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Issues Surrounding Women in Comabat

Uploaded by sls465 on Apr 18, 2007

Issues Surrounding Women in Comabat

The notion that women should be able to participate in ground warfare has been a long disputed argument for decades. Many argue that it is in every individual’s right to be able to defend their own country with honor and integrity. But certain issues arise when this defense is analyzed. Should women be able to engage in hand-to-hand combat? The answer is no.

Throughout history, women have played an important role in defending our country successfully. During World War II, “Women performed a variety of jobs, including telephone operators, clerks, supply clerks, machinists, mechanics, drivers, intelligence gatherers, carpenters, cooks-virtually any job that was not classified as combat.”(Lunardini 151)

The roles of women in the military have changed considerably since World War II. “In 1993 women aviators were given permission to fly fighter jets.” (Lunardini 151) These advancements in military warfare of women have helped the gender as a whole, but does it qualify them to participate in ground combat?

“Today the nearly 200,000 women in the nation’s armed forces serve as everything from Air Force fighter pilots to military police officers to captains of Navy ships. But the direct combat arms of the Army and Marines- including infantry, armor and field artillery-are closed to them.” (Aspy 140)

Sure, many women may possess that “patriotic” determination that it takes to be in close combat, but combat is not only about having strong will and courage; those are secondary. Combat is about “..... war- fighting capacity and the morale of the unit. Here physical strength can be a life-and-death issue.” (Aspy 140) In this situation, the physical differences between male and female cannot be overlooked. Studies have shown that women lack the same degree of strength as men.
“A U.S. Navy study of dynamic upper- torso strength in 38 men and women found that the women possessed about half the lifting power of the men.” (Aspy 142) In addition, the1992 Presidential Commission on the Assignment of Women in the Armed Forces stated, “ Women have a smaller heart mass, heart volume and cardiac output than men.” (Aspy 143) This in turn, hindering their overall performance as a cadet.

So, this brings up the next question; should women be held up to the same standards as men when training? “Under mixed-gender basic training instituted...

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Uploaded by:   sls465

Date:   04/18/2007

Category:   Social Issues

Length:   3 pages (736 words)

Views:   2593

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