Women in combat
The defense department will announce today that, going forward, women may serve in combat for the US military. Do you believe that this is a good idea? Do you believe that women (like men) should be drafted, if in the future a military draft is implemented?
APGOVNEWS 
I do think it is a good idea for women to be allowed to serve in combat for the military. If the women feel that they are capable to take on the job then they should be able to. Men and women were made equal so they should be treated equally.
I believe there are biological differences between males and females that make males more physically suitable for war and fighting, and thus make men more effective for military drafts. However, if women volunteer to serve and to protect our country, they should have the same opportunities to be on the front line as males. I am glad that the defense department made this decision.
I think that women should be allowed to serve in combat for the US military. I don’t like the idea of a draft forcing people, regardless of gender, to join the military. But if a draft was implemented I think women should be required to join the military. I agree with Natesa, men and women have equal rights therefore men and women should both have a chance to be drafted.
I think that women should definitely be allowed to serve in military combat. Men and women have equal rights and, therefore, should have an equal oppurtunity to serve their nation. As far as drafting, I do not think that drafting is ever okay or necessary. However, hypothetically I think that women and men should both take part in conscription.
I am a little surprised that the defense department made this decisions, and that there was so much support behind it, but I think it is good that this ban is now lifted. Women are already greatly involved in the military, and letting them participate in serving our country on the front lines is important. I agree with others that drafts should not be implemented, but if they were, women should have an equal chance.
I think this is a progressive step in terms of gender equality. However, currently men are need to do 42 pushups, 53 sit-ups, and run two miles in 15 minutes and 54 seconds to pass the fitness test and women only need to do 19 pushups and cross the two-mile mark at 18 minutes, 54 seconds. Why not raise the bar of what women need to do to pass? If we’re fighting for equality different baselines don’t seem to make sense…
It’s worth noting that the past four years have seen the end of the Iraq War, the beginning of the end in Afghanistan, the end of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and gender equality on the front lines. Leon Panetta is the man.
Men and women should be treated as equals in regard to military service. Women should not be penalized for wanting to serve their nation because of their physical differences with men. Though I feel that every U.S citizen should have the right to chose to fight in combat, it would only be fair and just that, if the nation had to resort to a military draft, women would be included in it.
Men and women are physically different. If the women can keep up with the squad and not drag the military actions and units down, there is no reason why they should not be allowed to serve combat units. The problem would arise if the women could not preform their duties and subsequently take away from combat units progress and effectiveness in the field. I see no reason why men and women cannot fight side by side in active combat roles as long as they are just as effective as each other in defending this country. Before this becomes fully active in 2016, I foresee the pentagon preparing for the possible problems with sexual assault.
I find the the “physical difference” argument to be misogynistic and frankly an excuse. Women have been working along men in the military for quite some time, or did Tammy Duckworth lose her legs in the kitchen? A man could “drag the military actions and units down…” I dont think its directly related to gender……. Sexual assault is already a massive problem in the military and I don’t think this decision will exacerbate the problem but regardless, it should be dealt with sans the secrecy and shame its is being treated with now.
I completely support women in combat. I think the focal issue should not be sexual tensions or physical differences but should be the standard to which women are held. That standard should be the same as the standard for men because regardless of having different natural physical capabilities, both genders need to do the same job in protecting our country. If a woman can do a task faster and more efficiently than a man, why shouldn’t she be on the front lines?
I fully support women in combat. I do not think it is fair to generalize that women “are designed to love and nurture while men are designed to hunt and kill.” However, after saying this I agree with Mary in that women should be held to the same standards as men when it comes to physical requirements. I almost understand why some feel as though women should not be in combat when they are not even required to be as “physically fit” as the men fighting right next to them. No – not all women are tough enough and cut out for fighting in the front lines, but neither are all men either.
Before this becomes fully active in 2016, I foresee the pentagon hopefully realizing that women are equal to men, and that although they are physically different, women can perform the same duties as men. Excluding them is only making the military less efficient.
