Throughout time war has been predominantly fought by men, because the idea was that women should stay home and tend to the house and the children. Few women have made a name for themselves in history, fighting in war alongside men. The most notable woman in history that broke all the gender rules of ancient time was Joan of Arc. Joan fought for Charles VII, to take back France from the English. In the end she was captured by the English and burned at the stake. Joan is the most notable women in ancient history to fight in war. Fast forward to the year 2015 in the United States of America, a new fight has been started to open the door for women to fight alongside their male counter-parts in the field of combat. Questions have been raised on …show more content…
Doctors have pointed out key physical deficiencies. If you look at the militaries physical test you can see the unequal standards between men and women when it comes to physical fitness in women. There are women amongst the ranks of men, that can and do perform or even outperform men in this physical test.
In the military there is a set standard that men and women have to meet physically. These standards are: Push-Ups, Sit-Ups, and a 2-Mile Run. The score of each category varies from age group to gender. For a recruit to graduate boot camp, they must meet a score value of 150 points or higher with at least 50 points in each category (Smith). Once, these new recruits graduate boot camp, they then move onto Advance Infantry Training. At AIT, the physical standards are increased for both age group and gender. The categories are the same at this point in a soldier’s career. For a soldier to graduate AIT, they must score at least 180 points or higher and score at least 60 points in each category (Smith). A soldier is able to graduate with these scores, however, these are the bare minimum and will reflect poorly on your record. If a soldier seeks to achieve the Physical Fitness Badge they must score a 270 or above on the Army PFT.
The scoring is much different for men and women. If you look at Appendix 1, you can see the minimum a soldier must meet at both boot camp and AIT. By looking at these charts you can see the unfairness scoring between men and
Moreover, the negative side argues that women are not as physically or mentally capable when compared to men. Also that their weakness will have a significant impact on them as a person but as well as the military in general. Stating that there are no modifications in actual combat, where there can be in training settings. Those opposed to women in the military also mention that there is the possibility of sexual assault within the infantry teams.
In the 1800s women were looked upon as second-class citizens, depriving them the right to vote, run for office, to become educated or even to have any type of profession. After women were married they were not allowed to own their own property, wages/income, or sign contracts. After decades of intense political activities and rallies women were granted the right to vote in the year 1920. Women decided to take a stand as one and fight for equality amongst men and women, even if it meant dying for women in the future to one day cast a vote or run in the election.
When beginning the journey to enlist in the military a prerequisite is taking the ASVAB; this is the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery test. Every member attempting to enlist must take this test, however there are minimum score requirements for each respected branch. Here are the minimum scores for each respected branch: Air Force is 50, Army is 31, Coast Guard is 50, Navy is 50 and the Marines is 32. Each branch’s score
If someone who has had injuries in their arms can still do pull-ups, why is that healthy female military members cannot manage to do the minimum of three is that is considered equal for both male and female participants? They should not be lowered because they are equal to both male and female and it is also the standard that has been required from both groups.
Within the military, gender roles have always been an issue. For the longest time, women weren’t allowed to serve any role in the U.S military. They would disguise themselves as men to serve on the front lines. Eventually, women gained the privilege to fight alongside men. Everyone have goals that they want to achieve. Both genders search for the same opportunity and want to better themselves. Even though the issue has become equalized, the military remains gender biased. Male and females impact the military by the skills they possess through dedication and hard work.
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
The first precaution I mentioned was that women should not be held in a double standard, meaning that the combat physical fitness requirements should not be lowered for them. We wouldn’t be doing female soldiers any favors by lowering these standards. In fact, they should be raised to match the men’s requirements so that they are better prepared for combat. The Pentagon has noted that there will be “gender-neutral standards.” They’ve also stated that women, for example, must be able to load a tank with fifty-five pound shells, carry a backpack of over seventy pounds, and be able to carry an injured man that weighs at least two hundred pounds
So many questions linger when it comes to women being able to be in combat. Are they strong enough? Are women capable of dragging a man’s body out of gun fire? In my opinion, this is a well debated topic in the military world. I believe that women should not be allowed in combat because most are not physically capable, emotionally capable, and not experienced enough.
In the 1992 Presidential Commission, it was stated that evidence “clearly shows the distinct physiological differences between men and women” and that women are at a “disadvantage when performing tasks requiring a high level of muscular strength and aerobic capacity.” This argument is both under and over-inclusive because many women have the physical strength to engage in combat while many men do not possess though attributes. In all actuality, men are assigned to ground combat positions before undertaking physical strength examinations. They base it off medical evaluations, aptitude test scores and personal preferences. Thus, males are not removed from combat positions for a lack of physical strength, but women are banned from entering such positions regardless of physical strength. The jobs supplied should not be filled based on gender. Military effectiveness requires that the best qualified person is chosen, whether or not they are a woman. Therefore developing a gender-neutral policy and allowing women to take combat positions would surely increase effectiveness and capability of the United States armed forces (McSally). Some of the most courageous soldiers have been women and physical strength only added as a bonus for their
After many generations, it is now known that women are as mentally skilled as men. Female soldiers can and are known to be very detail oriented which can consider them to have better critical thinking skills than men. In this case, having strong analytical abilities equals strong “killer instinct”; many successful snipers and shots have been known to be from female soldiers. This important factor that is required in the military can be possessed by any individual of any gender or sexuality. According to Rebecca Shambaugh from the Huffington Post, “It isn’t about one gender being smarter or thinking better than the other; studies show that men and women are evenly matched in their intellectual performance” (Shambaugh, 2016, “Different Brains”)It shouldn’t matter
This is because of the high physical strain that can placed on these soldiers while in action. A much lower physical requirement is needed for example to be a truck driver, rightly so because they do not need to be in top physical shape to drive a truck. Women are allowed to have the job of a truck driver, and their PFT test scores are significantly lower to qualify for the job then that for men. This is not a huge problem because the lives of others and the success their mission does not involve physical strength. However, lowering the PFT score cannot be allowed when dealing with combat oriented jobs because of the severity of the situation our soldiers find themselves in. Women should have to meet the same standers as men because a failure in this area can literately mean life or death. There are thousands of scenarios in which a weak link could lead to many unnecessary deaths. Our Government should not be worrying about politics, but rather the only thing that matters in war…
The United States Army has even conducted its own tests to examine the performance of individual units with women in the field, under simulated combat conditions (Hoar). The first test, labeled MAX-WAC (Women Content in Units Force Development Test) studied women in three-day field exercise, and assessed their effect on unit performance. The second test, REF-WAC, studied women in thirty-day sustained combat related exercises during the NATO annual REFORGER
PURPOSE: To advocate for men and women to be at the same physical level in combat roles.
The military in general is very strict, when it comes to the topic of equal opportunity the military is even more stringent. Equal opportunity means treating everyone fairly, and not treating someone differently based on ethnicity, religion, race, culture, or gender. I will focus more on equality on gender in the military.
”Rule: Service members are eligible 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, as defined below.