because of various reasons concerning the safety of military troops in an anarchy form of living. A battlefield is known to be the most stressful and dangerous environment, and it is vital for the armed forces to conduct safety and simpleness to remove any complicated areas that might make the job more difficult. Efficiency, communication, and most importantly trust and loyalty are essential to perform in such a violent atmosphere.

Throughout time women have gone to war along-side their male counterparts without any question as to what role they couldn’t play but rather what contributions they brought with them. History shows that women have played a vital role in military combat and have been very successful filling any role that their male equivalent has played during combat. Military women have led armies into battle, marched as soldiers on to the front line, have lie in wait for the perfect ambush as snipers, acted as spies to obtain vital information for their cause, and placed themselves in harm’s way to protect

While acknowledging the existence of studies showing the inferiority of women’s performance in combat conditions compared to men’s, Denn holds an almost dismissive attitude toward such evidence. He instead argues: “The success of women’s integration into combat units will depend on how quickly and enthusiastically officers and enlisted soldiers embrace it. Many servicemen resist the idea, citing studies that suggest the inclusion of women in combat would imperil unit effectiveness, good order, and discipline.” Thus, Denn suggests that the barriers to women’s success in combat lie not with the women’s physical capabilities but rather with those who oppose the idea of servicewomen in combat. However, a Marine Corps study conducted over a period of one year refutes Denn’s claims. “The Marines created a battalion of 100 female and 300 male volunteers. During the past year, they trained…taking part in realistic combat exercises. All-male squads, the study

Women have been enlisted in the armed forces since June 12, 1948, when President Truman signed the Woman’s Armed Services Integration Act. Throughout this time, women have served several different roles; however, women were not allowed to serve in combat forces. Arguments offer the idea that women are physically and emotionally capable of performing the same as men, Researchers have proven that only a small percentage of women are capable of performing the physically demanding aspects as that of men, although there are a select few women that are capable of completing the qualification standards to join the combat forces. With that being said women should be allowed to fight on the front lines.

The United States Military is a very intricate and complex culture with many co-cultures branching out into even smaller sub cultures that have unwritten sets of rules, viewpoints, perspectives and operating procedures. These all depend on the branch of military, unit, unit history, job and rank of the individual. One unique sub culture unlike any other is the women in the service who have played a crucial role in winning wars since 1775. In recent years the military has been increasingly pressured to allow women into traditionally men only combat related jobs adding more complexity and grey areas to the military culture.

Thesis statement: I’d like to show that women are essential in the military. However, women should not partake in ground combat due to the physical nature of conflict, the emotional and psychological

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.

Interactions among individuals from diverse races, cultures, religious backgrounds and genders have become a key contribution towards helping to define society. Society has set a certain standard for women to follow. Women in society have a lot of pressure put on them like how they are expected to work and then go home to their husband and children to cook and clean for them. Gender integration in the military has always faced the issue of social recognition, whether society can accept how women will be treated and respected in the military. Throughout the history of the United States military, women have battled alongside men in the in every major battle since the American Revolution. Although it wasn’t until the last two years of World

Introduction/Objective: The push for equality by allowing women to serve in combat positions is not just isolated to a few military branches of service. According to the Department of Defense Secretary Ashton Cater, the push for women to be eligible for all positions in the military is credible, (Commander Call Topics, 2015). Based on the secretary’s recommendation, women will be eligible for all positions to include roles in combat. Senior leaders noted that this will provide a better selection of candidates, therefore increasing the quality of the selection process, (Commander Call Topics, 2015). The Air Force currently has opened over 4000 positions for women, including several that are combat related, (Commander Call Topics, 2015). The leading idea behind gendered neutrality is to improve the military’s position regarding well-qualified personnel in key positions regardless of gender. This integration is supported through equal opportunity for everyone who inspires to serve their country. It has been noted that standards will remain the same, therefore women will need to pass the same requirements as their male counterparts. According to research, several studies were conducted prior to making the decision to open all military positions for women. It was noted that over 200,000 women worked alongside their male counterparts in Afghanistan and Iraq without incident, (Commander Call Topics, 2015). Their performance was noted as, nothing less than outstanding.

Many might say that having women in combat in gender-integrated units might add more stress. When in fact, some studies rival that women reduce the stress levels in the teams that they are on. “A 1997 RAND Corporation study reported that in some cases, having women in a unit might actually be beneficial for the men in the unit.” ( It reported that in the gender-integrated units there were fewer incidences of men fighting and drinking to excess. The study attributed men’s improved behavior to men confiding their problems to the women to in the units, thus, reducing the stress levels of the men.

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.

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.

Many women who meet the male fitness requirements necessary for combat are strong enough to perform in combat situations. Allowing women to participate in combat has a positive impact to the military because they can build bigger armies that include both men and women that can fight in combat situations when necessary. When allowing one to participate in combat training and combat fighting, the military's judgment should be based on the abilities, strength, and determination of the individual rather than the gender of the

As proof that men and women are on both sides, there is an article opposed to the idea of women in combat written by a woman! Anna Simons titled her article: “Here’s Why Women in Combat Units is a Bad Idea,” in which she gives insight to possible complications that could result from the desegregation of combat units. All three problems listed in her article are based on male and female interaction within the