Last week after one of my classes was dismissed we got into a question and answer debate about the military today. It was really interesting to hear a different perspective from most of my class mates...some were ex-military...others were in the reserves....and others had just enlisted to have their school paid for...
I was particularly interested in one females perspective. She said she wanted to join the military so she could defend her country, she wanted to be out on the front lines with the men...she wanted infantry...she was told that wouldn't be entirely possible and that she could possibly be in the "medical" aspect of the front lines if she went thru the proper military training and classes and passed the necessary tests. I don't know how much of that story is true but I decided to do some "looking into" to see what I could find.
The truth is I already had an opinion on the issue at hand...if someone wants to be in the infantry division (a side note; my brother has been in the Army for 12 years and just re-signed, he started out Airborne Infantry and now is in the Apache Helicopter Infantry division) their gender shouldn't be what stops them. In a CNN article I read an "excuse" the Pentagon gave for women not being on the combat grounds which was there was not adequate health care available to women in those combat areas and I guess I can understand that concern but, women know what their bodies do and need ...with that maybe the women that want to be in the infantry can adapt but also the military could be a little more open to provide the proper health care that they claim to lack.
I'm sure there are many other reasons (sexual assault and rape would be a big one) that one could come up with in favor or not in favor of women in the infantry...my brother (who is over seas for his 5th tour of duty) has given me several and I can see his point of view, I really can but I feel like the military could be missing out on an opportunity to enlist more people (women in particular). Especially when they are losing both military men and women at an alarming rate.
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I've argued this topic in my head for a long time. As a woman I'm interested in the idea of equal treatment but I honestly don't believe it's possible. Women and men are not equal in many ways. I don't agree entirely with the military's policy to keep women away from the front lines, but I think they're on the right track. Women are psychologically and physiologically different from men. We operate on different systems. This doesn't make us inferior, it makes us different, and that difference is what makes us awesome. That's not to say that all women are grouped together because that would be wildly inaccurate, but biologically there are differences that should be considered.
I think the military should create an infantry training program specifically designed for women. There would be kinks in the constitutionality of it, naturally, but the idea would be to train and select the females best suited to that type of job. There could be psychological drills that would simulate real situations, and women could be tested on their reactions. For that matter, a training program like this would not be a bad idea for men, considering the number of shootings we've seen in recent years. There should be extensive physical requirements as well because women need to be as strong and agile as their male counterparts, if not more so.
There would also need to be proper medical facilities available and strict rules in place to prevent fraternization with males. If a woman were to become pregnant she'd be incapable of performing her duty, and would need to be removed from it.
I'm content with the current situation, but if women were to be granted access I'd only support it if they were given proper consideration for their differences. If the requirements are strict and a woman can still pass it with flying colors and has the motivation to protect the country, let her at it.
I am in the active the Army right now as an Artilleryman. However, I have been able to do a wide range of jobs since I joined in 2001. I have worked in personnel administration, various military intellegence roles, as well as being on the frontlines during combat in Iraq. I have nothing against women and firmly believe they have an invaluable place in the military today. I also believe that one day women will serve on the frontlines next to men. The only thing about the whole scenario that concerns me is the fact that women should be held to the same standard as the men they are serving with. Throughout my vast experience in the military the saying "you are only as strong as your weakest link," holds very true. If a female can handle the same physical and mental stress a male combatant can, then more power to them. It's just all going to take time.
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