Masculinity In Military

This paper has thus far outlined how not only the United States’, but militaries in general, are inherently gendered and favor men and masculinity. These structures have been used in the past and today to keep women out of the military and/or out of combat positions. Even though Secretary Carter opened up all combat positions in the U.S. Armed Forces to women in December 2015, there are still gendered mechanisms in the military preventing women from achieving equality with their male counterparts, in more ways than one. This paper will now address just one of these current effects, arguing that the gendered military institutions are preventing women from the ability to register for the draft. The Military Selective Service Act of 1917

Article One, Section Eight of the U.S. Constitution gives Congress the power to raise and provide for the military, so the power to conscript lays with the legislature. The Selective Service legislation outlines the procedure for registering for the draft, which is the subject in question since actual conscription hasn’t occurred in the U.S. since 1973. According to the Selective Service Act, all those who are stated above required to register must, “present himself for and submit to registration at such time or times and place or places, and in such manner, as shall be determines by proclamation of the President and by rules and regulations prescribed

Marine Corps Commandant General Robert Neller testified to Congress that, “now that the restrictions that exempted women from [combat jobs] don’t exist, then you’re a citizen of the U.S. It doesn’t mean that you’re going to serve, but you go register.” General Neller seems to believe that barring women from combat diminished their status as citizens, which is hard to fully dispute when the non-citizen males in the U.S. were given civic duties over women. Opponents to female registration still make appeals to the traditional ideal woman. Republican Congressman Stephen Buyer questioned whether America was ready to, “see one of its daughters half-naked dragged by a rope through the streets.” GOP presidential candidate, Ted Cruz, has made similar appeals, saying drafting women would be “nuts” and goes against “common sense.” Cruz criticizes, “the idea that their government would forcibly put them in a foxhole with a 220 lb. psychopath trying to kill them.” Even after combat positions have been legally opened to women, there are still many prominent people appealing to traditional doubts and criticisms of a woman’s ability and