Women in Combat
Grace MacDonald
Pd. 6
Should Women be Allowed in Military Combat?
Imagine, as a male, in frontline combat with a female on one side of you, another male on the other side of you. Who would you trust most? A majority of people would trust the male over the female because of a male’s strength and endurance, and that is the trouble. Although it is proven that most women are physically weaker than men and have forty pounds less muscle mass and thirteen pounds more fat than men, it does not mean they are not as brave, experienced, dedicated, or skillful as men in the military. Rosemarie Skaine, author of Women at War: Gender Issues of Americans in Combat said, “It is more important to have superior technical skills, intelligence, and training [in the military than physical strength]”. Women may not be as athletic or strong as men, but they are capable of having as much or more experience and skill than the men fighting in frontline combat. The topic of whether or not women should be allowed in combat is very subjective. Some people believe that since most women are not as physically strong, they do not belong in combat. However, I think it is much more important to be mentally tough, brave, smart and aware of your surroundings. There has been no defined frontline in the current wars on terror; men and women in uniform have been exposed to the enemy almost everywhere under multiple circumstances, whether they are on a combat mission or within the security of their base. For example, an enemy can launch rockets at a base with the hope that they’ll impact somewhere inside the base where they will destroy equipment or injure people. In the case of people working inside the base any one of them at any time could be a victim of these attacks. Additionally, most people think frontline combat is just on land, face-to-face. A lot of intense combat also takes place in the sky, being shot at while in bombers or jets, which is equally as dangerous as being on land.
Pd. 6
Should Women be Allowed in Military Combat?
Imagine, as a male, in frontline combat with a female on one side of you, another male on the other side of you. Who would you trust most? A majority of people would trust the male over the female because of a male’s strength and endurance, and that is the trouble. Although it is proven that most women are physically weaker than men and have forty pounds less muscle mass and thirteen pounds more fat than men, it does not mean they are not as brave, experienced, dedicated, or skillful as men in the military. Rosemarie Skaine, author of Women at War: Gender Issues of Americans in Combat said, “It is more important to have superior technical skills, intelligence, and training [in the military than physical strength]”. Women may not be as athletic or strong as men, but they are capable of having as much or more experience and skill than the men fighting in frontline combat. The topic of whether or not women should be allowed in combat is very subjective. Some people believe that since most women are not as physically strong, they do not belong in combat. However, I think it is much more important to be mentally tough, brave, smart and aware of your surroundings. There has been no defined frontline in the current wars on terror; men and women in uniform have been exposed to the enemy almost everywhere under multiple circumstances, whether they are on a combat mission or within the security of their base. For example, an enemy can launch rockets at a base with the hope that they’ll impact somewhere inside the base where they will destroy equipment or injure people. In the case of people working inside the base any one of them at any time could be a victim of these attacks. Additionally, most people think frontline combat is just on land, face-to-face. A lot of intense combat also takes place in the sky, being shot at while in bombers or jets, which is equally as dangerous as being on land.