Should women be called to serve in the military if a draft were issued?

Question

This point has come up before on this forum, so I'm curious about peoples opinions.

If there were to be a draft in the near future, do you think women should be called to service just like men?

Now having served in the military myself, I can say that I am very anti-draft. I don't agree with it and hope and pray that a draft will NOT be called any time in the future. I've been to war and I know I would not be pleased to fight next to a draftee. Just my opinion.

That said, what do you think of women being called up in the draft to serve in non-combatant jobs for the army? (I stress non-combatant since women are not yet allowed to serve in combat MOS').

EDIT----jonmcn49
Let me re-phrase my opinion on serving in a future war with draftees-- I have nothing against draftees that have served in the past wars. I think they were honorable men who fought bravely and help keep our country safe and free. My opinion against FUTURE draftees is that I personally feel the patriotic love for America and willingness to serve for ones country is far less than it has been in past generations. Some young people just don't seem to have the same desire for their country. This can be a generalization, of course, and I could always be proven wrong (especially if there were an invasion). If you felt I was slighting past draftees then I'm sorry for that. However, I feel like this is the second time you've made light of my own service in the current war. I don't know if you just don't think this is a real war like past wars or you think I haven't been in combat, but its getting a tad bit offensive.

Answer 1

Hate war and the draft, but if a draft was issued, women should have to serve, just as men would. Just like men, only those fit for duty would be drafted. I also think that if the women meet the criteria men do for combat, they should have to serve in combat roles as well. I've seen statements by various US military leaders who approve of women in combat roles, as well as US military advisory groups that have recommended it.

President Bush and Clinton both allowed women to serve more roles in the military than ever before. But it is Congress who won't approve "officially" of women in combat roles in the military-the US Supreme Court has thrown back cases pushing for women in combat back to congress.

I've been reading the book "Band of Sisters" about American Women at War in Iraq, and there are definitely many US women who can handle war, as well as combat.

Edit: I live in NC with at least 120,000 troops, and probably 60,000 or more are deployed, with many in Iraq and Afghanistan. I know quite a few couples with kids are both deployed, but only one is required to deploy. But many parents both go, since they don't want to let down the soldiers they have trained and worked with.

FYI: Since 2003, at least 155,000 US women have deployed to either Afghanistan or Iraq. In 1993, Defense Secretary Les Aspin ordered all armed services to open combat aviation to women. A year later, the Dept of Defense (DOD) risk rule was repealed. Once the Dept of Defense was given the discretion in 1993 to open jobs to women in combat as needed, they did. Women are now eligible to be assigned to over 260,000 additional miltary positions, many involving combat. About 80% of the jobs and 90% of the military career fields in the US armed forces have been opened to women. So in spite of Congress, women are serving in numerous combat roles today.

Answer 2

Let me preface this by saying I am VERY anti-draft. In my opinion, it's a violation of human rights.
With that said, everything being equal, yes women should be included if the draft were ever reinstated. However, women would HAVE to be allowed to fight on the front lines, at that point, for this to make any sense. In a draft situation, those that are most needed are people that can go straight to the front lines. Support roles take a lot more training, and should be left to those who are career military. Let's face it, the draft is for nothing more than "cannon fodder," expendable soldiers.

EDIT-Tera makes a very good point, and I've thought this through, actually. In the case of two parents who get called up at the same time, they should be able to decide who will stay behind, and that person would petition the government for a "pass." Single parents, male or female, would simply not be eligible. Think about it....if the draft were reinstated, and the war went on long enough, you could have a situation where one parent was called up the year before, died in combat, and then the other parent was called up the next year. You just can't have that. Allowances HAVE to be made for single and widowed parents, or else we'd have an entire generation of orphans on our hands.

