Women in Combat

Women in combat male service members are prohibited from looking at or speaking to Afghan women on patrols and from touching them at routine checkpoints to search for weapons and explosives—a challenge that poses a security risk that only female service members are equipped to address.

Decades of war have shown that a combat ban cannot shield women from an enemy that does not discriminate against its targets on the basis of gender, or any other factor.
Warfare of the 21st century means women are as critical—and as vulnerable—in military operations as their male counterparts rooted in an outdated conception of war
The policy prevented commanders from assigning their most qualified personnel to missions, regardless of gender women and that women will have the opportunity to contribute and serve in any position for which they are qualified
Commanders' hands will no longer be tied by an archaic policy grounded in outdated ideas services can assign the best of the best without regard to gender
We no longer have a choice. Fifteen percent of the military is comprised of women. Over 200,000 women have dedicated their lives to serve their country, 20,000 of whom served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
When female soldiers are the first ones to knock on doors in a neighborhood in Afghanistan due to cultural restrictions, they are essentially at the forefront of the mission.
They also fear that women are more likely to be caught and raped by an opponent, but military courses are taught on self-defense and problem solving. If a woman makes it into a combat position, shouldn’t they already know how to protect themselves, fight back and avoid this problem?
) We have entered an era of push-button war in which purely physical strength has lost much if not all of its military relevance.
2) To the extent that strength continues to matter, some women can meet requirements and should be given a chance to qualify.
3) Other than physical strength, there are no militarily relevant differences between men and women.
4) To exclude willing women from military service is unfair and unjust.
Where and how women serve in the military should be based on ability and training, not gender positions should be open to women on three conditions — “if they want, if they’re qualified, if they can do the job.”