why aren't women allowed to fight in combat in the us military?

Question

And if anyone knows the specific positions they are not allowed to have in the military please inform me. Can a woman be a general?

Answer 1

1. Women are not prohibited from fighting in combat. Women are not allowed into units with a direct combat probability.

2. Women are not allowed in the Infantry, Armor, Field Artillery, Air Defense Artillery or Engineer MOS's (Military Occupation Specialty). Actually there are certain positions that women can hold in FA and ADA, but they are not in front line units.

3. There are many women who hold Flag rank in the US military (Admirals or General Officers).

Answer 2

Technically you're right, a woman is not allowed in a combat role in the US military. But the lines of those roles are becoming less and less clear. Medics and supply personnel often find themselves in combat roles, although not filling a job that is traditionally classified as a combat role. Additionally women are allowed to fly fighter planes, and serve on combat ships in the Navy. A woman can definitely be a General, we don't see many of them because women in the past were not offered the same opportunities we are today. But there are women Generals, and Admirals with operational roles. As well as other senior military positions.
I could give you a complete dissertation if you'd like, but I think that answers your question.
This is a huge debate within our government right now and is being looked at at the highest levels. Everything is on the table. Look for major changes soon!

Answer 3

women have been wanting equal opportunity for a while now, but this one just like the draft issues have been a great debate. because even though their are women who want to do these things. their are more women that are against it. kind of hypocrytical because they want to be equal in ever sense exept this. on another side of the debate, what can women bring to the front line or combat zone. most think it will inhit the units effectiveness. women are proven to not have as much upper body strenght to carry larger loads. also their smaller builds equal smaller walking or running strides and stamina to fail quikly. so the men in the unit for these combat roles will have to make the deficencies meaning carring more weight or equipment. and over all they may as well have less people in their unit doing the job all together. 10 man team just may as well go down to 5 man team with the same expectations as a 10 man. The other issues that arise that never had existed before are going to be women claiming they were sexually assaulted or raped. are the men in the unit bad people? probably not, but the fact is they are out their for long periods of time. as it is right now their are no temtations or availabilty for these kind of acts to take place. introduce women into the equation and this WILL happen. not to mention the medical situations women have. also how will you provide women different places to clean and use the bathroom on the frontline or combat areas. this was never an issue before, guys just walk over and pee somewhere. they can shower at the same time in the same place. so in the end, are the positves of having making women happy, worth tons of negatives that will result in more deaths, and more people getting in trouble. less not weaken the military strenght just to make some people feel better about them selves. you think they will ever get to do special forces..... nope. ask the men that actually do the job everyday. you will get the best answer out their. non, and i mean non of those men want the women to join them on the front line.

Answer 4

American women should face to risk of combat just like men in this country.

Equal rights and all.

Yes Women can be Generals
The Navy had five women admirals in 1996

Officially, Pentagon rules still prohibit women from participating in ground combat missions such as infantry fighting or tank operations. Nor are they allowed in support roles, like vehicle maintenance or cooking, that take them to the front lines of war. That policy was relaxed, in effect, a decade ago, when the Pentagon did away with what was called the "risk rule," a provision that exempted women from missions in which they were likely to be taken prisoner or come under fire.

Answer 5

From what I can see in Iraq, women are serving in combat zones. However, one of the biggest reasons is that the miiltary thinks that if an American soldier has a choice of completing a mission successfully, or stopping a female comrade being abused, the mission will be compromised.

{Most} American men were raised in an atmosphere of respecting women and "putting them on a pedestal" so to speak. The idea of watching a female soldier being raped, tortured or mutilated and killed are just to foreign the the American men's psyche. Most of us couldn't handle it, and the missions would fail; we would be equating it with our mothers, wives or sisters being abused. Women aren't less able, but American men are less able to allow such a thing. (Good men are, any way.)

In the military, in combat, the mission ALWAYS comes first; even at the expense of one's own life. But it's harder to allow some ELSE'S life be taken than your own; male or female.

Answer 6

women ARE allowed to fight in combat. i was an MP in the army and i definately saw combat in iraq. and yes, a woman can be a general, its just not very common. the only things that women are not allowed to do in the military, well the army to be specific is infantry, special forces or rangers. but they do fight in combat, as an MP i patrolled the streets of baghdad for 12 hours a day, sometimes more, i cleared buildings and i was a gunner in my team which meant i sat in a turret in my humvee half of my body exposed. so dont believe that women do not serve in combat, they do.

Answer 7

ok think about it, your on the frontline with guys and girls and a guy get hurt and a woman gets hurt, your more likely to help the woman, if a woman gets captured she's probably going to be raped, women can't carry the same gear as a man can, its just a biological fact, sometimes you can't take a shower for days or weeks out in the battlefield and a woman with period can get really messy, a man IS physically stronger then a woman, that should be the main point, just because some people don't like the way it sounds doesn't mean its not true

Answer 8

Any MOS that is designated "combat arms".
However, other MOS's, like Military Police have duties such as convoy escorts, traffic check points etc. They get shot at as well. SO there really is no "safe" positions in the Army.

Answer 9

you have some really good answers here, and I think if you are really serious about finding out specific positions you should look on the military branch's web site for more information.

Answer 10

I'm sorry but if you don't fight, you don't get to become Generals, you can't take the perks but not take the risk, Without combat experience, you won't know what your troops are capable of or experiencing. Not all women, but too many women want to be treated equal when it suits them and special when things get tough. Weather a woman wants to fight or not is up to her but she better damn know what it's like on the frontline and under fire before she starts command troops.