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The role of women in the armed forces
The role of women in the armed forces
Diversity in united states army
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Do women in the military make the military stronger? There are both sides to this issue. Some people in the United States believe that women shouldn’t be in combat because they are weaker than men, their training isn’t as hard as the men’s, and they could be seen as a distraction. The military does have benefits for women being in the military. They can help the wounded, they are experienced, they have training, and they are more calm in tough situations. If women are able to meet the physical and mental standards, then based on equality they should be able to be in combat. It’s been proven by D’Ann Campbell that mixed units in the military are stronger and work better. The U.S. military should enlist more women to strengthen and improve their …show more content…
This controversy is relevant today because we still have our military and women still don’t have the rights they want in the military. The government let them the women have certain jobs but they can’t fully be in combat yet. People believe that women shouldn’t be in combat and its still an ongoing debate. Women have been in wars and in combat before, they have been fighting in the war since the Civil War. They have experienced roadside bombs, small-arm tire, hand grenades, trenches, and many other issues. They know how to use guns and hand grenades because of their knowledge and what they have been through. No matter where they are in combat, there is always danger around them at all times. Women are very capable of making it in the military. Women are allowed to drive tanks, lead soldiers, fire mortars, and graduated their specific training. These women accomplish their goals to show that they can do it and prove people wrong. They have successfully proven that they can graduate from Army Ranger school and that’s hard to do. Women are more calm and know how to react in sticky situations. They observe everything around them and make sure they make it out alive. Women don’t want to hurt themselves or other people. They just want to be equal and help everyone they can when they join and when in tough situations. The only way we can change this problem is by having the government and the military …show more content…
"Women on the Front Lines: Nearly Two Years After the Military
Opened all Combat Positions to Women, What's Changed--and What Hasn't?" Junior
Scholastic/Current Events, Scholastic Inc. 11 Dec. 2017, General Reference Center GOLD, http://bit.ly/Womenonfrontlines Accessed April 24 2018. 1.
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Daedalus, American Academy of Arts and Sciences. vol. 140, no. 3, 2011, Academic OneFile, http://bit.ly/DefendingAmericainMixed. Accessed April 20 2018. 6.
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The military is trying to find new ways to recognize the fact that women now fight in the country’s wars. In 2011 the Military Leadership Diversity Commission recommended that the Department of Defense remove all combat restrictions on women. Although many jobs have been opened for women in the military, there is still 7.3 percent of jobs that are closed to them. On February 9, 2012, George Little announced that the Department of Defense would continue to reduce the restrictions that were put on women’s roles. The argument that “women are not physically fit for combat” is the most common and well-researched justification for their exclusion from fighting units. It has been proven if women go through proper training and necessary adaptations, they can complete the same physical tasks as any man. Though there seem to be many reasons from the exclusion of women in the military, the main ones have appeared to be that they do not have the strength to go through combat, would be a distraction to the men, and that they would interrupt male bonding and group
Women should be allowed in combat roles in the armed forces because they are just as capable as men. To begin, women such as Shaye Haver and Kristen Griest, graduates of the Fort Benning Ranger School, have shown that they can meet the same physical requirements as men. Nevertheless, these women still weren’t allowed to serve in combat positions despite the rigorous training they completed that involved grueling obstacles they had to complete all while carrying 100-pound gear. Does that make any sense to you? It didn’t to me and it certainly didn’t to women like Sgt. Patricia A. Bradford who said “If you have to be able to lift a certain amount of weight in order to do a certain job, then the weight is not going to know whether you’re male or female.” (Women at Arms: On the Ground.). In fact, in some instances women have proved to be even more
Women in the US Military - Civil War Era. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.
With society’s past and present it is apparent that women are still not equal even if they have the title. Men are observably stronger and have a different mentality in situations than women. This is not to say that women should not be in the military but they should have the choice that way they can accept the responsibility and train themselves mentally and physically to achieve the responsibility and respect needed to fight for our country.
Since the resolution of World War II, the United States has been involved in over fifteen extensive military wars. Recent wars between Iraq and Afghanistan are being fought over several issues which affect women in both the United States and the other nations. While the military is often thought of a male dominated institution, women are present and affected all throughout the system as soldiers, caretakers, partners, and victims. Transnational feminists often fight against war due to the vulnerability that is placed on women during times of war. Despite often being overlooked, there is no doubt that women are heavily included in the devastating consequences of war.
"From Home Front to Front Line." Women in War. Ed. Cecilia Lee and Paul Edward Strong. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. The Churchill Centre. Web. 23 Apr. 2014.
"Update: Women in the Military." Issues and Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 29 May 2007. Web.
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.
Many women around the world have big responsibilities in the military, and although some people may disagree, I believe they can handle anything a man can handle when it comes to being on the battlefield. Some people think that women should not be able to fight in the military, where as other people think they should be able to fight in the military. Each supporter and non-supporter has their own reasons. Some of the reasons for the non-supporters are because of their gender. They think that because they are women, they cannot handle the challenges that being on the battlefield brings. Women are willing to fight, and they know what can happen, they know exactly what can happen. They are willing to fight for their country, and I believe they should be able to. The men that fight for our country are against women fighting in combat. They believe that women are not capable of doing what they do to defend and fight for our country. The men feel that they cannot trust women to help back them up at war simply because of the fact that they are women.
...nto a situation of high testosterone, women are not considered to be a threat. Military research now however, has shown that women have the physical stamina to endure battle and do not disrupt the cohesion in the male units and can also be mentally tough without breaking when under fire. Women are not only discriminated against in the military, they are also discriminated against in Philosophy, religion, and Popular Culture.
The problem of women fighting in combat along with their male counterparts is not a one-sided problem. Elizabeth Hoisington has earned the rank of Brigadier General in the U.S. Army, leads the Women’s Army Corps and believes that women should not serve in combat because they are not as physically, mentally, or emotionally qualified as a male is and that ...
Tan, M.. "Women in combat: Army to open 14k jobs, 6 MOSs. ." Army Times. N.p., 02 May 2012. Web. 8 Dec 2013. .
Ruby, J. (2005, November 1). Women in Combat Roles: Is That the Question?. Off Our Backs,35, 36.
Many agree, that in certain military occupations, women can function at the same level as men. The controversy about having women fighting with men in wars is the fact that they have a different physical structure, deal with stress and emotions differently , are more susceptible to injury and just don't have the killer instinct necessary to get the job done. Although the last statement might appear to be a stereotype, most women would not be capable of supporting the demanding rigors of war-like situations. It would be a great mistake to allow women in these stressful and dangerous situations.
Should women be allowed in the military? My answer was at first a resounding “no.” However, once I started my research, my opinion changed. In 1948, Congress passed the combat exclusion law that prohibited women in the Air Force, Marines, and Navy to hold combat positions; however, the Army can assign these duties as they see fit (Schroeder). Some people assume that Americans are not ready to see a woman wounded or killed in war; however, there are female police officers that are wounded or killed daily (Schroeder). How can we rationalize that a woman has the right to die protecting our local communities but not our country? If a person chooses to be in a combat field, and can pass the physical demands required, gender should not be an issue. The arguments of physical differences and cohesion among the troops are valid arguments but not substantial enough to prevent women from serving in frontline combat roles within the military.