Should women be allowed to fight in combate?

Question

I need to know peoples honest opinion on this topic. I need some facts on it, too. We are having a debate on this topic and I am agenst it.

Answer 1

I think women are perfectly able to be in combat, but I have grave reservations about it. I do not have one tiny bit of doubt about their ability. If we were in battle with people who played by the same rules we did and considered women equal as we do, it would be fine. We don't usually battle combatants like that though. Women are a wonderful asset to the military and within our own system, they are equal to their counterparts. Their vulnerability lies though in the enemy, who would abuse and use their femininity to their advantage.

Women can be used in so many ways by the unscrupulous. In ways that can cost more lives of their male counterparts. Women in prisoner situations or about to be captured, spur their fellow male companions into taking risks that may or may not be smart or follow procedure. Plus once captured, the female prisoner of war, can be manipulated and used in ways a male can not and used to blackmail their fellow male prisoners. They can also be used to incite rash actions and in propaganda ways that can make more troops vulnerable.

My father was a prisoner of war in Vietnam for many years. He endured terrible torture and abuse. When he returned home he continued his military career and worked with some very incredible female marines. But when this question came up, he said it's not their ability that makes me feel they shouldn't serve in combat, but the ability of an enemy to exploit them. He felt sure that had there been a female solider captive with him, more of his fellow POW's would have died because of their need to protect her and the ability of the enemy to exploit her from a female angle. He thought that bearing watching what the enemy could have done to her, would have made the situation much more intolerable.
If we were in battle with an enemy who also had female soldiers and treated them with the same respect we do, then the point would be moot.

Answer 2

It depends on the particular combat role. They already fly combat aircraft, and serve on warships.
Most of the ground combat jobs are extremely demanding physically. At this time the military allows female soldiers, (I'll use this term to cover Air Force, Navy, and Marines as well for brevity) to take a less demanding physical conditioning test.
If they are going to be put into primary combat roles, as opposed to support roles where they may still end up in combat as they do now, then logic dictates that they meet the same physical requirements as their male counterparts.
Any male soldier in an combat unit is going to have physical conditioning near the high end of the scale for male soldiers. Even with this the jobs they do often push them to the limit. The number of women who can reach this level of conditioning is a much smaller percentage than for men. Sorry if this offends someones PC sensibilities but it's basic biology. Therefor giving carte blanche approval for women in combat jobs would require that many who now serve would be barred by the higher physical standards.
The one way it could be done would be to set higher PT standards for combat units, and then allow any female soldiers who meet those standards to take those jobs.
No matter whether the current restrictions are kept, or if some provision to expand female combat roles is made, the issue is a lot more complex than just changing a few rules.
It's unlikely that anyone wants to see a female soldier, who can't even meet the minimum male PT requirement, get thrown into an infantry unit were she's given 100 lbs. of body armor weapons, ammo, radios, etc. to carry and sent into battle.

Answer 3

Yes, but I don't think it should be required like it is for men. Women aren't well suited for combat in general, at least compared to men. Evolution dictates that much.

Most societies regard women as the 'nurturing', 'non-aggressive' sex, so a lot of people are against women fighting in combat just for those reasons. Realistically though, women can potentially be just as vicious and aggressive as men, but it is generally, out of sociological nature.

Another big issue for having women in combat, is the reaction males have to them. The Israeli Military has seen this a large number of times, that men act erratically in the presence of women in the battlefield, for better or worse, and you really don't want erraticism in your troops.

Other issues have been less problematic, but still noticeable. It's been shown that male combatants will virtually never surrender to female combatants. And of course, there's the 'prisoner' problem. That if captured by the enemy, female soldiers could be raped.

So, yes, they should be allowed to, but it shouldn't be obligatory like it is for men.

Answer 4

Only if you want to lose.

No. Women should not allowed to fight in a combat role. Jessica Lynch was raped and tortured AFTER capture. That would be the fate of all female combat captives, if they were allowed to live.

Women should be allowed in support positions in the military like the WACS or WAVES, but never in combat.

Answer 5

Most women no, some women yes. The majority of women lack the physical ability needed for combat situations. Though keep in mind that female soldiers are excellent targets for the enemy to take hostage.

Answer 6

I posted this on the "other" question like this so here goes:

If women can pass the same physical tests men pass to enter the military, then they should be allowed to join & fight.

If they cannot... they have no business being there just as the men that couldn't pass have no business being there.

Watering down physical tests to let women in is ridiculous.

False empowerment hurts EVERYONE.

Answer 7

I have known women I would not fight. They would destroy me. No problem with letting women fight but you gotta know what will happen after a capture. That's my only consideration.

Answer 8

Only the women (and men) who are willing and able to fight should fight. No one should be forbidden from anything based on sex.

Answer 9

Only if they can learn to shut up. My freaking platoon (signal intelligence) couldn't manage to do that. I'd hate to be in battle with a bunch of immature, chattering females, who've chosen military over welfare.

If you could find female soldiers who deeply respect duty, honor, country. YES!

Answer 10

Hell, yeah. With more women in charge of the army, we'd actually accomplish something.