Women in the Military Past, Present, and Future - Research Paper Example

Women in the Military: Past, Present, and Future Introduction In the traditional sense, wars and other conflicts have been fought by men. Throughout history, when threats to people or property have been posed, the men took up arms and the women were often left behind to tend to the children and to their homes. But never has the picture of the woman in the military been brought to the limelight as when Joan of Arc successfully took up arms against the English in the name of her French homeland (Willens “Issues”). Since then the picture of the woman in the military has been set forth as an occurrence which was not anymore so strange or far-fetched. Women were no longer relegated to the background; they were now also considered as equal combatants. For the United States military, the early years when women were allowed entry were years when their roles were focused to that of sewing, mending, cooking, doing the laundry, binding wounds, and similar non-combatant roles (US Army “Features’). Currently, women occupy 91% of all Army positions and they comprise about 14% of the current active army; they also play a vital role in fighting the War of Terrorism alongside many of the brave military men (US Army “Features’). This paper shall now discuss how the roles of women in the US military have changed since the Revolutionary war, how it has changed again in the Second World War, and how it has changed during the Persian Gulf War and the current war against Iraq and Afghanistan. It shall also discuss the future of women in the military which would most likely feature allowing women in combat. All in all, this paper shall discuss that the historical value of women in the military suggests that they have proven their ability to handle combat situations and therefore should be allowed to volunteer for combat positions. This assessment shall cover the past experiences of women in the military featuring their current status while foreseeing their growing role in the military. Discussion: Women in the Military Past The traditional role of women as caretakers has been used in order to help contribute to the success and the progression of war. During the American Revolution, women served as nurses, cooks, laundresses and unobtrusively, as saboteurs (Women’s Memorial “Education”). And again, during the Civil War, they rendered nursing care to the wounded. For some women who wanted to join the combat, they resorted to disguising themselves as men (Women’s Memorial “Education”). The traditional role as nurses and caretakers was still the dominant role that many women played in the wars that followed American history (Mexican War, Spanish-American War). Their role as nurse was later institutionalized with the establishment of the Army Nurse Corps and the Navy Nurse Corps just before the First World War was declared. During the First World War, women’s roles expanded to being telephone operators, stenographers, and nurses in the battlefield (Women’s Memorial “Education”). As battlefield nurses, they were now closer to the conflict and as such, they too suffered the ravages, the injuries, and the deadly effects of war. In the years that followed the First World War, women were given more recognition in terms of military rank; and they were later granted higher ranks from second lieutenant to major (Women’s Memorial “Education”). During the Second World War, most of the women in the military were still nurses; serving stateside and also overseas. They also suffered war atrocities as many of them were captured as prisoners of war (POWs). Many women were also trained as civil service pilots “flying stateside missions as ferries, test pilots and anti-aircraft artillery trainers (Women’s Memorial “Education”). For the navy, they filled various roles in communications, intelligence, supply, and administration. In the marines, they served as clerks, cooks, mechanics, and drivers (Women’s Memorial “Education”). In 1948, their role in the military found more legal support with the establishment of the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act (Women’s Memorial “Education”). In the years that followed the Second World War, the role of the women in the military was still very much in the medical or nursing aspect. Only in the 1960s was a woman promoted to Sergeant major in the marines; and she was the first woman to serve under hostile fire (Women’s Memorial “Education”). The Vietnam War also saw women serving in combat. The trend of women serving in the military was able to evolve from being in the background to being in the front lines. They have also managed to prove themselves as able to handle combat situations in the front lines. Many traditionalists continued to argue against women in combat because they point out that these women would most likely be raped and in many documented instances serve as ‘comfort women’ (Willens “Issue”). However, supporters of women in the frontlines argue that these women are aware of the dangers they would likely meet when they entered the military; hence they are aware of the consequences of their decisions (Willens “Issue”). Women in combat situations have also been questioned as regards their physical strength and endurance. Many experts are quick to point out that there are some women who do have the endurance and the strength to be combat soldiers. For this reason alone, they should therefore be given the chance to be combatants during active engagements (Willens, “Issue”). Women in the Military Present In the current war against terror being fought mostly against Iraq and Afghanistan, although women have not been encouraged to be in the frontlines, many of them have still found their way there. Many