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Back to Subjects - Social Issues

Women in the Military

Women in the Military As we approach the end of the Twentieth Century, it is worthwhile to reflect on the social and political advancements of women during the past hundred years. Women now have the right to vote and to own property. They let their voices be heard instead of sitting silently in the kitchen. Women hold jobs previously restricted to men - police officer, firefighter, construction worker, doctor, truck driver and scientist. Obviously, this list is not all inclusive. Unfortunately, there is still one area that remains restricted to women. Women have assisted the military forces as far back as the Revolutionary War and yet there remains positions that women are excluded from. Female military personnel, having proven their ability to handle combat situations and having gained the support of the American public, should be permitted to volunteer for combat designated positions. A historical analysis will establish that women are capable of meeting the demands of war, having served in numerous combat and combat-support positions. Mary Hays McCauley, also known as Molly Pitcher, fought in the Revolutionary War, taking over her husband's cannon duties after he was wounded. Margaret Corbin also fought in the Revolutionary War during the Battle of Fort Washington. During the Civil War, thousand of women served in both the Union and the Confederate armies, primarily as nurses. Elizabeth Newcom joined the Missouri Volunteer Infantry during the Mexican-American War disguised as a man, and served for some time before her deception was discovered (Valceanu 22). These women were not an exception, but merely doing what had to be done. Even though the majority served as nurses, they still witnessed and experienced the devastating physical and psychological effects of war and proved that they could indeed handle the pressure. In 1942, because of the need for men to be available for combat positions, the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps was created. This permitted women to fill combat-support positions, at least for the duration of World War II. Greater progress came after World War II with the Women's Armed Services Integration Act of 1948. This would be the first time that women were permitted to serve in the military during peace-time. However, each branch had a two percent limit on the number of women that could be enlisted at any one time, and promotions were very restricted (Valceanu 22). Certainly, this shows advancement for women in the military, but it was merely due to the shortage of men available for military duty. Equality for women in the military was definitely not a consideration at this time. While women would also serve during the Korean War and the Vietnam War, there was little progress until the 1970's. In 1972, women comprised only two percent of all military personnel, ninety percent of which were in "traditional female medical and administrative positions" (Binkin 10). It would appear that there was very little progress during the twenty-three years since the passage of the Women's Armed Services Integration Act of 1948. The restrictions placed on the number of women enlistments, combined with the military's attitude toward women, created an impasse that would prove difficult to break through. The Equal Rights Amendment would turn these military issues into political ones, and women would begin to challenge the military's policies regarding women as being unconstitutional (Holm 266). This was a time of progress for women, socially, politically and economically. Women would demand equality with men and would fight the exclusion from previously male-only professions. It would logically follow that this would carry over into the military. Unfortunately, this would prove to be a difficult and lengthy, but not impossible, battle. In 1989, seven hundred seventy women were deployed in the invasion of Panama, and Captain Linda Bray would become the first woman to command a military unit during combat (Binken 16; Valceanu 23). Certainly this was a phenomenal achievement for women considering the continuing mindset of the military that female soldiers are inferior to males. Finally, Operation Desert Storm/Desert Shield saw the largest deployment of women in military history. They served in a variety of positions and they proved that they could stand up to the challenges of modern warfare. "American military women did just about everything on land, at sea and in the air except engage in actual fighting and even there the line was often blurred" (Holm 445). It is rather simple for a group of people to sit around a table and say that certain assignments are more likely to involve direct combat incident and should therefore be off-limits to women. However, reality often proves to be much different than hypothesis. In Operation Desert Storm, women were frequently exposed to enemy fire even though they were assigned to non-combat positions. One of the strongest arguments against allowing women to serve in and volunteer for direct combat missions is that women are physically inferior than men. However, there are two factors that weaken this argument. The first consideration is that there is little scientific evidence showing that size and strength contribute to ground combat performance. Physical strength may not be a necessity for certain positions and, certainly, not all men have great upper body strength. However, should physical strength be a requirement, a look at some well-known athletes will show what trained women can accomplish. Pitcher Kathy Arendsen can throw a softball at 96 m.p.h. underhand and Florence Griffith Joyner ran the 100 meter faster than O.J. Simpson ever did while competing for USC (Miller 37). Just as all men may not be able to bench-press a school bus, all women are not tiny and frail. Restrictions should not be made based on gender, but rather on the physical abilities of the individual person. A 1994 poll of enlisted men showed that roughly 25% agreed that women who were given the same training as men would make "just as good front-line soldiers" (Stiehm 92). An intensive training and conditioning program could certainly bring women closer to meeting the military's physical requirements. The second consideration is the fact that in today's high tech society soldiers very rarely come in direct contact with the enemy. In fact, it is estimated that "fewer than ten percent of military positions require actual infantry duty" ("What Jobs" 846). Computers, unmanned aircraft and satellites are rapidly replacing troops, tanks and airplanes in preparing battle strategies (Hillen 17). In this perspective, size, strength and physical characteristics are irrelevant. Intelligence, intuition and technology have replaced agility, strength and guns as the essential weapons of war. Nevertheless, any further progress for women in the military is impossible without the support of military personnel and the American public. There are too many arguments, most of which are beyond the scope of this paper, against streamlining men and women in military combat positions. The biggest issue is that women get pregnant, even in the military, and this presents certain physical restrictions. However, when the issue becomes the voluntary placement of women in combat positions, public support rises. In a 1991 Newsweek poll, 53% of Americans stated that they would support voluntary combat assignments for women as opposed to 23% if the assignment was involuntary (Nantais and Lee 185). Providing the opportunity for women to volunteer for combat positions would certainly alleviate the arguments centered around motherhood and family obligations. Pete Williams, spokesman for the Secretary of Defense, was quoted, "One of the lessons we've learned from Operation Desert Storm is the extent to which the nation accepted the 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 eliminate all restrictions. Currently, women are still excluded from combat units and various combat ships and aircraft. While great advances have been made in the past two decades, women are still not equal to men in the eyes of the military. Operation Desert Storm proved without a doubt that women can indeed survive the horrors of war and hold their own on the battlefield. The American public has expressed their approval and admiration of these women who are dedicated to serving and protecting their country. It's time for the military brass to acknowledge the same and give women the opportunities they deserve. Bibliography: Works Cited Binkin, Martin. Who Will Fight the Next War? The Changing Face of the American Military. Washington, D.C.: The Brookings Institution, 1993. Hillen, John. "Must U.S. Military Culture Reform?" Parameters. 29.3 (1999): 9-23. Holm, Maj. Gen. Jeanne USAF (Ret.). Women in the Military - An Unfinished Revolution (Revised Edition). Novato, Ca.: Presidio, 1992. Miller, Laura L. "Feminism and the Exclusion of Army Women From Combat". Gender Issues. 16.3 (1998): 33-64. Nantais, Cynthia and Martha F. Lee. "Women in the United States Military: Protectors or Protected? The Case of Prisoner of War Melissa Rathburn-Nealy." Journal of Gender Studies. 8.2 (1999):181-191. Stiehm, Judith Hicks. "Army Opinions About Women in the Army." Gender Issues. 16.3 (1998): 88-98. Stone, Andrea. "Navy Resists Idea of Opening Submaries to Women." USA Today. 14 Sept. 1999: 14A. Valceanu, John. "Women in the Army - A Proud History." Soldiers. 543. (1999): 21-23. "What Jobs Are Open to Women". CQ Researcher. 2.36 (25 Sept. 1992): 843-846.

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