Women in Combat
Women in CombatThe idea of women in combat is not unusual anymore. They
should be able to hold combat positions beacause 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 only ten percent of the
enlisted personnel (Time, 8/21/95/ Pg. 31), 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.
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 (Holm, Women in
Combat: The New Reality, pg. 67-68).
In the Persian Gulf, there were no exact positions and all
areas were equally vulnerable, so the idea of safe havens for women
was not really applicable. By many armed forces policies, females are
banned from combat jobs and units, but in the Persian Gulf War females
were assigned to battleships, aircraft carriers, and marine support
groups dug into the desert. From their experience in the Persian Gulf,
military women have earned the right to be treated as equals with
men and not as protected individuals.
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...
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