by Megan Pierce

Created on: June 22, 2009

Over the past six decades, women have had a prominent yet controversial role in the U.S. military. In 1948, President Truman authorized The Women's Armed Services Act, which allowed the permanent integration of females in the United States. About 18 percent of soldiers in active forces are comprised of women, but they are placed in support roles and exempt from ground fighting. Many feminists believe that the rights of women are being violated when the government refuses the intentional placement of females into the blurred lines of overseas combat. In today's military, women should not have the right to engage in active combat roles.

Emotional and romantic entanglements in a war zone are a constant yet avoidable burden for the military. Ever since women were allowed in the Armed Forces, several gender issues have arisen concerning their positions in combat and other front line operations. One of the issues regarding female combatants is the demoralization for other male troops, which may lead to many distractions for active front line soldiers. Emotional entanglements amongst troops are a major problem in combat zones, because it diverts from the soldiers' job of completing a successful mission. Eventually, romantic encounters between troops will distract and derail the foundations of war, and "the involvement might lead to jealousy, animosity, or even hatred...emotions that would severely detract from readiness" (Skaine, 1998). These disrupting and unsettling behaviors can cause excessive and unnecessary stress not only for the troops, but also for the commanding officers whose main focus is to return home safely with their men. Commanders have the responsibility of keeping their troops emotionally stable and prepared for battle. With the presence of a woman, their focus shifts from combat readiness to establishing a policy of gender equality. Even though unit cohesion is essential to any operation, there is an extreme difference between cohesion and fraternization. Unity amongst troops may also be hindered by the difference of physical ability.

Women are not as psychologically and physically strong as men. The physical and psychological differences between male and female soldiers are also an issue when discerning whether or not a woman is strong enough for combat. Physical standards that were once scaled to suit only men are now being adjusted for gender-neutral training. These regulations were altered to accommodate the weaker strength of females

• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next Page >>