Military Women Should NOT Be Allowed in Combat Positions

In late 1990 and early 1991, thousands of American women marched off to the desert sands of the Middle East to serve in a war that brought women closer to combat than ever before. Although restricting women from occupying military jobs that would put them into direct contact with the enemy can be interpreted as a form of sex discrimination, as a female veteran of Operation Desert Storm, I believe that the restriction should remain as it is. Lifting this ban would not be a strategic move for the United States. Socially, our country is unprepared to allow women on the "front lines" because of situations involving sexual harassment, prisoners of war, mothers marching off to combat, and female draftees.

Sexual harassment is a tremendous problem in our society that for years has been hushed. But recently this problem has been brought to public attention, and the government has passed laws that make sexual harassment in the work place a criminal act. However, only futile attempts have been made at eliminating such misconduct in the military. The effects of the aggressive treatment that women experienced during Operation Desert Storm were noted by Elaine Connely, Executive of the Coalition for Military Readiness:

Then there were the sexual tensions that did not respond to bureaucratic mandates for professionalism in the work place . . . . There were many reports of illegal fraternization, genuine sexual harassment, and elevated pregnancy rate-all of which seriously affected readiness and morale. (Donnelly 41)

The readiness and morale of the soldiers in the Middle East were affected by this country's inability to treat women and men as equals. Some radical women's movement groups believe that until...

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...l with the fact that if women are allowed to serve in direct combat military specialties, then all women may have to be included in the Selective Service.

Works Cited

Donnelly, Elaine. "What Did You Do in the Gulf Mommy?" National Review Nov. 1991: 41- 44.

Elshtain, Jeaned Bethke. "Feminism and War." The Progressive Sept. 1991: 14-16.

Evans, Rowland and Robert Novak. "Women & Combat." The Augusta Chronicle Nov. 1992: A4.

O'Briene, Kate Walsh. "The Bottom Line: Coed Combat Would Not Improve the Military." The Augusta Chronicle 3 Dec. 1992: A4.

Schlafly, Phyllis. "Keep Women From Combat." USA Today 15 June 1992: A12.

Towell, Pat. "Women's Combat Role Debated as Chiefs Denounce Sex Bias." Congressional Quarterly 1 Aug. 1992: 2292-93.

Willis, Grant. "Commission Says a Woman's Place is Not in Combat." Army Times 16 Nov. 1992: 4+.