Essay On Women In Military Training

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Not all men entering military basic training courses meet the demanding physical requirements. Likewise, not all women meet the physical requirements either. Basic training is meant to prepare recruits for all elements of service: physical, mental and emotional and gives service members the basic tools necessary to perform the roles that will be asked of them for the duration of their tour of duty. Each of the Services has its own training program, tailoring the curriculum to the specialized nature of its role in the Military.
Major Rhonda Cornum decided that she wanted to attend a training course to earn the expert field medical badge. At the end of the training, she was required to carry a heavy backpack for a twelve-mile march in less than …show more content…

The two-month program is a physically intensive training that aims to mold participants into elite military fighters. According to Army statistics, only about forty percent of male soldiers who enter the program graduate.
Opponents to women in combat believe that pregnancy directly effects combat readiness of women. As a Vietnam Era War Veteran, I can personally speak to this issue. I had two children in less than three years while serving as an active duty soldier. I never missed any work during either of my pregnancies; I worked up until the day of delivery and took only six weeks off post-partum. Immediately upon returning to active duty, I passed my required annual physical fitness test while ten percent of my male counterparts failed that test.
During the Persian Gulf War, women were not allowed to serve if they were pregnant. Many women deployed to Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Storm, were sent home after the military learned of their pregnancies. This reduction in forces, due to pregnancies, was thought to directly affect the unit’s combat readiness. Under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) Article 134, pregnancy can be a punishable offence if the pregnancy was intended to change the medical status of the soldier to avoid

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