should american women who want to be in combat be allowed to?

Question

why do you think so?

Answer 1

No, have you ever dated a military man and saw how protective of women they are... it would totally compromise the mission... Womens bodies are built differently then mans as well as their minds chemical balance, I don't think it would be smart to put women along side men in combat, another thing that you have to think of is what if romantic attachmentd develop, it will compromise the mission, there are reasons the military keep it don't ask don't tell and try to keep women out of combat roles. congress recently tried to pass a law that would keep women out of anything that could potentially land them in combat like MP and things like that! If 3,100 women had died in battle, I think there would be even more of an outrage against this war!

Answer 2

Questions like this and some of the answers I see below honestly make me wonder if you people have been living under a rock for many years, or whether you have just not done any research whatsoever before asking or answering.

First, women are not now, nor have they ever been barred from combat or from the battlefield. That's a big misconception.

Women are barred from going into a combat MOS (military occupational specialty, or "job") such as infantry, special forces, etc. However, every soldier in the US armed forces, male or female, is trained in combat skills when they go through BCT (basic combat training, or "boot camp"), and they are required to keep up on those skills at annual CTT (common task training) testing, range qualification, and so forth. As such, every soldier has the ability to participate on the battlefield as a soldier.

Secondly, there is no such thing as a conventional battlefield anymore, and people need to get the idea out of their heads that you're somehow safe at a FOB (forward operating base) or on a convoy because you're not technically "on the battlefield". Todays battlefield is a fluid environment where any position can find you under attack by the enemy - whether you're being mortared on your FOB or getting hit with an IED on a convoy.

Lastly, I think people have this misconception that women have never been in country during US history and that women can't do well on the battlefield because they would be hysterical or go to pieces. Again - wrong assumptions.

First and foremost, anyone, male or female, can go to pieces on the battlefield. Do a little bit of research into the history of post-traumatic stress or, as it used to be called, shell shock or battle fatigue, and you will find that this is by no means a "woman thing".

And while we're on the subject of history, do some research about women in the military. There've been women on the battlefield since ancient times. In US history, we've had WWI donut dollies so far forward in the trenches that it became a must to issue them helmets and gas masks. In Vietnam, several nurses serving in country were killed during their service. For World War II, check the book "A Half Acre of Hell: A Combat Nurse in WW II".

So please, can we all be less ignorant and realize that women are already on the battlefield, have been on the battlefield for many, many years, and have and are performing just as well as their male counterparts?

Answer 3

They should be - but only if they can pass all of the same tests the guys do (with no allowances for the women; ie. the women have to do the EXACT amount of work the men have to do).

If they can, then they should by all means be allowed in combat situations.

Answer 4

Women are already in combat,

62 have died in combat in Iraq

The highest decorated women received the Silver Star.

U.S. Army Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester

617th Military Police Company
Kentucky National Guard

Answer 5

You bet they should.Never but never under estimate a women. HAVE YOU EVER HEARD IF YOU WANT THE JOB DONE RIGHT, GET A WOMAN? Women are actually not the weakest of the two sexes, they are the strongest. I have more then once seen a man say ,"I can't do it." And a woman will say, "I can do anything I have to do." I,m not saying they are the strongest physically but mentally they sure are. In a war if your strong enough to carry a gun, and even a kid can do that, why wouldn't a woman be able to go to war.
In our gun club here, the women can out shoot a lot of the men.

Answer 6

In the war today there is no set battle field/ Have you seen one? Everyone who is in the Middle East is in the battle field. The weapons of today aren't like the old ones. We don't stand in lines and yell charge. When will American realize the battle field is everywhere that women are fighting and will continue to fight. When I was station in Germany my Post had about 13 second head start from their missile from Russia. In Saudi I saw it 5 seconds before Intercept. So there is no battle field. Do you really believe we can even tell who's on who's side. IUD just blow up things doesn't matter what color it is or sex,

Answer 7

I'm a female that will be joining the military soon enough, and honestly, I believe that It would be very difficult for men to fight along side women. It is a natural reaction for women to be timid, and for men to try to protect them. it could compromise a mission that could put thousands of lives on the line. I'm not saying that women shouldn't be in the military, or have some pretty gung-ho jobs, I love it! But combat is hard core. And also if a guy and girl in the same unit have feelings for one another, that could compromise their ability to make decisions under pressure.

Answer 8

I'll put it this way......

I friend of mine once said, "An effective military is built on teamwork and trust. No two men, trying for the same piece of *** will trust each other."

This is what Political Correctness will not tell you. This is what happens when you put a woman in amonst a bunch of men.

When the chips are down,, and the stress is high, everyone turns to someone else for (emotional) support. It's just that every guy notices where the female goes for comfort and support. And everyone else gets jealous.

Answer 9

Women are in combat zones and are trained and ready to defend the nation just as males are.

Answer 10

No, because Israel tried it, and it didn't work out. In combat situations the men would instinctively try to protect the women, and that totally screwed up combat tactics.