If anyone want to participate in protecting out country then it should be encouraged and supported, man or woman. In combat the emphasis should be put on getting the objective done as efficiently and safely as possible, and no judgement should be made on who can participate in combat besides their ability to carry out the mission. As for the draft, in this day and age with the numbers and technology the US has there is no need to implement a draft. If it were the case however that a draft was necessary, I think that if you want to draft both men and women you would have to take into account that at least one parent or guardian must remain at home to take care of any children. One solution would be to give the family the choice of who they want to send to the army.
While I don’t have a problem with women serving on the front lines of our military, I believe the fundamental change it would bring would affect male troops. As the soldier interviewed said, it would bring sexual tension. I know if I was in the military and a good looking woman was brought in to serve alongside me it would be a distraction that could take my mind away from the task at hand. I’m not saying women shouldn’t serve, but we have the greatest military in the world so why fundamentally change it during wartime?
I find it sad the only time the military is in the news is when a tragedy happens, or a reform is underway. To have women serve alongside men is a no brainer. How can everyone have equal rights under the constitution if not everyone is allowed to defend it solely because of their creed. This is a non-issue. Let’s stop worrying about who should be allowed to fight and start worrying about why we’re still fighting if we should still be fighting at all.
I think it’s fantastic that women are serving in combat. It is their rights to fight threats as they see fit, but that can’t be said for every woman in the US. Woman, traditionally, are among the main caregivers to a family, and to put these people up for a draft would be taking away an important….I wouldn’t say duty, but there is a certain biological bond a mother has to have with her children, in my opinion. Especially with technology of the modern era, we require fewer and fewer troops. It should be up to women to volunteer their services.
I think that if a women is adamant about serving on the front lines of our nations wars they should be permitted to do so. But i recognize the physical differences of men and women and i also put weight into the sexual tension argument that could be difficult for men and women to keep their main focus on the task at hand. But in most cases i think men and women can act professionally and work together to keep our country safe.
A win for woman everywhere, but a draft is not needed. I don’t have any numbers, but from what I understand, woman interested in serving in combat are significantly fewer compared to males.
I do believe we’ll hear more sexual harassment cases following more women joining combat. This is a given considering we’re adding fuel to this particular fire. But I do not think this should inhibit our journey onward.
In addition, standards should not be changed. Excuse or no excuse, science has proved the physical differences between females and males. There’s no denying that on average, woman need to have different set of standards. However, if some women wanted to prove themselves worthy of a man’s position by performing to the same standards as a man, I welcome these strong individuals.
I definitely support the lift on the ban. Women have every right to serve their country if they so desire. As other people have mentioned, I think women should be held to the same physicals standards as men. It doesn’t make sense to send women who are seemingly unprepared, or at least less prepared than men, into battle.
I don’t like the idea of drafting for men or women, but if women want to be treated equally, then it’s only fair that they are subjected to the draft too.
Women should absolutely be able to serve in the military. Women can contribute significantly to the US military. When I was at the Pentagon this summer (with a summer program) we were able to ask questions to the Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus. My friend, who wants to go to the Naval Academy, asked him how the military was going to try and end the huge problem that the military has with sexual assault. He quickly responded that the only way to end the problem was to have more women in the military. The explanation for this is that nothing is going to change if men are protecting the men that are sexually assaulting women who are already in the military. If anyone has any doubts about this or are interested in learning more about women in the military should watch the documentary, The Invisible War.
Why do women in combat have to cause sexual tension? I will never understand why everything has to be sexual. Can’t people just be people, male or female, on a common mission to defeat a common enemy? I get that straight men and women are biologically programmed to be attracted to each other, but is it too insane to try and overcome this to serve our country. Although I can’t speak from experience, I don’t think I’d be distracted if I was being shot at even if I was surrounded by Ryan Gosling look-alikes. I hope we’ve come far enough as a species to be able to keep our sexual desires at bay.
Also, I’d like to point out that some of the comments on this article are very offensive to me as a woman. I believe that there are men who aren’t fit to serve in combat because they “can’t keep up with their units.” I do agree with Mary and Ellen in saying that women should be held to equal standards. We don’t want to be coddled, we want equality.