observers point out that women have been seen on a daily basis in various combat situations in Iraq. “This is partly because there is no clear ‘front line’ in the Iraq occupation since urban warfare and guerrilla tactics defy conventional notions of battle zones” (Carreiras, p. 203). The duties of these women, which has now been increased to guard and police duties have managed to inevitably expose them to combat situations. The escalating conflict in the War against Terror has not followed the conventional trends of war. The more important aspect which needs to be taken into account in the current situation of women in combat roles is the fact that their presence has not undermined the US military’s masculinist culture (Carreiras, p. 204). The presence of women in the military has also been considered a bonus for the military administrators who assign these women to duties like supply clerks, cooks, mechanics, nurses, and doctors. And with women’s increased participation and presence in the frontlines and behind combat lines, the very essence of the military has endured. “Like many longstanding organizations, military social structural arrangements can survive despite deep changes in their personnel and frequent efforts to reform” (Carreiras, p. 204). Other experts also point out that the Persian Gulf and the war against Afghanistan and Iraq saw thousands of women serving in combat. Through these wars, the rules of engagement have been changed based on combat situations. Moreover, allowing men and women to vie for military specialties is not anymore a question of equal rights, but of achieving greater military effectiveness (Willens “Issue”). Many experts have now realized through the current War against Terrorism that, in order for the US to maintain its military dominance in the world, its personnel must be manned by capable soldiers, regardless of gender. Women in the Military Future In the future, women in the military should be given more opportunities to be in combat. Many of these women have managed to prove themselves capable of fighting in close combat as soldiers. Although, admittedly, they may often not be as physically strong as men, the success or failures of wars and conflicts are not always based on physical strength. In most instances, wars and conflicts are won through technical precision and cunning (Lippa, p. 258). The future of women in the military is about mostly allowing them the same opportunities offered to men – and clearly, that includes being in combat. Women entering the service join the military with their minds wide open to the realities they may be subjected to during training and during combat situations. These women should therefore be given the same opportunities as the men. It is important however to note that women in combat may cause distractions during combat. The usual images of war often evoke those of men losing their limbs or being shot down and killed during combat. Men seeing these images often get used to it; they can still eventually function well during moments of combat even after seeing images of their colleagues being killed. However, many men and women react differently when they see women colleagues being killed. And in these instances, missions may be harder or may be more dangerous to accomplish (Katz “News”). It is however also crucial to note that by limiting the areas where men and women in the military can and cannot participate in, it increases the rift and the division between the men and the women in the military even more (Katz “News”). Women participating in combat operations in the military are based on the rights, responsibilities, and privileges of being in a democratic nation. “All citizens who enjoy the benefits of a free society should have equal obligations to protect that society, and all persons in a democracy should participate in that protection according to their ability rather than their membership in a particular group – especially as defined biologically” (Fenner & De Young, p. 4). Conclusion The discussion above points out that women have managed to prove themselves throughout history of being able to handle combat situations. They should therefore be allowed to serve combat positions during engagements. The emphasis of this paper is about giving the same opportunities in the military as those offered to the men. Physical strength is not the only criterion for entry into combat situations because wars are not won through combat alone. They are won with the skills and abilities of the men and women in combat. Skills and abilities in combat are not exclusive to men alone; they can also be learned by women. Women should therefore be granted the chance to defend their country, to fulfill their responsibilities, and to defend their rights against combatants. Works Cited Carreiras, H. “Women in the Military and in Armed Conflict”. 2008. Netherlands: VS Verlag Publishers Fenner, L. & De Young, M. “Women in combat: civic duty or military liability?”. 2001. Washington: Georgetown University. “Generations of Women: Moving History Forward US Army. Features. (n.d) United States Army. 12 March 2010 from http://www.army.mil/women/ “Highlights in the History of Military Women”. Education. (n.d) Women’s Memorial. 12 March 2010 from http://www.womensmemorial.org/Education/timeline.html Katz, A. “The Future of Women Serving in Combat Being Debated” News. 24 February 2010. Voice of America. 12 March 2010 from http://www.militaryconnections.com/news_story.cfm?textnewsid=1525 Lippa, R. “Gender, nature, and nurture”. 2005. New York: Routledge Willens, J. “Women in the Military: Combat Roles Considered”. Issue. 7 August 1996. Center for Defense Information. 12 March 2010 from http://www.cdi.org/issues/women/combat.html Read More