he significant role of women in the operation" (Miller 35). The military's acknowledgment of the fact that women in combat are accepted by the American public is one more hurdle cleared in the fight for military equality.Maj. Gen. Jeanne Holm, a thirty-three year veteran and Special Assistant for Women to the President, states in her book Women in the Military An Unfinished Revolution:Even though the press focused on the female POWs and casualties [of Desert Storm], the public generally took the news in stride. The general reaction was that the men and women in the Gulf had chosen to serve their country and some had made the ultimate sacrifice. There were no claims that any one life was more precious than another. (464) Women have been to war and the American public accepts that woman are just as capable as men of defending our country. There should be no further need for women to prove themselves to the military decision makers.Obviously, public support would mean nothing if it was not backed up with support from military personnel. Defense Advisory Council chairwomen Mary Wamsley spoke with men on a submarine visit in 1999. Even though women are still restricted from this vessel, the men told her that women CAN do the submarine job (Stone 14A). Why would they tell her this and risk losing their exclusive membership? In a 1994 military opinion poll, over half of the enlisted men agreed that women should be assigned to positions for which they are qualified (Stiehm 91). In addition, most Army women hold the opinion that the military should lift restrictions on women's assignments and that assignments should be based on the women's choice and ability - NOT gender (Miller 62). The biggest anomaly in this whole situation is that even though they were officially excluded from combat, women still saw combat action and were placed in situations that made them easy targets for enemy attacks. It is time to face reality and elimina...
