Women in Combat
Uploaded by hom0erectus on Nov 05, 2001
The idea of women in combat is not unusual anymore. They should be able to hold combat positions because although physical strength matters, the military still needs the intelligence that women can bring. Also, banning women from the combat hurts their military careers. Although women account for a very small percent of the enlisted personnel they are still a major part in the armed forces. Their performance recently has generated support from Congress and the public for enhancing the role of females in the military.
Women fall back on the old "unit cohesion", "male bonding”, and "good order" rubbish that is left over from the Roman Empire. It's rather like saying that women can't play major league baseball because they can't spit, scratch and rearrange their cod pieces as well as the boys - regardless of whether or not they can throw a baseball from left field to third base. Units made of women and men have bonded, cohered, and maintained good order for centuries. Military units of mixed sexes have quietly maintained order, accomplished missions, and passed operational readiness inspections with flying colors. They're too busy doing their jobs to worry about which latrine to use. Desert Storm is a classic example of mixed units performing as cohesive and effective teams even under fire. Yet a problem with bonding is that too much bonding might occur, as to where it becomes sexual tension, where one might risk their life over another soldier’s life.
During the Persian Gulf War, women were sent to the Middle East to fly helicopters, service combat jets, refuel tankers, and load laser-guided bombs. Their performance has led the world to realize that women are extremely useful in combat. Defense secretary Dick Chaney said "Women have made a major contribution to this [war] effort. We could not have won without them." Leaders in the field agreed. The Gulf War had the largest deployment of women in the armed forces in history. These women encountered the same risks as the men they served with. Twenty-one females lost their lives
In spite of their record as able combat personnel, there are laws and policies that restrict women in the United States Military from serving in positions that require them to engage in direct combat. Women in the Air Force and Navy are barred from aircraft and vessels that have a chance to be exposed to combat. The official, established policies...