Should women be assigned combat positions in the US military?

Question

I'd specifically like to hear from those in the military (or closely connected) on their thoughts.

Should a woman be denied an opportunity to serve her country equally alongside a man who wishes to serve his country with the same conviction? Does this conflict with the policy of creating the best armed forces possible out of available personnel?

How does this coincide with "Equal rights require equal responsibility"?

Is it fair the females do not register for the selective service? What issues can you foresee with women engaging in front-line combat with men, out on patrols with men, training with men, etc. Would there be fears of a woman's skills and performance? Would you be more concerned if a woman was wounded? Would significant others back in the US be more nervous? Does the branch, rank, or position make a difference?

Lots of questions to get you started, but personal anecdotes from soldiers and veterans win major thumbs up.

Yeah, positions, sexual innuendo, double entendre. Okay fine, I walked right into that one.

I wasn't referring specifically to Iraq, but rather to armed conflicts in general including back when there was still a military draft.

No, I haven't been in combat, but my friend in the Army brought up the same point that many of you already have. He would find it much more difficult to carry out his duties if he felt (for whatever reason) that the women in his group needed to be looked after more than the others.

I don't think he is an atypical man when he expresses that. I have to admit that I would feel the same way, and that it might interfere with my assignment. I'm also in agreement that, to whatever means or method, organizations like a military (and possibly law enforcement) have certain responsibilities that MUST be achieved with less (but not zero) regard to what is fair and equal than to what is effective and efficient.

The subsequent debate is to whether or not women (and gays) can perform their duties as effectively and efficiently as heterosexual men, and I didn't have enough space to include that topic in this question.

Answer 1

I spent 10 years in the Army Infantry and I have been asked this question a lot. To tell you the truth there is a lot of things that you have to think about. Its not just PT. Although the military standards are different between women and men. If they are going to be combat MOS the standards should be the same all standards. If I was wounded I would like to know the soldier next to me can drag me to cover.
Another thing is the little sister mentality that a lot of men have. A lot of men may treat women like **** but heaven forbid anyone else does. Would men trying to protect the female lose focus on the mission at hand. Will women be a distraction.
One of the major things I think is that what percentage of women have it in them to kill and even by hand if necessary.
Of course then you have the added chances of sexual harassment cases. Which would hurt the moral and cohesiveness of the unit. Anything in combat that distracts can cause lives.
I have no doubts there are a few women out there that would meet the qualifications but to be honest I don't think there is many. I don't think this is a job a female would want.
However there are countries that do and it seems to work for them so they say.

Answer 2

Your theories ref. equality, etc., are very nice, but that's not the point when it comes to combat. The Israelis gave it up decades ago for a very simple reason (besides the fact that women are not as capable physically). It is hardwired into a man's psyche to protect women. It was "re-discovered" when it was found that when a particular position began to "deteriorate" and casualties taken, men were more inclined to protect the girls than to do whatever had to be done to reverse the "deterioration" - including ignoring those screaming in pain for help. That is why I would refuse to be assigned to a combat unit which included female personnel. I am not sure that I would have the stomach to shut out the screams of some fellow "trooper" who reminded me of the cute little girl next door that I had a crush on in high school, and do what desperately had to done at the moment. I can tell you've never been in combat, although you've obviously spent a lot of time in Sociology or Political Science or whatever. It's not a matter of "equal rights", but survival. Hope this clears things up a bit. Have a nice day.

Answer 3

I know there are women out there that are capable of doing the job. Its the day to day inconvenience of being in combat that I would be concerned about. It's not like a woman can just find a tree and go behind,. then there is the monthly curse that we get to deal with. So many are in pain, or drugged. One cannot concentrate too well if she has "started" and there is not a pad to be found else where and the stain is getting bigger. What if she 's pregnant and is more concerned about the baby's welfare than the battle she is in. If women can get through this and not slow up or jeopardize a mission than I say go for it. I couldn't. We had a saying in the Air force. "If I had wanted to be a soldier I would have joined something else"

Answer 4

Women in combat can be a huge deficit, probably because of the society we grew up in. We are taught to love and protect our women, so when one gets wacked, the whole unit goes into a fit of depression. It's hard enough to shake it off when one of your buddies is injured or killed, but something dies inside you when it's a women.

So, take your PC and wipe your nose with it. Military life is a different culture than in civilian life. Homosexuals aren't accepted, and women combatants are frowned upon particularly amongst the leadership of a fighting unit, the senior NCO"s !

The branch of service does make a difference. Naval forces can more readily accept women in their ranks, as can air combat units, such as the air force. Grunts have a different agenda, and women don't fit it well. Ask any Marine Corps regimental commander, he has responsibility for over ten thousand troops at any given time. There's plenty of experience to draw from, at that level . Marine Corps performance in the field out classes any army unit in the field of combat simply because the Marine Corps refuses to go co-ed, under these conditions. That says it all !

Answer 5

Even if females are not assigned to combat positions as their MOS, we still perform them while deployed. I am a public affairs specialist/print journalist/46Q. I take pictures and write stories and interact with the civilin media. While deployed I was out on a story assignment and our convoy started taking fire. I was right there in the middle of everything and I returned fire. I was the only female out that day. All around me were male Soldiers that I was fighting alongside. Never once did they doubt that I could do my job as a United States Soldier. Along with returning fire I helped get one of our guys who was shot to safety. I received a combat action badge for my actions that day. No matter what a female's job she will always be a Soldier First! “NO MISSION TOO DIFFICULT, NO SACRIFICE TOO GREAT”
“DUTY FIRST"

Answer 6

No. Having served in combat, NO. With my IBA vest, Kevlar, M4, combat load of ammo, and personal gear I weigh about 250. There aren't many females that would be able to life 250lbs and carry. Its tough for a 200lbs guy to lift another that is loaded down. Especially if the person is unconscious and "dead weight"
Hygeine becomes an issue, specially during menstration. And there is tension between males and females...sexual being a big one. Also if there is a 7 person squad, 6 male and 1 female. Each male has 1 or 2 guys watching his back, but they all will look our for hat female - its just our nature.

I have trained with females - I honestly wasn't impressed by about 1/2 of them. They would cry and ***** too much, slowed the whole platoon down.

I am in an infantry brigade, served in an armor battalion in Iraq and I am very glad that we were all male.

First start with them being able to take an PT test at the male level, get a high and tight haircut - then we'll see about combat arms....

Not sexist, just honest

Answer 7

Although I think many women definately could do an equivelent job to males from a physical and mental standpoint you have to realize the dynamics involved here.
We are fighting an enemy who hate women, they burry the to their necks with sand for talking to another man, they beat them, in america a woman was just shot beause she was ina place of power and a muslim man thought that was unnnaceptable...

A strategy used by the troops is to get on the backside of the troops and push them all back to a particular point where there are US troops waiting to gt them from the back, its called flanking. If women were in the group the iraqi men would NEVER retreat backwards, they would fight to their deaths because it is against the very principles of what they stand for to stand down to a woman.

This is also why hilary should not be president amongst other reasons, it is a national security threat.


@ BRIANG731


F*ck ayh man thats what im talking about. All this PC bs is making people believe that the world is different than it is. Gays are not wanted in the marines and women should not be in combat arms.

Answer 8

If a good number of men come home from combat as basket cases, what do you think would happen to women, should they be assigned to combat.?

Answer 9

I think that a woman should be allowed to join if that is what she wants to do. I personally wouldn't do it. There are some things men are better at. A female's emotions may also affect her judgement during war. Just a thought.

Answer 10

Im a veteran, and I can think of several position I would like to put females in.... combat or not.