Why Should Women Be Allowed In The Military

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Women in Combat Roles: The Needs of the Military Should Come First
Should women be allowed in all combat roles in the military or should certain positions be closed off to them? Can they be fearless and brave if a situation calls for it? These questions has been a continuing debate for many years that has not yet reached an agreement. Recently, there has been a spotlight on this issue with many women wanting to prove they can equally perform well mentally and physically just as well as men. There are many factors we must consider, but the main reason lawmakers have not come to a consensus is because having women in combat roles could propose a risk to the unit as a whole. However, since women have never been allowed to be in combat roles, …show more content…

This is due to the need of cohesion of the group, particularly in combat positions. In the past, these arguments have been used for preventing integration of race and sexual orientations into the military, but further studies have proven these thoughts to be false (Segal., Smith., Segal., & Canuso, 2016, pg.29). Historically, women have always been part of the war effort by serving in auxiliary roles on the battlegrounds to care for the soldiers by performing jobs such as nurses, water bearers, cookies, laundresses and saboteurs (Women in military service for America memorial. n.d.). However, unbeknownst to those around them, during the Revolutionary, Civil and Mexican Wars, many women disguised themselves as men to fight for the cause (Wood. n.d.). Deborah Samson Gannett from Massachusetts was one of the first known female soldiers in 1782 and was able to enlist by using the name of her deceased brother (Wood). Gannet was wounded twice and even cut a musket ball out of her thigh so nobody would find out she was a woman (Wood). Many other women fought alongside their husbands under the cover of being a male …show more content…

In fact, one study found “women often possessed superior communication skills which enhanced cooperation, and team spirit at the organizational level (Alderman. Pg.34) Another primary concern is the idea that women are unable to handle the mental strain of combat due to their nurturing and caring nature. One sergeant in the Army’s special forces asked, “They nurture kids, Will a woman return fire and kill a child insurgent fighter?” (Michaels). In response, women have already proven they care mentally tough for the job. For years, some women have found themselves in the line of fire in the Middle East and having women in combat positions may be an advantage for the military. These military women have been able to secure intelligence from speaking to Afghan women because they would not speak to the men (Michaels).
Other concerns include women having periods each month, which can easily be controlled or suppressed by taking hormonal contraceptives. Pregnancy is another issue, but the Navy Personnel Research and Development Center found the average pregnant women in the Navy lost one day a month of work compared to men who lose twice as many days for drug and alcohol rehabilitation (Michaels). Therefore, pregnancy should not be singled out when any physical ailment could stop a soldier from deploying (Michaels). Another worry for the change of policy is the possibly of women becoming

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