Pros And Cons Of Women In Combat

Women and war have always been considered to have nothing in common. As the more sympathetic gender, women are usually associated with caring and creating life rather than fighting alongside men. Even though women today do have the opportunity to enter the army, they are not officially allowed to enter combat and fight alongside their male companions. In both “The Sirens of the Pentagon” by Kathleen Parker and “From Women in Combat to Top Brass” by Jena McGregor, the various dangers and advantages of women in combat are defined. The dangers to women in combat are outweighed by advantages such as empowerment to young women and promotion in rank.

There are many dangers to having women in combat. One is that they are at a greater risk for capture.“... Females have only half the upper body strength as males…”(Parker,110). Individuals who hold this belief clearly agree that women lack the body strength

It gives them a mindset that they are capable of doing what men can do. As McGregor writes, when it was announced “... that the military would be lifting the policy against women in combat… {it}was met with cheers and applause by politicians, female soldiers, and the president” (McGregor,114). Clearly this reaction had a powerful effect on younger females, giving them the ability and authority, to make decisions and implement change in their own lives and the lives of other people, including young and old. Also, McGregor wrote that “... Linda Bray led military police officers during … the invasion of Panama…”(114). Women have served in the military for hundreds of years. They've worked hard and have been dedicated to the troops and their country. Although the argument still stands that women should not be allowed in combat, the empowerment aspect identifies with several young women who want to make choices and turn them into desired actions and