Women In Combat Roles
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the integration of women into combat units and some issues that may arise for women. Individuals that oppose women in combat roles argue that women’s health, physical fitness, sexual assault awareness, gender-normed vs gender-neutral standards, the draft, and women’s history are reasons for ending integration. Supporters counter argue these same points, in favor of women’s integration into combat Military Occupational Specialties (MOS)’s. As long as females meet all requirements for combat MOS they should be able to serve in that occupation.
Women’s Military History
Women have been serving in the Military since the American Revolutionary War. However, most female’s roles were in the support of military …show more content…
Debates focused on the risk female Soldiers would face in captivity to include violent actions they may endure that males might not be subjected to. An example was Private First Class (PFC) Jessica Lynch, who was the only soldier raped and sodomized multiple times by enemy Iraqi insurgents. These actions alone cast a doubt of the idea of women serving in combat units. Whether in combat or garrison the sexual assault will be a problem. The Department of Defense (DOD) released its Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 annual report on sexual assault in the military. In this report the DOD received 6,063 reports for sexual assault allegations involving service members (DOD Releases FY15 Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military. (n.d.). Retrieved, 2017).
Gender-Normed vs Gender-Neutral Standards
Gender-Normed standards is the currently the Army physical fitness testing standard. The minimum standards for an 18-year-old male, 42 push-ups, 53 sit-ups, and run two miles in under 15:54. 18-year-old Female 19 Push-ups, 53 sit-ups, and run two miles in under 18:54. With these standard males have to do 23 push-ups more, the same number of sit-ups, and run three minutes faster in the two-mile run. Some women meet the male minimum standards and score 100 points for 42 push-ups and 96 points for the two-mile run with a time of 15:54 (US Army Physical Fitness Test Scores (n.d.). Retrieved, 2017).
Women’s Military History
Women have been serving in the Military since the American Revolutionary War. However, most female’s roles were in the support of military …show more content…
Debates focused on the risk female Soldiers would face in captivity to include violent actions they may endure that males might not be subjected to. An example was Private First Class (PFC) Jessica Lynch, who was the only soldier raped and sodomized multiple times by enemy Iraqi insurgents. These actions alone cast a doubt of the idea of women serving in combat units. Whether in combat or garrison the sexual assault will be a problem. The Department of Defense (DOD) released its Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 annual report on sexual assault in the military. In this report the DOD received 6,063 reports for sexual assault allegations involving service members (DOD Releases FY15 Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military. (n.d.). Retrieved, 2017).
Gender-Normed vs Gender-Neutral Standards
Gender-Normed standards is the currently the Army physical fitness testing standard. The minimum standards for an 18-year-old male, 42 push-ups, 53 sit-ups, and run two miles in under 15:54. 18-year-old Female 19 Push-ups, 53 sit-ups, and run two miles in under 18:54. With these standard males have to do 23 push-ups more, the same number of sit-ups, and run three minutes faster in the two-mile run. Some women meet the male minimum standards and score 100 points for 42 push-ups and 96 points for the two-mile run with a time of 15:54 (US Army Physical Fitness Test Scores (n.d.). Retrieved, 2017).