Answer 3

I would prefer that we don't. That is because volunteers make better troops than conscripts. The ones that really don't want to go will most likely do the same thing the people who dodged the draft during Vietnam did. As of right now, it is unnecessary anyway. The economy is making recruiting a lot easier than it was five years ago and even back then we were still meeting our numbers. In the case of another World War, it would be necessary for the defense of our country and all able-bodied citizens should participate. But if our country is being directly threatened with invasion then most able-bodied Americans SHOULD voluntarily join to defend the country. I know some will still run away anyway but those people need to just leave now.

Answer 4

Tera, feminism has been promoting child care options to allow women to get into work... so far, a lot of feminists have no problem with that!
In the old wars, children were sent to grandparents or other relatives such as aunts & uncles, so even if mom's house was bombed (maybe she was at work) - the kids would still survive... so, they obviously managed somehow in times gone by.

With that in mind, I think if women were drafted - they could just as easily drop them with relatives or carehomes just as they did in the past and do in the present.

As my opinion on whether women should be drafted - I'm torn on it. In some respects it would be beneficial (and a lesson) to get women to experience the hardships vet's have had to endure (and have little respect from those who haven't).
On the other hand, if they're not phyiscally equipped for the job.. it'll be a real mess.
And as we saw previously, a group of men will tend to do their upmost to protect the women around them - that is hardwired into us men. Even the most ardent anti-feminist (except for the crazies among us) will allow his natural urges (to protect women & children) to overpower his political thought processes... he'll drop his 'equality' stance and run to cover her... and no, it won't be so he can check out her butt as he does so like some people would claim.

However, the draft itself is almost a death warrant and I strongly oppose it - especially when it's so difficult to know whether you're fighting a real war or not.

Answer 5

I don't support having a draft because based on what happened in the past, it was inherently unfair. The rich people took advantage of loopholes to keep their sons out of combat. During the Vietnam War, many ended up in National Guard units. It was very difficult to get into one unless you had connections. There were also college deferments, which many others took advantage of. Those who came from poorer families did not have those luxuries and were sent to Vietnam where they often were put into combat situations. If we have a draft today, this same thing will happen. It already occurs in the all-volunteer military today. Those who are rich and have other options in life very seldom join the military. The $20,000 enlistment bonus being offered to new recruits means nothing to them. Most of them probably spend that much money just about every day.

Answer 6

I oppose the concept of a draft categorically, but if the inane powers of our government call for one, I certainly think that young women would be equally capable and useful as young men. There is already a list of exclusions for draft eligibility. Attending college is one of them, so most people have an out if they want it. Even if the military wanted to keep women out of combat positions, there are numerous other areas where they could serve.

Answer 7

If the draft should ever come to pass again I'm not opposed to women being included.

EDIT to add to Tera: It's no harder for a woman to leave her kids behind while deployed than it is for a man. The newer generations of men have been raised to be hands-on parents and for the most part they do a great job. If both sexes were to be drafted, there would have to be some allowances made to make sure that both parents could not be called up at the same time but I don't see any logic for it always being the women who stays behind.

Answer 8

Sure, why not.

I, who was drafted would not want to serve with an enlistee. I was not just " to war " but in one and do not trust people who had an average IQ of 85 to 90.
Just my opinion.

Yes. I do not think it much of a war when at 5 years there will be 5,000 casualties and you are facing an enemy not 1/10 the competency of the NVA. As for your service, I have already said it was honorable. Do not read too much into what you think was written.

Answer 9

Likely, women will never be drafted, that said, the idea of them being put in compulsorary combat roles, is well, theoretically possible, but extremely unlikely. I can't see women drafted, unless the American mainland gets invaded, and even then it would be very unlikely that they would be assigned to combat roles.

I have no issue with women being drafted, as long as they are not forced in direct combat roles.

Edit: Tera, you do realize that most women who would be drafted, would be in the late teens, early twenties, likely (or at least hopefully) not yet mothers.

Answer 10

Yes they should. After all they enjoy the same rights and privileges of living here as do men so yes they should. And why not combat? The feminists are always crying for equal rights so this would be a golden opportunity. How many times have you seen stories in the news about a woman shooting her husband,boyfriend etc... That in itself tells me they can pull a trigger as easily as any man.