Women in the Military

Understanding the diversity in the U.S. Military is easiest if the numbers are looked at according to this nation’s population. American women account for fifty-one percent of the U.S. population and yet they only make up about sixteen percent of our uniformed officers throughout each branch of the military. The numbers are even fewer when looking at the number of women who have made a general officer rank. In the Army, only four percent of the generals are female, Navy admirals are seven percent, Air Force numbers are only nine percent, and the lowest number is the Marine Corps with three percent. (Sagalyn, 2011). The graph below shows the disparity in the numbers from each branch of the military and covers both active and reserve officers.
(Sagalyn, 2011).
There are two main reasons for the lack of females involved in the higher ranks of the U.S. military. (1)- Women are not allowed to participate in combat, which is most often how a promotion is achieved. The reasoning behind this problem is feelings and beliefs about gender integration would harm how effective a combat unit would be. (2)- There is a much higher turnover rate with women than there is with their male colleagues. Women are not as likely to remain in service as long as men and are less likely to view the military as a permanent or long-term career which will affect their chances at a promotion. (Sagalyn, 2011).
The problem of women fighting in combat along with their male counterparts is not a one-sided problem. Elizabeth Hoisington has earned the rank of Brigadier General in the U.S. Army, leads the Women’s Army Corps and believes that women should not serve in combat because they are not as physically, mentally, or emotionally qualified as a male is and that ...

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..., which seems to happen all too often when it comes to the treatment of women in the military.

Works Cited

Bell, D. (2013, May 15). Arguing For and Against Women in Combat, in 1978. Retrieved from http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/press-past/2013/05/15/arguing-for-and-against-women-in-combat-in-1978
Kennedy, K. (2013, July 25). Military women say sexual assault and harassment remain. Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/07/23/sexual-assaults-continue-to-plague-military/2577995/
Rosenblum, K., & Travis, T. (2012). The Meaning of Difference: American Constructions of Race, Sex and Gender, Social Class, Sexual Orientation, and Disability (6th ed.). New York, NT: McGraw-Hill.
Sagalyn, D. (2011, March 11). Report: U.S. Military Leadership Lacks Diversity at Top. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2011/03/military-report.html